Mikie Lyne, Recipient of the Legion Hall Of Fame
By Weeshie Fogarty
The selection of Mikie Lyne as the recipient of the Killarney
Legion Hall Of Fame will be received with acclaim and indeed great
joy by all Legionaires, at home or abroad. The stalwart Muckross
man from the town land of Faugh gave over 20 years loyal and dedicated
service to his beloved green and white and it can be safely said
that Mikie was as good a man that ever donned the club colours.
He
began playing at a very young age and represented The Legion at
all grades and was always available to play for the benefit of
the side where ever he was selected, his brother Donie was also
an outstanding player, and his second brother Johnny was always
a dedicated club man.
But
it was at senior level that Mikie really made his mark with his
club, always present whenever the Legion were in action, he rarely,
if ever missed training, despite the fact that his work on the
family farm, demanded his constant attention. However we can well
remember our great club man on many occasions arriving at the
Stadiun for a game or training in a lather of sweat following
a gruelling days work in the meadow or bog, and on top of this
he would have cycled the five miles or so from home.
No car or free lifts for him, and the sight of Mikie arriving
at the pitch, togs stuffed into one boot and socks in the other
is one of the most enduring we have of an age when life was much
more simple than the hurly burly of to day. Never one to wear
a tack suit or fancy tops Mikey Lyne was one of the hardest and
bravest players it has been our privilege to have lined out with.
Small of stature his work on the farm from his childhood had honed
his body into a ball of steel and when ever he is spoken about,
and remember, he played in six senior Kerry County Football Finals,
friends and enemies will talk of his great strength, never say
die spirit, will to win and loyalty to team mates.
In
1967 he won his first oDonoghue Cup medal when he starred at mid
field despite
being in direct opposition to the great Din Joe Crowley and John
Saunders. Then nine years later when The Legion regained the cup
Mikie was the inspirational figure at corner ford as he led his
young side to victory over Spa, he was the only member of the
1967 team that still remained. No matter where his club were playing
he was always available, never one to complain, to ridicule others
or back away when a team mate was in trouble the Muckross man
was an exemplary person.
His great worth as a footballer was quickly recognised and appreciated
by others, and in 1964 when East Kerry reached their first senior
county final Mikey was wing forward, it was the beginning of a
marvellous run of success for the all action man from Faugh. He
would go on to star in six senior county finals and win an incredible
four senior championship medals, two Munster club medals and in
1962 he collected a priceless All Ireland club medal as East Kerry
beat Brynsford of Co. Down in the final in Croke Park.
During
all those great campaigns in Kerry and Munster Mikie was opposed
by some of the best defenders in the game and he was a regular
goal scorer as he lined out in his favourite position at corner
forward. To give an indication of how great a player he was in
his own way it must be remembered that during those golden years
of East Kerry dominance the selectors had the pick of 12 clubs
and Mikie was a regular in the forward division.
His
team mates were legends of Kerry football Tom Long Mick Gleeson,
Johnny Culloty, Donie o Sullivan, Pat Moynihan, Din Joe Crowley,
Derry Crowley, Donal Kavanagh, Tim Sheehan, And Lui Nolan, and
the Legion man was always capable of not alone holding up his
own corner but more often winning every ball that came his way.
In fact outside his goal scoring abilities his strongest point
was winning the ball each time it came his way. Once he got a
start on his man no matter the opposition Mickey?s ability to
win possession was vital to all those great wins.
When Mikie walks up to accept his Hall Of Fame award at the club
social on March
16th he will be joining the ranks of many great men who have gone
before him in being honoured. The Lyne brothers, Jackie and Denny,
Donie Murphy, John Joe Sheehan, John C. Cooper, Danno Keeffe,
Johnny Culloty, Weeshie Fogarty, and others, and while he may
never have worn the green and gold he was as good a man that ever
wore a Legion jersey, well done Mikey, this honour is richly deserved.
Mikie Lyne
