Bob Stack
A Kerry Star Born In New York
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Bob Stack on right,Con Brosnan on the left and center
Jack Walsh. Between them they hold 18 senior All Ireland
football medals between them
One of the finest Gaelic footballers to wear the green and gold
of Kerry - Bob Stack - is not as well remembered by the present
generation of Gaelic Games followers as men who had less colourful
careers on the sports field.
For ten years the rugged Kerryman was prominent as a county footballer
and won six All-Ireland senior medals in 1924, 1926, 1929, 1930,
1931 and 1932. This achievement put him among a very small and
select group of men. Contrary to general belief, Bob Stack was
born in America of Kerry parents, where he grew up in New York.
Before coming to Ireland with his parents to settle down near
Ballybunion,
he took part in many sporting activities.
He became interested in the North Kerry football club, Faha, and
later played in local friandly matches with them. His first football
event of any importance was in 1919 when he was chosen to play
for the Faha team against Listowel at Tarbert. In 1920 he was
on the team that contested the final of the North Kerry League,
and clashed for the first time with that outstanding player, Con
Brosnan, who was then making a name for himself and who was to
become one of his best friends.
But young Stack was not awed by reputations and invariably gave
all he had to the game. And the Kerry selectors were not slow
to notice this. They decided to try out the Irish boy from New
York, and picked him to play in a trial game in Tralee in 1924.
Stack failed to win a place on the team that went under to Dublin
in the 1923 All-Ireland final, but he was picked for the Kerry
junior team the same year.
Then came the Ballybunion man’s most exciting day - April
26, 1924 - when he won his first All-Ireland as a member of the
Kerry team that defeated Dublin in the final. After failing to
win in 1925, the Kerry team went all-out after the 1926 honours.
And after sweeping aside all the opposition, they faced Kildare
before 37,000 people in Croke Park.It turned out to be a thrilling
final, and there was mervellous co-operation between Bob Stak
and his friend Con Brosnan, at midfield. The final score read:
Kerry 1-4, Kildare 0-4.
The following year the “Lily Whites” came back on
the scene, more determined than ever. This time they took the
Sam Maguire cup from the Kingdom team. The same year, the Kerry
team, including Bob Stack, went on a tour of the United States,
travelling and playing there for more than two months. Also in
that contingent were Con Brosnan and the great J.J. (“Purty”)
Landers.
Before the Kerry team’s first match in New York, during
the playing of the National Anthem the Irish and American flags
fluttered together at the masthead. The scene was especially touching
for Stack as he had been born in New York and was now playing
for his adopted Kerry. The Kerry team’s first American tour
was a most successful one. Wherever they went they were warmly
welcomed and not once were they defeated in a game. In 1929, Kerry
produced a combination of dedicated footballers and a style of
football that was to bring the county four All-Ireland senior
titles in a row.
After beating a spirited Mayo side by 3-8 to 1-1 in the semi final,
Kerry met their old rivals, Kildare, in the decider. As usual,
the “Lily Whites” played clean, fast football bit
the scoreboard showed 1-11 to 0-8 against them at the final whistle.
The fourth of Bob Stack’s medals was won in Kerry’s
“runaway” victory over Monaghan in the 1930 All-Ireland
final, largely brought about by the marvellous midfield play of
Bob Stack and Con Brosnan. The skilful and clever play of the
pair brought the crowd to its feet more than once during that
encounter.
The Ulster team had no answer to the dazzling football served
up by Kerry and when the referee decided it was all over, Monaghan
found themselves the losers by 3-11 to 0-2. Again in 1931 the
Kingdom footballers went on a rampage. Besides taking the All-Ireland
honours, they won the National League title. Once again, they
took the Sam Maguire cup at the expense of their old rivals, Kildare,
who could only score eight points against Kerry’s 1-11.
Glowing praise for Bob Stack and his abilities as a footballer
were showered on him by the sports writers.
Around this time, it seemed as if the Kerry football machine couldn’t
be beaten - until they met an up-and -coming Dublin side in the
1932 semi-final. The Kingdom boys used all their old craft, but
the Dubliners matched score for score, and at the end Kerry scraped
through on a single point, 1-3 to 1-2. Yes, the Kingdom side certainly
got a fright on that occasion.
In the final of that year Kerry met Mayo and won by 2-7 to 2-4.
During his colourful career as a footballer, modest and unassuming
Bob Stack won many more honours and made three trips to America
before finally retiring in 1933. Bob Stack died in 1976. The GAA
ground in Ballybunion is named after him.
Bob Stack
