A legend from the day he defeated us in 1971

I FIRST heard of Páidí Ó Sé from John Long, who played with me on the 1970 Kerry minor team. John often referred to a young emerging star who he felt would be a future football phenomenon.

My first encounter with Páidí on the football field was in the Kerry Senior Colleges O’Sullivan Cup final in Nov 1971 when I played with St Michael’s College Listowel against St Brendan’s College Killarney. Although Páidí was only in second year in St Brendan’s he was still able to secure a place on the senior team. They defeated us by a point, depriving St Michael’s of their first O’Sullivan Cup win in their history.

Three years later Páidí transferred to St Michael’s to take his Leaving Certificate and led St Michael’s to a historic victory over St Brendan’s in the O’Sullivan Cup final of that year.