Kerry soccer has lost a founding father in Christy Leahy

Christy Leahy was a founding member of St Brendan's Park FC and the long-serving chairman of the Kerry District League. He helped shape soccer in the county

Christy Leahy (pictured) was instrumental in developing Mounthawk Park, the home of Kerry FC. Pic: Sportsfile

The death has taken place of Christy Leahy, a founding member of St Brendan's Park FC and long-time Kerry District League chairman. His encyclopedic knowledge of Kerry soccer history was always incredibly useful and given so willingly.

Respect is a common buzzword these days but you could travel the highways and byways of Kerry and still not find a dissenting voice.

I got to know him first when his club, St Brendan's Park, used to meet my club, Tralee Dynamos, and then when I was elected as PRO of the KDL. 

Christy was a most progressive chairman and along with hard-working secretary John O’Regan, was instrumental in developing Mounthawk Park, the home of First Division play-off side, Kerry FC.

Christy was first to admit that he was not gifted as a player and his career was short. It was generally accepted that his talents were best served on the sideline and in administration. Christy became the first manager of the Kerry Oscar Traynor team in 1976 and was manager of the St Brendan's Park senior side for 16 years. He also served as chairman of the Kerry District League for more than 20 years between 1981 and 2001.

Among the many accolades Christy received was the highly prestigious John Sherlock FAI Award presented in 2014 for his lifetime work in football.

However, Christy’s life changed in 2004 when a neurologist uttered the stark words, “You have Parkinson's disease, it is life changing and not life threatening."

The words echoed around the neurologist's office as the ashen faced Tralee native struggled to cope with the shock and tried in vain to take in the magnitude of what was unfolding in front of him. It was not what he wanted to hear as Christy, tears in his eyes, hugged his wife Helen. They were acutely aware that their life was about to change.

But Christy was a fighter and showed remarkable courage over the last 22 years, battling Parkinson’s like the warrior he was. I once asked him how he could be so positive and he recounted one of the lighter moments of living with the condition. 

"Recently I was taking part in a Texas hold'em poker classic in Tralee," he said. "At one stage my left hand began to shake and one of the players noticed this, saying 'I know you have a good hand, I just saw you shake with excitement'. He immediately folded his hand of cards. When I told him it was not excitement, it was Parkinson’s, he turned pale with the shock and was very apologetic. It was all good fun."

Christy also hosted four charity walks in Tralee for Parkinson’s a few years ago, bringing in €10,000 which was donated to the North Kerry Parkinson's Support Group and the South Kerry Parkinson's Support Group, both doing tremendous work in the county.

He told me a few years ago: "Life has changed for me. I am on a cocktail of medication each day and this enables me to lead a life that is as normal as it possibly can be. My reflexes are slow, the messages from my brain to my hands and legs is taking a little longer. My left side is the area that is most affected.

"I know it will get a lot worse but I will cross that hurdle when I reach it. I have a loving family including my wife Helen, my children Sandra and Sean, my adorable grandson Christian, great friends, and I still enjoy soccer and in that regard, life is not bad. I am dealing with Parkinson’s and I just take each day as it comes."

The only time he was really lost for words was when he was informed that St Brendan's Park soccer ground was being renamed Christy Leahy Park. Slightly bewildered, he did manage one memorable line, "Don't you have to be dead to get that recognition!"

No, you did not, Christy - and the soccer fraternity owes you a big vote of thanks for what you did for the game in the Kingdom.

Christy is survived by his wife Helen, his children Sandra and Sean, son-in-law Mark and grandson Christian.

Christy Leahy will repose at the Gleasure Funeral Home, Tralee, on Wednesday (21st October) from 6 to 8.30 p.m. Funeral arriving to Our Lady & St. Brendan’s Church, Tralee on Thursday morning at 10.30 a.m. where the Requiem Mass for Christy will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Burial afterwards in Rath Cemetery, Tralee.