A former Kerry footballer, remembered for his stylish attacking skills, is to be inducted into the Killarney Legion GAA Club hall of fame.
Diarmuid O Donoghue – whose son James also wore the green and gold, winning an All-Ireland medal and the 2014 footballer of the year award – will be the recipient of the Vincent Doyle Cup at the annual awards night on Friday, March 24.
Diarmuid has been involved in club activities throughout his life and he is remembered as one of the finest footballers to have worn the green and white.
From a family of eight, five girls and three boys, his father Jameso was heavily involved in the Legion since 1951. Jameso married Lily Kerrisk in 1952 and it was in the house growing up that Diarmuid’s love for football was nurtured.
A classy player, even as far back as his primary school days in the Monastery in Killarney, he first came to prominence when he starred for St Brendan’s College – the first day pupil to captain the Sem – and he also came to the attention of the Kerry minor selectors, making two appearances in 1976 against New York and Cork.
He lined out against the Rebels on the day that the original Pairc Ui Chaoimh was opened and, in a fascinating twist of fate, son James would kick 10 points in the last game played there.
By 1980 Diarmuid’s performances caught the eye of Mick O’Dwyer who called the young Knockeenduve man into his multi All-Ireland winning panel and he was an ever-present in the squad, winning two All-Ireland senior medals, in 1980 and 1984, plus an All-Ireland junior medal in 1983.
With a Killarney team featuring a combination of Dr Crokes and Legion winning a Kerry County Championship in 1983, Diarmuid was nominated as Kerry captain in 1984 and he led the team to a National League triumph in 1984, beating Galway in Limerick.
Picture: Valerie O’Sullivan
A psychiatric nurse in St Finan’s Hospital, overlooking Fitzgerald Stadium, Diarmuid captained Kerry in the first round of the Munster Championship that year against Tipperary but, given the huge competition for places, he remained a member of the panel but not the first 15 for the remainder of the championship. The honour of captaining Kerry to the Centenary All-Ireland was instead handed to Gneeveguilla’s Ambrose O’Donovan who acknowledged Diarmuid in his victory speech from the Hogan Stand.
Diarmuid made 27 league appearances for Kerry but it is widely acknowledged that had he been at his peak in any other era in Kerry football, other than the star-studded Golden Years, he would have walked into any forward line.
He was an ever-present in the Legion senior team from 1976 until the early 2000s and his eye for a score never diminished.
“His left leg was like a wand, always finding his man, and splitting the posts with regularity,” said club PRO Enda Walshe.
Diarmuid also found time to manage numerous underage teams in the club, most notably the 1990 East Kerry and county league winning minor team.
Married to Rita Linehan, they have two young sons, Tommy and James.
When he received the Vincent Doyle Cup iarmuid will again follow in the footsteps of his father, Jameso, who was inducted into the club hall of fame in 1995.
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