RIP Páidí Ó Sé

The GAA world has been left shocked by the sudden death of Kerry legend Páidí Ó Sé. Cardiff's GAA club St Colmcilles were honoured last month when Páidí came to Cardiff to visit St. Colmcilles and promote the February 2013 tournament. He was a true legend of the GAA. May he rest in peace.

Obituary taken from the Irish Times 15/12/12:

For a man who won so much respect and honours on the field, and won so many admirers off it, there is no easy surmising the football life and career of Paidí Ó Sé, only the extraordinary lengths to which he took it. His sudden death, aged just 57, has sent shockwaves through the GAA world, and initiated a flow of tributes that can only begin to capture his unique attributes, both as a player and manager.

Ó Sé won eight senior All-Ireland football medals with Kerry between 1975 and 1986, making 53 championship appearances, and completed a rare double of also managing his native Kerry to senior All-Ireland titles, in 1997 and 2000. On top of that he won 11 Munster football titles, four National League titles, four Railway Cups, five All Stars, and two county senior championships – and as manager also won six Munster titles with Kerry, and a National League, plus two Munster under-21 Championship victories, before famously guiding Westmeath to their first ever Leinster football championship title in 2004, in his first season in charge with the county. His also spent one season in charge of Clare, although that didn’t reach such illustrious heights. Indeed there were some lean years with Kerry too, not least after 1986, when he won his last senior title with Kerry, retiring a year later. The Kingdom didn’t win again until Ó Sé was in charge, in 1997, which is why he always rated that victory as the among the most cherished of the lot.

Born in 1955, in the Gaeltacht area of Ventry, Ó Sé quickly displayed his football talents in school, winning four consecutive Kerry senior colleges’ titles from 1971, although his first success with Kerry came at under-21 level, when in 1973 he won the first of three All-Ireland titles in the grade. He made his senior debut in the league in 1974, winning his first senior title, but it was the following year, under newly appointed Kerry manager Mick O’Dwyer, that the true legend was born, as Ó Sé won his first senior Munster title, dethroning Cork as provincial champions in the process, before defeating Dublin in the All-Ireland final.

Kerry’s amazing dominance of that era was famously undone in 1982, when Offaly denied them the five in a row, yet Ó Sé bounced back in 1984, the GAA’s centenary year, as Kerry beat Dublin, and put three titles back to back. The 1986 win gave Ó Sé his record-equalling eighth football All-Ireland medal, which he shares with fellow Kerry legends Pat Spillane, Ger Power, Ogie Moran and Mikey Sheehy. Part of Ó Sé’s own legendary status is that he only conceded one direct point to his opponent in 10 All-Ireland final appearances. However he did go into decline in 1987, and retired shortly afterwards. For many years he concentrated on his pub business in Ventry, before beginning his second coming, this time as Kerry manager, firstly at under-21 level. In late 1995 he was finally given the senior job, and after just two seasons in charge, delivered the long-awaited All-Ireland title in 1997, on a day when Maurice Fitzgerald led the way on the field.

Kerry won back the title in 2000, beating Galway in a replay, but things became less comfortable for Ó Sé when they lost the 2002 final to Armagh, before the infamous 2003 All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Tyrone, which ended his reign as manager. One week after failing to secure another year in charge, however, Ó Sé was unveiled as the new manager of Westmeath, and against all the odds, took them to a Leinster title in 2004, before losing to Derry in the All-Ireland quarter-final. He left that position in 2005, and took charge of Clare in 2006, but by then his best days where behind him, as both player and manager, but days that will never be forgotten.

As Kerry footballer:

All Ireland Senior Championships: 8 – 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986.

Munster Senior Championship: 11 - 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986.

National League: 4 – 1974, 1977, 1982, 1984.

Railway Cup: 4 – 1976, 1978, 1981, 1982.

All Stars: 5 – 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985.

County Senior Championship: 2 - 1984, 1985.

As Kerry manager –

All Ireland Senior Championship : 2 – 1997, 2000

Munster Senior Championship: 6 – 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003

All Ireland U21 Championship: 1 – 1995

Munster U21 Championship: 2 – 1993, 1995

National League: 1 –1997

As Westmeath manager –

Leinster Senior Championship: 1 – 2004

nice to see bbc spoty had him in the sporting greats who died in 2012 tribute.

