Late John Nallen remembered by friends in Tralee

NEWS of his death will have resonated more in his native Mayo, as well as Galway, Cavan and Meath – the four counties he played senior inter-county football with – but John Nallen would also have been a friend of many in Tralee, from his time working as a bank official in the county town in the early 1970s.

Nallen, a native of Crossmolina, had the (possibly unique) distinction of playing senior football for four counties during a remarkable career. The midfielder won Connacht SFC medals with Mayo and Galway and also picked up eight Galway SFC medals with Tuam Stars.

A spell working in Trim earned him a call-up to the Royals team in the early 1960s, before he wound up his playing days with a brief spell with the Cavan senior footballers.

In 1971 Nallen, a lifelong Ulster Bank employee, moved to Tralee to manage their first branch in the town and he made many friends here until he was relocated out of the county in 1975.

John died last Friday in Cavan town where he lived and was buried in Cullies cemetery.

Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile A detailed view of the Kerry jersey hanging in the dressing room ahead of the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League 2019 match between Tipperary and Kerry at MacDonagh Park in Nenagh