106 TRIBUTE TO LEGENDARY SPORTSMAN MÁIRTÍN KELLY, WILLIAMSTOWN The death took place in England, in early October this year, of Máirtín Kelly, Bushey, Hertfordshire and formerly Polredmond, Williamstown. He had a hugely successful career in sport, in particular Gaelic football and Track and Field athletics. As Williamstown’s outstanding young footballer in 1952, he was brought into the County Minor team at a late stage, at a time when smaller clubs found it difficult to get recognition. In the event, he proved to be one of the outstanding members of that Galway team, winners of the All-Ireland title that year. He is, therefore, one of a small number from the Williamstown club to hold an AllIreland medal. Máirtín soon made his way onto the County senior panel, and played a number of games at this level. He suffered an injury in 1956, and thus lost out on an All-Ireland senior medal that year. There were two main reasons why his career as a Gaelic footballer didn’t reach the heights his talent deserved. Firstly, he suffered a number of serious injuries and, secondly, football always played second fiddle to his first love in sport, Track and Field athletics. In this, he had a wonderful career, winning numerous titles and breaking countless records in the discus, javelin and shot putt, at university and later at national levels. He would have been a certainty for the Irish Olympic Games team for Tokyo in 1964 until another cruel injury robbed him of that distinction. When he moved to England to continue his business career, he continued with his athletics, and won many titles and broke several records there. He continued with his sporting activities for many years, branching into several other sports, including squash and tennis, at which he represented Ireland in the mature age groups on several occasions. He was given the Hall of Fame Award by Williamstown GAA Club as recently as this year, and with his wife Clare he travelled home to receive the award, in February. In recent times also, he was a generous benefactor of our GAA Club, and the lovely new Stand in the local Sportsfield is named after him. Again, though in failing health, he travelled home in May with Clare for the official opening of the Stand, and did the duties himself before addressing the large attendance. Having won a scholarship to Coláiste Éinde, Galway, an all-Irish school, as a young boy, he became a fluent Irish speaker and retained his great love for the Irish language. Though his years in England resulted in his forgetting much of what he had learned of his native tongue, he went to the trouble of learning it all over again and became a fluent Irish speaker once more. Máirtín was equally successful in his career in business and commerce, reaching the highest positions with a number of major international companies. Though he always kept in touch, the major reconnecting which he made with his native parish in the last couple of years meant so much to him. He was hugely impressed with the excellent playing pitch and outstanding facilities at the local GAA grounds, with the great success of the club on the fields of play, and with the efficient manner in which the club is being run. With the passing of this gentle giant, all in the GAA Club and all in the Williamstown community extend their sympathy to his wife Clare, daughters Fiona and Siobhán, relatives and friends — LEO FINNEGAN GALWAY'S first All-Ireland Minor Football Championship was won in 1952, defeating Cavan in the final. Because of extremely heavy rain, the double-bill of Minor and Senior finals on September 28th was reduced to only the Senior final (Cavan vs Meath), and the Minor decider was played several weeks later. Mainly for that reason, there were no official photographs taken of the teams in the Minor final. This picture is of the Galway team who defeated Cork in the semi-finals. Standing, from left: Patsy Geraghty, selector; Brendan O'Donoghue, Paddy Coady, Brian Naughton, Tommy O'Toole, Jimmy Staunton, Gerry Kirwan, Séamus Kyne, Kevin Cummins, Liam Manning, Johnny Joyce, Seamus Mitchell, Johnny Cotter, vice-chairman, and Fr Paddy Mahon, chairman Galway Football Board; (in front) Laurence (Larry) Cunningham, Mick Geraghty, Mark Lohan, Brian Waldron, Albert Kelly, Mick Ryan, Eugene Dunleavy, Brian Mahon, captain; Martin Kelly, Seán Hoban and Tommy Brosnan. In the All-Ireland final, Mick Hawkshaw played at left half-back. Galway's team on All-Ireland Final day was: Michael Ryan (Ballinasloe); Brian Naugton (Ballinasloe), Séamus Kyne (Clonbur), Seán Hoban (St Jarlath's College and Mayo); Mark Lohan (Newbridge), Eugene Dunleavy (Salthill), Mick Hawkshaw (Barnaderg); Máirtín Kelly (Williamstown), Brian Mahon, captain (Dunmore MacHales); Tommy Brosnan (Tuam Stars), Séamus Mitchell (Newbridge), Liam Manning (Fohenagh); Brian Waldron (Tuam Stars), Gerry Kirwan (Ballinasloe), Mick Geraghty (Glenamaddy). Earlier in the campaign Jimmy Staunton (Dunmore), Albert Kelly (Dunmore), Brendan Donoghue (Guth na nÓg), Paddy Coady and Larry Cunningham (Newbridge), Johnny Joyce (Headford) and Gerry Meehan (Annaghdown) all played roles. In the 1952 M. F. C. , Galway defeated Roscommon, in Roscommon, by 2-3 to 1-3 and followed up with victories over Leitrim in Castlerea by 2-11 to 0-3 and Sligo in the Connacht final at Roscommon, 4-11 to 0-3. Cork were well beaten in the semi-final by 1-8 to 0-5 and Cavan fell in the final by 2-9 to 1-6. In the final against Cavan, Tommy Brosnan scored 1-6 and Gerry Kirwan got Galway's second goal. In those days there was little notice taken of the minor final and Brian Mahon, the captain, remembers being presented with the All-Ireland Cup in the dressing-room afterwards by the then Galway secretary John Dunne. — JIM CARNEY
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