Yeah I heard about that Pat (I didn't see the programme).

Páidí was laid to rest today. Sounds like he had a good send off. Taken from the Irish Times:

The funeral has taken place in the west Kerry Gaeltacht of the footballer Páidí O’Sé, who died suddenly at the weekend aged 57. President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Enda Kenny were represented at the service by their aides-de-camp Col Brendan McAndrew and Comdt Michael Treacy.

After a funeral Mass which extended to two hours, O’Sé was buried in the graveyard of St Catherine, ovelooking the sea. Up to 2,000 mourners and media converged before noon on Saipeal Chaitlín, Ceann Trá , the small stone chapel alongside the late footballer’s home and pub near the village of Ventry. Several hundred stood in the roadway and crowded the yard in the biting cold outside the church for the funeral mass and tributes which extended for two hours.

More than 150 Kerry senior players past and present including Minister for Arts and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan, and Mick O’Connell, attended the funeral and took part in a guard of honor for the hearse alongside players from An Ghaeltacht football club. Shortly before noon Páidí’s coffin was shouldered from his home by family members, including his nephews Darragh, Marc and Tomás, and followed into the church by his footballing colleagues from the 1980s Kerry teams.

Eight priests concelebrated the all-Irish mass led by his friend Fr Kieran O’Brien, and including the canon of Dingle Fr Tom Looney and the retired Irish scholar Msgr Padraig O’ Fiannnachta. The gifts to symbolise his life included his autobiography which was brought to the altar by Mick Galwey, a number five Kerry jersey, and a glass and a CD of traditional music by the piper Sean Pots. Fr O’Brien said he had got to know Páidí through playing handball and had remained close to him even when he moved parishes to Killarney.

Like everyone in life, Páidí had known times when things went against him, and he had felt a cloud around him "scamall timepeall air." But he always had a word for everyone and time for everyone, “uasal agus íseal”. Referring to Páidí’s wife Maire, his children Neasa, Siún and Pádraig, Fr O’Brien said: “On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of west Kerry and the entire county, as the year draws to a close and the sun is at its lowest in the skies darkness has fallen on this community and on Páidí’s family with his sudden and untimely death, we pray for them at this time. Ní bheidh a leitheid ann aris.” Páidís son Padraig Óg told how he had been comforted by Tyrone manager Mickey Harte since his father’s death. After the chat with the Tyrone manager, he knew he would remain close to his father and everyone else would too.

As it left the church the cortege was led by Páidí’s former manager Mick O’Dwyer, chairman of the Kerry county GAA board Patrick O’Sullivan and chairman of the Munster council of the GAA Sean Walsh. With the line of players past and present lining each side and the cortege beginning to move, Cór Cúl Aodha, the all male choir of the Cork Gaeltacht under the direction of Peadar O’ Riada, began to thunder “ Sé Mo Laoch Mo Ghile Mear” , the 18th century Irish tribute to Bonne Prince Charlie

Among the dignitaries were the Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, former taoiseach Brian Cowen, and Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte. Mr Rabbitte had missed a Cabinet meeting to be among those who stood outside the church to attend the funeral of his friend . He had known Páidí for a quarter of a century , he said. “They threw away the mould when they made Páidí. He was a tourist attraction in his own right,” he said. Micheal Ó’Muricheartaigh, who acted as MC said Páidí was now “a fixture on the team of Heaven”. “I know he’ll put in a good word for all of us,” he said as the church applauded.

Was before my time as a player, but if you look at the highlights and a few things like that he was a clear legend as a player. Love the fact that he gave his speech through Irish as well.


The bane of Cork as both a player and a manager (he had a successful career there too). A true gent is what everyone says.


So long Páidi.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam

RIP Paidi! Ar dheis de go raibh a hainm.

1 of the best wing halfs to ever play the game. Read his book a few years ago and he seemed to be a great man for the craic too. The right hook on Dinny Allen is 1 of the most sickening punches I've ever seen too!

The punch on Allen was an absolute beauty and not undeserved given Allen's elbow on him before it!!

Referee falling over then getting up and making them shake hands made it all the more hilarious..................