Jimmy honoured by his local club, Finuge, for life long contributions

THE Listowel Arms Hotel was the place to be on Saturday night as Kerry footballing legend Jimmy Deenihan was honoured with a special tribute night organised by his native Finuge GAA Club.

The night was a way for the club to give thanks to Jimmy for his life-long contribution to both the club and the wider Finuge and North Kerry community, with big names and former sporting colleagues of Jimmy’s such as Eamon Breen, Paul Galvin and Éamonn Fitzmaurice in attendance.

A five-time All-Ireland winner with Kerry, Jimmy has dedicated much of his life to helping out in various capacities with the North Kerry club, earning plaudits and trophies as both player and manager – all the way from North Kerry Championship honours right up to All-Ireland Club Championship success.

As a player, Jimmy enjoyed success as part of the Juvenile team that won the North Kerry Championship in 1964, while he was also the goalkeeper on the Finuge Senior team that emerged victorious in the North Kerry Senior League in 1970. In addition, he was the centre forward on the Finuge team that were winners of the 1987 North Kerry Championship.

As a trainer, Jimmy was a part of the Finuge team that won the North Kerry U21 Championship team in 1987, as well as the Senior Championship in 1996. Fast forward to 2004 and he was also the selector on the Finuge team who were winners of the first All-Ireland Junior Championship; in both 2018 and 2019 then, he was also the selector and the assistant trainer of the Finuge Minor team that won the North Kerry League.

Speaking to The Kerryman on Monday, Jimmy said that although the night was somewhat bittersweet and poignant following the recent passing of his sister, it was great to meet up with and reminisce with so many old faces – including John O’Keeffe, Ger O’Keeffe, Charlie Nelligan – many of whom formed panels that discussed a variety of topics on the night.

For Jimmy, not one to seek plaudits or applause, the most important aspect of the night was the fact that it acted as a vital fundraiser for the club in their mission to develop a brand new Juvenile pitch for its members.

“It went very well. The organising committee put in a really massive effort. Eamon Breen, who is the Chairman, Paul Galvin, Eamon Fitzmaurice, Linda Galvin, Bridget Liston, our secretary, Denis McElligott and John Cronin, they all put a lot of work into it and it was a very successful night,” said Jimmy, adding “Dara Ó Cinnéide, he presented the evening and he did a really excellent job at it.”

“When they asked me about it first, I was very reluctant. I’ve organised tributes to other people but I was just never into being the recipient of these evenings myself.

“But, it was when that they said that all the funds from the night will go towards the development of a new Juvenile pitch for the club, that swung me,” he continued.

“Finuge, it’s a great club but a very small club. Like other clubs, we are under pressure. We are sandwiched between St Senan’s and Listowel, two very well organised clubs, so in order to keep a team and to retain our players, we have to look after them. We need the best facilities and that’s the bottom line,” he added.

Jimmy said that the he and organisers hope the night will raise close to €30k for the club.

“It [Finuge] is a place close to my heart. I was born there and my heart has never left Finuge. I’m involved in lots of organisations at local level and even at national level, but I’m going to very much re-focus on the club in Finuge now because I think we can’t stand back and assume others will do it, I think it needs everyone to step up,” he said.