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Article January Week 1 2005
East Kerry's Greatest Ever Football Team

The recent publication, The Story Of The O’Donoghue Cup, has certainly opened up the avenue for lots of debate concerning the glittering array of footballing talent that has graced this East Kerry competition in the course of the last fifty years,1954-04. On the night of the launch and subsequent to that I have been involved in deep and lasting discussing as to who were the best players that have graced this o Donoghue Cup since it first began and of course it always boils down to a personal choice, each and every individual sees a footballer in a completely different light and more importantly everyone firmly believes that the man from his own club was better than the man from the next club or parish, this is the beauty of it all.


If every one had the same opinions it would be a very boring world indeed. It would have been very easy to instruct each selector not to pick any player from his own club, however this would defeat the real purpose of the exercise which is to recall the names of men immaterial of the fact that he may never have donned a Kerry jersey in any grade. I have no doubt that each of the thirteen men assigned the job will differ greatly in their selections, thus including names that the present generation of club men have never heard of, and most importantly it remained entirely up to each individual to use whatever criteria he wished when he sat down to pick his best players, did he wish to pick men who were great O Donoghue Cup players, but had never played with Kerry or, would his choice be his memories of the legendary Kerry players who dominated games in the competition, the decision was entirely up to the person himself.


So what better way to begin this new year than to lay before our readers suggestions as to who were the best players seen during the last fifty years from the East Kerry region, adding in the stipulation that they would have played in The o Donoghue Cup, would have their names include in the publication and then from these names choose the best fifteen players and six substitutes,. However the big question that faced me was, who would make the decisions, who would be the selectors, an near impossible daunting task you may well add when one looked at the legendary names to choose from. However twelve good men and true have agreed to come to my rescue, twelve men who know their football from back to front and in whose knowledge I have the highest regard having watched them in action on sidelines down the years, twelve loyal and devoted club men, the heart and soul of the association.


There are thirteen clubs in the East Kerry division including my own club, I approached a footballing expert from each of the other twelve clubs instructing them to pick their best ever East Kerry side from the o Donoghue Cup line outs of the last fifty years.


None of the twelve will know what team the other has decided on until is appears in this column, excluding this week none of the teams will be published until all the sides have been submitted to me, I will act as the thirteenth selector. Very simple then, the players chosen on the most teams will make up the best ever fifteen East Kerry players over the past fifty years, and let me say straight away of course it is not perfect, nevertheless it will give followers the opportunity of rembering and recalling the great men of the past and argue their point, for or against.
So watch out here in this column once every few weeks as we publish the team picked by our experts, it will be intriguing see the names being put forward and no doubt will create that never ending debate as to who should or should not be included, this is the life blood of our game, ' if you forget your past you have no present and if you have no present you have no future'.


What better way to begin than to publish the team picked by one of the most experienced and knowledgeable of all GAA activists, that long serving Spa man John Kelly, a former chairman of the East Kerry board he has served his club, county and district with great loyalty and distinction for many years and his selection is fascinating as he has a deep knowledge of every individual player, so here we go with the first ever, best East Kerry O' Donoghue Cup team from 1954 to '04.


Goal, Paudie O Mahoney, (Spa), During the course of a brilliant career Paudie won five senior All Ireland medals, two national leagues, eight Munster's, two Railway Cups, a senior county championship and six o Donoghue Cup medals.
Right Full Back, Donie o Sullivan, (Spa), Rated the longest kicker of a dead ball in Ireland, he won five senior All Irelands, seven National leagues, nine Munster's, five county Championships, one club All Ireland and nine o Donohue Cup medals.
Full Back, Donie Murphy, ( Killarney Legion), One of the greats, six foot five, won senior All Ireland in 1953, minor in 1946, played with Ireland and Combined Universities, won two county championships, and two O' Donoghue Cup Medals, illness cut short his brilliant career.


Left Full back, Mike McCarthy, (Kilcummion), A direct descendant of the legendary Con Murphy from Aughacreen, well known to the present generation he holds two senior All Irelands as well as national leagues and under 21 medals, a brilliant defender in the modern game, still to reach his peak.


