Huge turnout at funeral of Offaly football hero as family give lovely insight into the man beyond the public eye

THE funeral of Offaly football legend Kevin Kilmurray in Dublin last Wednesday and Thursday was an occasion of immense sadness and grief, as you would expect – however, it transcended this as it was also a tremendous celebration of a life well lived, full of achievement with a lasting legacy left behind him.

Hundreds of people paid a fitting tribute to a man who helped bring such pride to his native county by attending his removal in Blanchardstown on Wednesday and funeral in the local Church the following day.

His native town of Daingean and county were very well represented on both days. Kevin Kilmurray was one of Offaly's most famous footballers. A brilliantly effective centre half forward, he won All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals with Offaly in 1971 and 1972, five Leinster senior football medals, two All-Stars, All-Ireland club and Leinster club SFC medals with UCD, Dublin senior football medals with UCD and Civil Service, a Railway Cup with Combined Universities.

He helped bridge the gap between the great teams of the 1970s and 1980s, winning his fifth Leinster senior football medal in 1980. His leadership and self belief were a key ingredient in that win as he helped instill the confidence in the team that they could beat Dublin – while past his prime in 1980, his contribution went beyond that as his flying kick of a loose ball set up the all important goal for Matt Connor.

After managing teams in his adopted club of St Brigid's in Blanchardstown up to senior football level, he took charge of Offaly senior footballers in 2005 and 2006, leading them to the Leinster final in '06 where they were beaten by Dublin.

A charismatic, personable, larger than life man, he died at 72 years of age after being diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago.

Most of his Offaly team mates from the 1971 and 1972 All-Ireland champions attended his funeral, including team captains Willie Bryan (1971) and Tony McTague (1972). There was also a great turnout from the 1980-1982 team there, led by captain Richie Connor. A bus load from his native Daingean, led by club chairman Padraig Keating and including team mates who played in the 1975 and 1977 Senior Football Championship final defeats by Rhode and Tullamore, attended Thursday's funeral.

The Offaly GAA County Board was well represented over the the two days with current and former officers out in force. Chairman Michael Duignan addressed the mourners just before they made the short journey from the funeral home to Church on Thursday morning and his words of sympathy and tribute were very much appreciated by the family.

It was a very emotional funeral – Kevin is the latest of the 1971-1972 All-Ireland champions to die, following Kieran Claffey, Larry Coughlan, Mick O'Rourke and Larry Coughlan. It was also a lovely, touching funeral as stories and memories of Kevin were recalled.

They spoke with great fondness of a man who generally had tanned legs, wore white socks at training, went to the USA each summer while a young man and drove glamorous cars but who was a serious footballer, displaying a great work ethic and fighting for everything – as well as contributing vital scores in All-Ireland semi-finals and the 1971 All-Ireland final, though he was not a prolific scorer.

There were plenty of funny stories and incidents told. One memorable one was about a club game in Offaly in the 1970s where Kevin got a fierce belt from an opponent. While Kevin was a very tough player and never pulled back, he would not have been noted for dishing out punishment as some of his 1971-'72 colleagues were. He demanded that one of his Daingean team mates take retribution for it but was told that he had been hit and to look after it himself. This exchange took place a few times before his Daingean colleague eventually upended the opponent with a punch, after a furtive check to make sure he would not be observed by officials. The player, a famously tough defender, asked Kevin had he seen it, only to be queried: “What took you so long?”

The funeral Mass was a special occasion with special mention made of the huge Offaly contingent present – there was also a great turnout of former Dublin county and club players along with others from other counties.

Three of his children, Craig, Orna and Ken paid a very moving tribute to Kevin, providing a fascinating insight into Kevin Kilmurray, the father – the man beyond the public eye. They talked about the role he played in their lives, how he got to enjoy a family holiday to Portugal in June but time ran out on his hopes to go to Australia for Christmas.

Craig and Ken were both very good footballers with St Brigid's in the 1990s and 2000s and Craig was the first speaker, promising:

“Dad was a stickler for time so we won't go on too long. He didn't like the limelight but he enjoyed people's stories and us kids loved hearing stories about him.”

