Ogie Moran
Jewel In The Crown
Ogie Moran had a glittering career in the Green and Gold jersey
of Kerry; no wonder then that he is regarded as a sparkling jewel
in the football crown of the Kingdom. He has a pocketful of medals,
an abundance of skill and remarkable talent - qualifications which
entitle him to lecture at length on the art and science of Gaelic
football. Yet if awards were presented for modesty, Ogie would
gain an Oscar.
I remember his first championship game for the county as a minor
in Fermoy. At that time three illustrious North Kerry men held
six senior All Ireland medals each - Con Brosnan, Moyvane; Bob
Stack, Ballybunion; Jack Walsh, Craughdarrig. Little did anyone
realise that the future career of this young North Kerry man would
see him surpass that number and gain eight - and remarkably all
won while wearing the number eleven jersey. His dedicated contributions
to Beale, Shannon Rangers, Kerry, Munster and Gormanstown College
need no embellishment from me; his displays on the field aid it
all and much better!
As a player he had all the necessary attributes: skill, speed,
swerve, vision, positional sense, hands, strength, balance and
courage. Off the field he is an unassuming young man, but can
be very forthright in expressing firmly held opinions when the
occasion demands. Intelligent, affable and convivial, he is obviously
an eagerly sought companion. Ogie was a model sportsman on the
field of play; he is a thorough gentleman in his street clothes.
Ogie Moran - A Club Tribute
Gerald McKenna
My first memory of Ogie was when he lived in Ballybunion in the
summer of 1970 and played in a North Kerry competition at under
14. The fact that he hailed from Limerick did not matter as it
was obvious that he was an exceptional football talent. The problem
for the St. Patrick's Club Officers - Jack Walsh (RIP) and Dan
Aherne (RIP) - was that nobody believed that Ogie was actually
under 14. The solution to the problem resulted in Ogie's birth
certificate being available at all matches, and being frequently
requested. That a Limerick lad should play for Ballybunion was
another story.
Ogie
has an unbelievable record with Beale. He won under 14 medals
with St Patrick's and went on to play minor football for Kerry
and for three years. He won a County Championship with Shannon
Rangers at age sixteen and marked no less a man than Brendan Lynch
in the County Final. He won an All Ireland colleges medal with
Gormanstown College and made the Kerry senior team in 1975. That
he succeeded in winning 8 All Ireland medals for Kerry at centre-forward
is well-documented but maybe less well known was the enormous
contribution he was making to the Beale Club during this period.
Although a student in Loughborough College in 1977, he made the
long trips home to win Beale their first ever North Kerry Championship.
Ogie built up a great relationship with Eoin Liston and the two
proceeded to capture the imagination of Kerry football and totally
dominating the scene in North Kerry with further championship
wins in 1978 and ‘79.
Ogie also won a County Championship in '77 and went on to captain
Kerry in the All-Ireland victory of '78. He also helped Beale
to County Novice ('77), Junior ('80) and Intermediate titles ('83),
along with North Kerry League and Mart Cup victories.
Ogie
played in every position on the field, including goalkeeper. However,
his most memorable games were in partnership with Eoin Liston
at centrefield. Bomber would bat the ball to Ogie, who would solo
50 yards to get the inevitable score. In full flight it was impossible
to contain Ogie.
Ogie's role of honour is endless. He failed to win an inter-county
medal at Minor but went on to win All Ireland Under 21 medals,
8 senior All Irelands, the only player to have done so from the
same position in all finals.
All-Star award winner, Railway Cup winner with Munster. Provincial
senior and Under-21 medals, All Ireland seven-a-side winner with
Shannon Rangers. Ogie would have played in excess of 1,000 games
in his playing career of 21 seasons.
Ogie's talent is not confined to the football field, and he has
enjoyed similar success in the business world. He is the present
Kerry Regional Manager of Seadco, based in Tralee.
While
we regret Ogie’s departure from football and still hope
that he can be persuaded to give one last championship effort,
we wish him well and sincerely thank him for the tremendous amount
of work he put into football. He is indeed worthy of all the honour
that the G.A.A. world has bestowed on him.
Ogie Moran
