Micko reflects on his memorable night
“IT’S always a great thing to be honoured by your own club,” Micko told The Kerryman this week as he reflected on a memorable weekend that included a gala banquet on Saturday evening where the GAA’s brightest starts – past and present – came together to show their appreciation for a living legend. Mícheál Ó’ Muircheartaigh got the evening off to a fine start with a special introduction on the great man and once the memories started to flow, there was simply no stopping them on a night laden with nostalgia.
“It was a wonderful evening and people turned out from Cork, Kildare, Laois, Dublin, and Wicklow. It produced a night of memories that will never be forgotten and It’s always a great thing to be honoured by your own club. Life in general is good and I’m doing a bit of walking all the time,” added Micko. And the stand out memory is? “Winning in 1975 will always stand out. Next to that was 1978 as we were beaten on the two previous occasions by Dublin, so beating them in ’78 was a big bonus.”
Club is everything in the GAA and regardless of whether or not you bring the rafters down in Croke Park as a player or a manager, you start and finish your career with the club and Waterville chairman, Darby Clifford, described Micko as ’unique’.
“I would say Micko was one of the greatest club players of them all and in a place like South Kerry, that’s no small boast. Even his first All-Ireland in ’59 he scored two points from wing-back, which was unheard of at the time,” Darby said.
While many of the guests that turned up to celebrate Micko’s birthday were well accustomed to fireworks on the field of play during their heyday; however, the fireworks that lit up the night sky over Waterville on Saturday night was the perfect tribute to a man who lit up many a day for Kerry folk, both as player and manager.
“There was a firework display that you wouldn’t see at the Rose of Tralee. Micko is a mighty man and we’re all extremely proud of him here in Waterville. It’s great that he’s alive and well to celebrate the event with us. Micko has a great way with people and early on Sunday morning I saw Micko walking along the road chatting to people as they passed. He is unique really.”