Kerry's Forgotten Olympic and All-Ireland
Winning Hero
by Weeshie Fogarty courtesy of "The
Kingdom" Newspaper
And so Saturday 15th May 2004, in Deans Grange Cemerty in Dublin
it came to pass that our great Olympic-GAA hero of the twenties
and thirties Eamon Fitzgerald was duly honoured. It may have been
a long time coming, but better late than never.
The sun shone brilliantly from a cloudless blue sky as Kerry Association
Chairman in Dublin, Eugene O'Sullivan got events under way. A
great crowed turned up, close to 150 people which was unexpected.
Fr. Gaughan led the grave side prayers, while other speakers included
our own County Board Chairman Sean Walsh, legendary Olympian Ronnie
Delaney, Olympic official Pat Hickey, while Carmel Galvin of Castlecove
spoke on behalf of their community who travelled in great numbers.
Her husband Brendan laid a special stone plaque on the grave together
with earth and flowers from Eamons home place. A host of dignitaries
attended. Michael o Muirheartaigh. Jimmy McGee, Listowel Olympian
Gerry Kiernan, Michael Heerey president of Irish athletics, while
Breda Barrett represented Kerry athletics accompanied by championship
treble jump winner David Sean O'Dwyer the Corkman who eventually
broke Eamons Irish record was in the attendance to pay tribute
to the former Olympian.
And the star attraction undoubtedly was the wonderful Dan Keating,
Dan approaching his 103 birthday travelled specially, and indeed
Dan was one of only 6 people who attended Eamons burial in 1958.
The Ballygamboon man was in constant demand from media and photographers,
because it it safe to say that some one of this age and standing
is special and unique. Our sincere thanks to Dan, his presence
add hugely to the day.
Another Eamon Fitzgerald was in attendance, the former Kerry goalkeeper
and journalist has vivid memories of visiting the gravely ill
Eamon accompanied by his father many years ago and was in high
praise of what has been accomplished. And to conclude what better
way to finish than to add, following last Saturday, Eamon will
no longer be referred to by future generations as Kerry's forgotten
sporting hero. Now he should be remembered as probably, Kerry's
greatest sporting hero.
So well done to Eugene O'Sullivan and his Dublin committee who
had than Grave in such immaculate condition and they also provided
a beautiful hand out booklet to commemorate the occasion.
While the memory of one great Kerryman was perpetuated in Dublin
last week another Kerryman equally great in his own right was
being honoured here at home in Waterville. My travels brought
me to Charlie's pub deep in the heart of South Kerry where a remarkable
man was launching a book that had taken him six long laborious
years to write.
So, you may well ask what is so very special about writing and
launching a book, it's an occurrence we hear about every day of
the week and month, in this day and age as the fellow said, '
everybody's doing it'. They may well be but not in the astonishing
manner which John Curran wrote his book
There are 219 pages of captivating reading between the covers,
and every single letter, every punucation, every comma, every
full stop was written with the chin, just try and imagine this
accomplishment, it's difficult to grasp the scale of what John
has achieved. John Curran was born three miles south of Waterville
in Caherdaniel parish where many generations of the Curran family
were reared, one of five boys and five girls he emigrated to England
for a number of years before returning in 1974.
Following his return John was involved in a fall which left him
with serious injuries that would forever change his life, he was
left paralysed from the neck down and as he himself says utterly
reliant on his wonderful wife Margaret. The computer age was just
beginning and using a chin controlled computer he wrote his first
book 'Just my Luck', published in 1993 which provided a gripping
account of his accident and rehabilitation.
This work provided the backdrop to his subsequent selection as
Kerry Person of the Year and now his second publication, 'Tides
of Change' tells the story of his family's life and time during
World War 2. This is the story of a families grit, tenacity, love
and pride that embodies the dignity of the human spirit.
Yet for me while the book itself is a wonderfully uplifting read,
the remarkable feat of the author in printing every letter on
that chin controlled computer during those six long years overshadows
all else, and it's safe to say that you would search long and
hard throughout the world to discover a similar achievement.
John's great friend Mick O'Dwyer performed the launch in the presence
of a massive crowd and he best summed up John in his foreword
to the publication as follows. 'Sometimes we tend to look afar
when searching for heroes, when they are to be found in the midst
of us, within our own communities. The man who has written this
book with his chi is one such hero'.
On my own behalf let me say, Johnny Curran is one of the most
inspirational and inspiring people it has been my privilege to
befriend, his wife Margaret has cared lovingly for him during
these past 26 years and she together with his family should be
held up as an example as to what can be achieved in the face of
seemingly devastating adversity.
The blazer, singlet and running shoes worn by Eamon in Los Angles
in
1932 are on exhibit in the Muckross House museum in Killarney.
Note:
Weeshie Fogarty is keeping a very low-profile regading this great
historic, and sporting occasion.
However, I feel it is only just and fair to let you all know, that
without Weeshie the sporting world would still be ignorant about
Eamon Fitzgerald's great sporting feats, and his final resting place
would have remained undiscovered, and unkept.
Take a bow! Weeshie you deserve it. "WELL DONE".
Eamon Fitzge..
