Football legend Kearins is honoured
FRIDAY 30th November will be fondly remembered as being a very special day for the Kearins family and friends, colleagues and supporters and past players for many years to come. The legendary Micheál Kearins was honoured by the Sligo GAA Board for his tremendous achievement in being leading Inter-County Gaelic football scorer in 1968, by unveiling a ‘’Micheál Kearins Plaque’’ by President of Sligo GAA Tommy Kilcoyne in the foyer of the Sligo GAA Centre of Excellence Scarden. This is the Golden Jubilee of those scoring feats and it was only right and fitting that this important milestone be recognised and marked.
John Leyden Chairman of Sligo Golden Jubilee committee officially opened the proceedings by welcoming the large crowd to this historic occasion and especially Micheál and Frances Kearins and extended family. He said: ’Wherever football people gather to discuss the ‘greats’ of the game, there is one name which will never be omitted from the list, and that is the name of Micheál Kearins – Sligo’s ace marksman in the sixties and seventies at County, Provincial and National level’’. He also paid glowing tributes to his skill and football artistry and enjoyed watching him play.
Next on the podium was Martin Giblin Chairman of St Pat’s G.A.A. Club and he extolled the exploits of Micheál on the playing field. Martin added: “During his playing career with Sligo from 1961 to 1978 he scored 36 goals and 1,158 points in 215 games, this achievement is even more remarkable when you consider that he was a marked man every time he threw on the black jersey. “Kearins was also on winning Connacht Railway Cup teams in 1967 and 1969 and was inducted into the GAA Hall of Fame in 2014. 1975 was arguably his greatest year when Sligo won their first Connacht title since 1928 by beating Mayo in MacHale Park after a replay, and he won five county titles with his club’’.
The Chairman of Sligo GAA Joe Taaffe spoke eloquently about Micheál.
He said he was privileged to welcome everyone to this Golden Jubilee Commemoration to unveil a well-deserved plaque to celebrate the National leading scorer in 1968. “It’s a privilege to recall the feats of one of Sligo’s finest sportsmen and true gentleman Micheál Kearins. Micheál took the inter-county scene by storm in the Connacht Championship in Charlestown in 1962. He gave an outstanding performance that day scoring freely, but unfortunately, he had to leave the field injured, Sligo lost narrowly that day. He also has the distinction of being Sligo’s first All- Star in 1971. He also starred at club level winning Championships with Ballisodare & St. Pats and with his native St. Patrick’s Dromard. The unveiling of this plaque will be a fitting tribute to an outstanding footballer, a popular and well-respected person. I hope it will encourage the young players who come here to train and perfect their skills, to aspire to the standards you set in the 60s, 70s and 80s.”
The President of Sligo GAA Tommy Kilcoyne spoke of the football talents of Micheál and said: “It is remarkable that there is simply no argument about who is Sligo’s greatest ever footballer. It’s Micheál Kearins.“This was confirmed in an ‘Irish Independent’ national selection in 2009 when he was ranked as the 17th greatest footballer in the 125-year history of the GAA and by far the highest placed player without an All-Ireland medal.
“The football magician from Dromard played for his club St. Patrick’s and Sligo during the 1960s and 1970s. His scoring statistics are staggering and well documented. He routinely recorded scoring returns of double digits for Club, County and Province in a career which saw him win one Connacht Senior Football Championship medal, two interprovincial Railway Cup medals with Connacht and seven County Senior Football Championships.’’
Special thanks to the organising Golden Jubilee Committee and Chairman John Leyden for organising this historic event and to Sligo GAA and Chairman Joe Taaffe for supporting the commemoration. Genuine thanks to James Giblin for crafting, erecting and sponsoring the marble plaque, and to Martin Giblin St Pat’s Chairman for their generous support for the Souvenir Booklet.