Death of great sportsman Jim Kiernan

THE death has taken place of a top Irish sportsman, former Irish cricketer and Munster rugby player Jim Kiernan (80), following a short illness.

Mr Kiernan was a member of a legendary sporting family, a brother of ex-Irish and Lions rugby captain Tom Kiernan and father of Irish and Lions centre Michael.

The late Mr Kiernan won a Munster Schools’ Senior Cup medal with Presentation Brothers College in 1948 and went on to win Munster Senior Cup medals with University College Cork in 1955 and Cork Constitution in 1957 (as captain).

Following a move to Dolphin, he won a Cork Charity Cup medal in 1961, but, in between, won numerous caps for Munster at full back, a position eventually held for both province and country by his younger brother Tom.

His interest in the game held beyond retirement and he was a Munster selector between 1971 and 1973 and also between 1981 and 1987, whilst also serving as Irish selector between 1984 and 1987. He was elected President of Dolphin for the 1978/79 season.

Raised in the Western Road/Mardyke area of Cork, the late Mr Kiernan was a highly talented cricketer; at one time or another he was a member of the Bohemian and Cork County Clubs and won a number of Irish caps.

He is survived by his wife Angela (Lane), who was another high achiever in sport as a hockey and camogie player, his children Eileen (Parfrey), Catherine (O’Connell), Michael, Peter, Valerie (Riordan) and Jennifer, his sisters Anne (Reidy) and Eileen (Hyland) and his brother Tom. He was predeceased by another sister Mary (Mossie) (Brown).

Removal takes place tonight from Jerh. O’Connor’s Funeral Home, Temple Hill, Boreenmanna Road at 7 pm to St Michael’s Church, Blackrock. Funeral to St Michael’s Cemetery following Requiem Mass at noon on Monday.