Seán Creedon pays tribute to GAA legend and much-loved Kerryman Mick O’Dwyer and recalls his relationship with fellow countyman Páidí Ó Sé.

 

There are often debates as to who was/is the best-ever Kerry footballer. Was it one of the stars from the sixties like Mick O’Connell or Seán Murphy; possibly Pat Spillane or Jack O’Shea from the seventies; maybe another Caherciveen native Maurice Fitzgerald or current star David Clifford? But when it comes to Kerry managers there is no doubt that the honour goes to Waterville’s Mick O’Dwyer, who led the Kingdom to eight All-Ireland senior football titles and later went on to oversee a few rags to riches stories in Kildare, Laois and Wicklow.

Micko, as he was widely known, died in April at the age of 88. He was without doubt one of the most influential football personalities in the GAA’s history. He fulfilled the constant demand for success in his native Kerry and also gave Gaelic football a major boost in the other counties he managed.

An only child, Micko was born on June 9th, 1936. His father, John, was a sheep-farmer and didn’t have much interest in football. The interest in football probably came from his mother Mary’s (Galvin) side of the family; five of her brothers played for the Derrynane club in south Kerry.

Donal Kennedy and Seán McCarthy were the two teachers in Spunkane N.S. in Waterville who had a huge influence on O’Dwyer’s decision to play Gaelic football.
After playing minor football for the county, Micko made his senior championship debut a week before his 21st birthday in a shock defeat to Waterford in Dungarvan in June, 1957.
He was the first man from Waterville to play senior football for Kerry, and quickly got over that set-back and went on to play in four All-Ireland senior finals – in 1959, 1962, 1969 and 1970.

Micko started at left half-back in the first two finals and at left corner-forward in the third and fourth. He was also an excellent free taker.
Following a heavy defeat to Cork in the 1974 Munster final, Johnny Culloty stepped down as Kerry manager and there was no manager in place by the time the Kerry County Board Convention was held on January 26, 1975.

The Gneeveguilla club from East Kerry wanted Mick O’Connell appointed manager/trainer to replace Culloty, but their motion never make it to a vote. However, O’Dwyer with 97 votes topped the poll in the election of selectors, but Kerry still had no trainer.

The following month Frank King, the Kerry County Board vice-chairman, rang Kerry’s new captain Mickey Ned O’Sullivan. He suggested that with his P.E. qualifications Mickey could also train the team. But at that stage O’Sullivan only wanted to play and had no real interest in training the senior team.
King had suggested that Mickey Ned attend a coaching course in Gormanston given by former Down star, Joe Lennon.
Mickey Ned agreed to travel to Gormanston and asked Mick O’Dwyer if he would accompany him. O’Dwyer’s reaction was, ‘‘There is no way I am going up to the Gormanston professor!’’ Lennon had faced blowback from Kerry following his comments in the sixties that Kerry football was ten years out of date. But with a bit of coaxing from Mickey Ned, O’Dwyer agreed to attend, once he didn’t have to sit an exam at the end of the course.

In Gormanston Dublin manager Kevin Heffernan brought down the Dublin winning team from 1974 and showed the aspiring coaches how hard the Dubs trained.

On the drive home to Kerry Mickey Ned asked O’Dwyer would he train the team and by the time they reached Kenmare he had agreed. County Board secretary Gerald McKenna travelled to Waterville the following day and sealed the deal.

O’Dwyer was formally appointed Kerry trainer on March 22, 1975, the day before Kerry lost a National Football League quarter-final to Meath. The Kerry panel had their first training session under O’Dwyer the following Tuesday, where Mickey Ned gave him some help.

Micko replaced a few of the older players in the Kerry team and went with the bulk of the under 21 teams from ‘73 and ‘74, players like Páidí Ó Sé, Ogie Moran, Tim Kennelly, Pat Spillane and Mikey Sheehy.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own