Thanking all who attended, Craig joked about Kevin' occasionally acrimonious relationship with referees:

“He meant so much to so many people and the amount of people here today is fantastic. Today Daddy can finally rest peacefully and I am sure there are some Dublin referees who can live in peace now as well.

“For us kids, there was two peoople. There was Kevin Kilmurray, Offaly legend. When we gave our names to people, the response was are you anything to Kevin Kilmurray. We would say, that is our job and their response was, what a player, I remember him in Croke Park.”

He talked about the simple life his father loved, his passion for farming, golf, his children, trips to Portugal for golf; how he liked to cook steaks though a request for medium or rare generally resuled in a “burnt piece of meat” being presented.

Craig spoke about his father's clean living lifestyle – how he didn't smoke, didn't really drink, ate well, went to bed early.

There was sadness as he talked about his father's battle with cancer, how he was diagnosed initally with prostrate in the summer of 2020 and then pancreatic. He recalled his father admonishing him for eating a donut in his last few weeks, asking why he was putting that crap into his body. “I said Dad, you are full of chemo. He said, you are right, give me one of them,” Craig smiled.

He enjoyed a weekly Saturday morning golf game with friends, generally claiming to have won the five.

“He enjoyed what he did. Dad did things his way, he worked hard and always kept a positive tone. This work ethic and stubborness served us well.”

He pushed his children to achieve in school, always looking for the reasons why if their grades were not good.

Craig spoke about the high regard his father was held in Dublin, taking “serious abuse” from oppositions, giving great motivational speeches and enjoying exchanges with referees.

He said Kevin was very appreciative of the great medical care he got in St Vincent's and he recalled his father's diagnosis when he (Craig) was away on holidays. “I said I would go home immediately. He asked why, was I a doctor. That was a typical Dad answer.”

He concluded by talking about his relationship with the 1971-1972 team and described him as a “proud Offaly man”.

His daughter Orna said it was a great privilege to help look after her father in her profession as a nurse.

“We all know Kevin Kilmurray the football legend but I would like to talk about Kevin Kilmurray our dad. Dad was unapologetically himself.”

She joked about his unique fashion sense. There was laughter as she told how he wore “slinky, white and unforgiving Galway shorts” for a Christmas Day swim – he had been offered Dublin shorts but said he wouldn't “be seen dead” in them.

Orna talked about the incredible bond he had with his children, the heart to hearts they had. “I hope we continue to make you proud. Up Offaly,” she concluded to applause.

Ken remarked: “Dad was very passionate about life and sport and obviously GAA.”

He also discussed his father's interchanges with referees, describing it as a game of “brinkmanship” and telling a story about him being put out of a pitch at an U-12 soccer game years ago for things he said to a referee.

“That trend continued throughout his managerial careers. He gave out to referees at all games, mens and ladies. He didn't discriminate. He was an equal opportunities employer in that regard. He tried to blame a referee for him losing his hair. Everyone got used to it, the opposition, our own teams and referees.”

Ken added: “He was a very very positive person. For years, his favourite adjective was super. If you asked him how he was, he would say I'm super.”

When people began to mimic this, he changed the word and “everything was fantastic”.

He described a man who was genuinely positive, recalling how one player at a game felt he had a “stinker” but telling him he was “super”, Kevin had said: “What are you talking about. You were flying, flyingHe was still saying flying as he went out the dressing room door. He knew how to give people a lift. The truth was probably somewhere in between.”

He recalled the revolving door at their home as children as friends visited and he recalled boyhood trips to matches in Tullamore – the welcome given by 1971-1972 heroes and the fun they had, the thrill of playing fun games in O'Connor Park with the nets still up.

“Dad was very resilient. He never complained and expected the same from others. If you took knocks, you just got on with it and drove on. He was very positive. A broken nose or busted eye and he would say, you are fine. A shoulder injury finished him but he kept going as long as he could.”

Stating that he had planned on visiting them in Australia for Christmas, Ken concluded: “We love you Dad and thanks for everything.”

He is survived by his children Craig, Ken, Lindsay, Jaclyn and Orna; their mothers Mary and Bette; ten grandchildren, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.