O’Leary honoured to recall 50 years of green and gold greats

Fittingly, one of the warmest rounds of applause at the Munster GAA awards was reserved for a man who has clapped and cheered on club and county teams for over half a century.

Rathmore’s Donal O’Leary collected the Irish Examiner Supporter of the Year Award at the provincial council’s gala ceremony in the Malton Hotel, Killarney. And, ironically, it was all thanks to a Cork man.

“I was nominated by Pat Kelleher who was a garda in Killarney for years but is originally from Kanturk. He saw the piece in the Irish Examiner about the awards and wrote to them about my time following Kerry teams.

“It’s nice to see Cork and Kerry working together,” laughed O’Leary. “I’m thrilled and honoured to have received this award.”

O’Leary has had a ringside seat for the great green and gold football moments stretching back to the 50s.

“I was brought to Dublin, but not to Croke Park, for the All-Ireland finals in both 1953 and 1955. But what I remember of 1955 is the Sam Maguire coming down in the train and stopping in Rathmore, which is the first stop in Kerry. John Dowling was captain that year and it was a great night in Rathmore. As Monday nights after Kerry’s All-Ireland wins always are.”

O’Leary’s connection with Kerry football extends to more than a place in the terraces or stands — he was a selector in the mid-70s with the minors, who claimed All-Ireland honours in 1975. He also enjoyed stints with the U21 and junior sides and is ready willing and able to answer the call from the seniors if required.

As a man who went here, there and everywhere in support of county sides at all grades, O’Leary was high on the list when Sean Kelly — then Kerry chairman — set about setting up a Supporters Club a quarter of a century ago.

O’Leary recalled: “Sean asked five of us to come on board and gave us a brief to form a club not for fundraising purposes but to look after supporters. Our main job was to get good deals on buses, food and accommodation for fans of Kerry teams. It took about two years to get off the ground and it has been going from strength to strength. In fact our social in January will be our 23rd get together.

“There are great characters involved and we have made great friends along the way. We have been to every county in Ireland for matches, including Kilkenny, would you believe, for a tournament game.”

Now for the six marker. In all that time who was the standout Kerry footballer from a long list of talent?

O’Leary doesn’t pause: “Oh God, Mick O’Dwyer, without doubt. He was the best I ever saw.

“He had everything, he was a great club man, a great South Kerry man, a great county man. Pound for pound, he was the best footballer of them all. And he would be followed closely by Jack O’Shea.”