A giant of Duagh and North Kerry

WE wish to pay our respects to Leo Stack of Duagh, a past Chairman of North Kerry Football Board, who met his eternal reward last week.

Leo firstly became involved with the activities of the GAA as a player with his native Duagh. In the 94 year history of North Kerry Football, Duagh have won the Senior Championship on six occasions the last being 2012 after a 50 year famine.

The club having won their first title in 1951 in which Leo had the privilege of captaining the Mall and in the following eleven year period they had captured the crown on four more occasions – 1955 captained by Diarmuid Dillon, they were awarded the final in 1956 and 1960 Tom Nolan led the maroon and white boys to victory followed by Billy McCarthy captaining the 1962 team before the 2012 victory bridging that fifty year gap.

In October of 1952 Leo followed in the footsteps of fellow Duagh men Con Buckley and Ned Lyons footballers to don the green and gold jersey before him, as he was called into the Kerry Seniors for the first round of the National League against Mayo which began with a loss in Ballina.

Kerry suffered a big defeat on the scoreline of Mayo 2-6, Kerry 0-3. Another Duagh man who played that day was Tom Costello. Leo played in goals on that particular day and saved a penalty from the foot of Patrick Carney.

In his younger days, while training to become a primary teacher in Drumcondra Dublin, Leo continued his GAA career as a player in Dublin where he was on the Erins Hope panel (St Pats TC) in 1956 that won the Dublin Senior football championship defeating the Kevin Heffernan-led St Vincents.

When his playing career was coming to a close he spend turned his leisure time into serving as a GAA Administrator, and what a good man he was both for his club, district and county.

He became Chairman of the North Kerry Football Board in 1953 and continued as chairman until January of 1967 when another Duagh man took over from him Billy Doran. Leo also served as Vice Chairman of the Kerry County Board during the late 60s and early 70s.

Ar dheis dea go raigh a ainm dilis.

RESULTS

Minor League

Division 1 Rd 1

Beale 4-11 Emmets 5-9

Division 1 Rd 2

Castleisland Desmonds 1-14 Emmets 4-18 Division 2 Rd 2

Ballydonoghue 1-10 St Senans 4-10

FIXTURES

THURSDAY AUGUST 2

7.30pm

Minor League

Division 1

Emmets v Knocknagoshel/Brosna/Duagh Division 2

Finuge v Ballydonoghue

St Senans v Ballylongford/Asdee

FRIDAY AUGUST 3

NK Senior League

Division 2 Final

Duagh v Ballylongford, Moyvane MONDAY AUGUST 6

7.30pm

Minor League

Castleisland Desmonds v Moyvane/Tarber t