‘67 hero enters the Hall of Fame
PETER DARBY, who captained the county to All-Ireland SFC glory in 1967, was induced into the Hall of Fame in his home town at the 44th Meath GAA annual awards in Trim last Friday evening.
Darby became only the third Meath man to lift the Sam Maguire Cup following the 1-9 to 0-9 win over Cork, lining out at corner back in a team where all 15 players came from different clubs.
He also held the distinction of no direct opponent scoring against him throughout the 1967 championship campaign.
He was described by MC for the night Brendan Cummins as one of the best dual players ever to come out of the county. As well as his successes on the football field, Darby represented Meath hurlers and won five SHC championship medals with his native Trim.
He is the only Trim man to be presented with the Keegan Cup, in 1962, when the town side defeated Ballinlough in the final. The previous year Trim were beaten finalists against Navan O’Mahony’s who were completing a five-in-a-row of Keegan Cup wins. He played full back in the 1962 final, with Trim wearing the O’Mahony’s jerseys due to a clash of colours (red) with Ballinlough.
Darby made his senior football championship debut as a 19-yearold in Drogheda in 1958, against Dublin. The Dubs won by two points and eventually went on to All-Ireland glory that year.
Peter was a key figure as Meath made the breakthrough by winning the Leinster SFC Final in 1964 before losing controversially to Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Meath went to the All-Ireland decider in 1966 but were defeated by Galway who were completing a three-in-a-row.
However, the Royals made amends for that defeat by capturing the crown the following year. The winners of the Meath SFC usually supplied the captain of the Meath team, but as 1966 Keegan Cup winners Gaeil Colmcille had no representative on the team, Peter - as the longest serving member of the team (10th year) - was appointed captain.
He also proved a great ambassador, not only for Meath but the whole country during the historic tour to Australia in 1968. Meath played and won all five games Down Under.
He also served as chairman of Trim, was a Meath senior selector and an officer of the County Board.
His former 1967 colleague Matt Kerrigan paid tribute to him at the awards cermony. ‘There was no more worthy recipient of the Hall of Fame Award, a great captain, very calm and shrewd,’ Kerrigan said.
Footballer of the year Padraig McKeever (Simonstown) was unable to be present to accept his award as he was Best Man at his brother’s wedding earlier in the day. The award completed a unique treble for McKeever who, as well as captaining his side to SFC success, was also honoured with the man of the match accolade following the final win over Summerhill. McKeever contributed 5-32 during his side’s unbeaten eight-game run in the championship.
The award was accepted on his behalf by Simonstown club chairman Jim Lane and McKeever was following in the footsteps of fellow Simonstown men Hank Traynor, Seamus Kenny and last year’s recipient Shane O’Rourke.
Lane also accepted the Club of the Year award on behalf of Simonstown and it was the third time the north Navan club won the award - they were also winners in 1990 and 1995.
Incoming county secretary Mairead Delaney presented St Patrick’s Stamullen clubman Hugo Whoriskey with the Most Improved Referee award. Another St Patrick’s man, Barry Campbell, was the award winner 12 months ago.
Other award winners were as follows:
Referee of the Year: Bernard Heaney (Clann na nGael), Young Footballer of the Year: Jordan Morris (Nobber); Hurler of the Year: James Kelly (Kiltale); Young Hurler of the Year: Mikey Mullen (Killyon); Ground of the Year: Kilmainham; Public Relations: Moynalvey.
There were also special presentations to Conor Tormey and Francis Flynn who have completed five year terms as county chairman and secretary respectively.