Remembering how a 59-year-old Mick O’Connell helped us to county glory

THE Valentia Young Islanders won the County Intermediate championship on Saturday, November 4, 1995, versus Spa after a replay in a game played in Austin Stack Park, Tralee.

The team was: Tommy Gilligan, John Daly, Brendie Murphy, Nealie Lyne, PJ O’Sullivan, Patrick O’Connor, Mark O’Sullivan, Fionán Murphy, Seamus O’Connor, Richard Quigley, Declan Lynch (captain), Junior Murphy, Pat O’Connor, Mike O’Donoghue, John Shanahan.

Subs: Danny Sheehan, Mike ‘Rocky’ O’Shea, Micheál Lyne, Joe Lynch, Ger Lynch, Dan O’Connor (RIP), Raymond Murphy, Noel Curran, Mick O’Connell, Brian Foran, Joe Daly, John Murphy.

Selectors: Declan Lynch, Pat O’Connor, Mícheál Lyne, Joe Lynch, Mike O’Donoghue.

The game was remarkable for the fact that the former Kerry footballer, Mick O’Connell, came on as a second-half substitute at the age of 59. Anthony Morris of Spa is very proud of being the last man to mark Mick O’Connell.