Right Half Back, Seamus Moynihan, (Glenflesk), One of the greatest ever Kerry footballers, has won every honour the game can offer and would walk on any team in any county, in any decade, enough said.
Centre Half Back, Jackie Lyne, (Killarney Legion),Starred for Kerry and his club for over twenty years, won two All Irelands, 1946-53, played with Ireland, Munster and Combined Universities, unbeatable on his day.


Left half Back, Tom o Sullivan, (Rathmore), just edges out Teddy o Connor, (Dr, Crokes), Tom another modern day defender, has won everything with the present day Kerry side as well as starring for East Kerry in county championship victories, continues to get better and better.


Mid Field, Ambrose o Donovan, (Gneeveguilla), While the division has produced a host of great mid-fielders, the number eight jersey goes to a man who able to command a regular place on the greatest team of all time, partner to the great Jack o Shea Ambrose is the holder of All Ireland, national League, Railway Cup and o Donoghue medals, a Kerry legend.


Selecting a man to partner Ambrose at mid-field put me in a big dilemma, Den Joe Crowley, (Rathmore), and Donal Daly, (Firies), were impossible to separate so I will leave this position up to the readers to decide, Den Joe, star of 1968-69-70, Donal brilliant with the present side and star of the Kerry v Armagh final 2002, both men have won everything including county championships with East Kerry. Over to you the readers.


Right Half Forward ; Mick Gleeson, (Spa), Starred as Kerry won the 1969-70 All Irelands, last man from the parish of Killarney to score a goal in a senior final, could play in any position, has won everything including seven o Donoghue Cup medals, star of the great East Kerry side of the sixties.


Centre Forward; John Joe Sheehan, (Legion/Firies),Man of the match 1953 final V Armagh, won second medal in 1955, was a household name, also won county championships with Legion and Castleisland, also o Donoghue Cup Medal holder.
Right half Fordward;Tadghie Lyne, (Dr. Crokes), the Prince of forwards, a must on any team, won everything the game had to offer, many say he was one of the greatest ever forwards, won All Irelands in 1953-55-59.


Right Full Forward; Johnny Culloty, (Killarney Legion), One of only two players to win All Irelands in goal, and out field, (1955), one of the best dual players ever to represent his county, has won everything the game has to offer, on the first team to win the o Donghue Cup, has to be included either in goal or outfield, starred out field as East Kerry won four county championships.


Full Forward; Tom Long; (Dr. Crokes), Must rank as one of the best ever to wear the green and gold, superb player, could play anywhere, switched to mid-field in 1959 final against Galway and guided Kerry to victory, won county championships, o Donoghue Cups, and in one county final for East Kerry scored 4-1 from play, an all time great.
Left Full Forward; Colm Cooper; (Dr. Crokes), The Gooch completes what must be regarded as the dream full forward line, no need to elaborate on this young man, how great will he be in the years to come, a class act.


Substitutes; Goalkeeper, Declan o Keeffe;(Rathmore),
Full-Back Line; Derry Crowley, (Glenflesk), Michael o Sullivan, (Rathmore),
Half Backs, Teddy o Connor, (Dr. Crokes).
Mid Field; Pat Casey, (Spa), Noel o Leary (Dr. Crokes).
Half Forwards; Connie Murphy, (Dr. Crokes).
Full Forward; Johnny Crowley. (Glenflesk)./ Diarmuid o Donoghue, (Legion)
So John Kelly has got the ball rolling with his team and again let me emphasise, each selector can use whatever criteria he wishes, the only stipulations he is bound to are, it must cover the period 1954-04, and the players must have played at some stage in the o Donoghue Cup and, he can of course pick from his own club. Let the debate and arguments begin.


Fogra; Some fascinating reading to look forward to in this column during the coming months, two part transcripted interview with the late great Tadghie Lyne, Kerry's 'Prince Of Forwards', the only interview Tadghie ever gave, and who was Fr Tom Jones the man many regard as the greatest handballed this county ever produced, we examine his life and times and why he was honoured for bravery by the King of Norway, a great sportsman buried in Glenbeigh, and also beginning, unsung heroes of Kerry GAA, a new monthly Terrace Talk awards scheme. Happy new year to all our readers.