O'Shea, Denis 'Dinny'
July 21, 2010Denis 'Dinny' O'Shea one of the legends of that historic 1955 All Ireland win over Dublin died on June 22. He had lived at Knockglossmore, Camp where as a young boy he had developed his love and passion for Kerry football. I met up with two of his boyhood friends recently who paid tribute to their late friend.
Sean Murphy is recognised as one of the game's greatest ever defenders and his brother Padraig is also an All Ireland medal holder. Sean has special memories of his former Kerry team mate. "Denis and I were born in 1932 and we went to school together in Camp and sat in the same class. There was just three months between our ages.
"My memories of him are a very composed classic footballer , superb fielder and a good kicker . His style was most unusual in the sense that he had two great attributes as I reflect back on those years . I never saw him disposed in a match. He rose high for that ball, got his fingers to it and grabbed it tightly to his chest.
"When kicking he was very tidy and he kept his kick very low to the ground. He was so difficult to block down. He had a very short career with Kerry, playing eight championship games and the same amount of National League games and of course 1955 when he partnered John Dowling in the All Ireland win over Dublin was his greatest day.
"Yes Weeshie, 1955 was his day and remember he lived very much in the shadow of John Dowling and John was fully aware that Denis would be his ideal partner at mid field. They both knew each others play from their club and 1955 proved that because our mid field that day was absolutely superb", he remembered.
I had heard some rumours that John would not play unless Dinny his clubmate was with him that day so I quizzed Sean on this point. "Yes I also am aware of that and my information is that Dinny might not have been the original choice, however, John evidently must have had some influence with the selectors and he demanded that Dinny be his partner. But now let me add that is just a rumour."
Dinny O'Shea played from 1955 to 1958 scoring one goal in nine championship matches. Sean's brother Padraig, he himself an All Ireland medal winner with the Kerry Juniors in 1949, had lovely memories of this former Kerry midfield great.
"We were alter boys in Camp together for about four years and we played with each other for three years in the Castlegregory league. There were four teams in that, Maharees, Camp Castlegregory, Stradbally and Ballyduff. Denis was the star as we won three-in-a-row. Those years were 1949-50-51," he noted.
So how did Padraig remember Denis as a footballer? " We were very lucky in Camp school to have a little field across the road and it was there in that little patch where Denis picked up his football. He was a beautiful fielder from the word go and he had a most unusual way of fielding the ball different to most others. I have very pleasant memories of Denis O'Shea".
Denis played his first championship game for Kerry at midfield in the Munster final of 1955 and held that position for the draw and replay against Cavan in the semi-final and of course also in the final. He won two senior county championship medals with Kerins o Rahillys in 1954-57. So how did he finish up playing with the Tralee side? Sean had the answer.
"Apparently he played in an inter-firm championship in Tralee at the time, I think it was CIE against Denny's. John Dowling spotted his great potential, asked him to play with his club and as they say the rest is history. When in Tralee he stayed with the Kissane family. So you can see now just how shrewd John Dowling was in spotting a star Kerry footballer," he said.
In 1956 the great Mick O'Connell burst on to the Kerry team. He lined out for his first championship game against Tipperary at midfield and Dinny was switched to left wingback. He was left out for the drawn Munster final against Cork, but came on for Tom Moriarty and scored a point. Mick O'Connell went to right wing forward for the replay. Denis resumed at midfield and Niall Fitzgerald scored the winning point for Cork in the dying seconds of that game in Killarney. Both Padraig and Sean are unaware why he had such a brief inter-county career. Padraig has great memories of Denis O'Shea the musician. "He was a lovely musician and it was amazing how I got to discover his musical abilities. We had no football jerseys one year in Camp so Eugene Dean brought a group of us on the rounds of the parish one Wren's Day, we collected money and bought a set of a set of new jerseys.
"Now, of course, we needed music and it was Denis who brought along the accordion and played for the occupants at ever home we called to. Another time I was taking school children on a school tour and Denis was the conductor on the bus, he brought along his accordion and played for the duration of the journey and the kids loved him."
Denis was injured as the county went to Waterford in 1957; he came on as a sub for Tom Collins as Waterford beat Kerry registering one of the greatest upsets in Championship football. He also played in the 1956-57 National League final lost to Galway. Sean Murphy believed the league was not taken seriously back then and he himself won just one National League medal.
So how will the Murphy brothers remember Dinny O'Shea? Padraig first : "For me he was a boyhood friend, a classy footballer and if he had been a pupil at one of the noted football colleges where he would have played more often he would have won far more honours. He was very good in a crowded situation and in that little field back in Camp in our youth he was the star."
Sean's memories of Denis are also very warm: " I remember him as an engaging personality, great company, a classy footballer and a very accurate kicker of the ball."
And the former legendary Kerry football then added. "It's great to see him remembered like this, more so to day than ever before as there are so many distractions. It's very easy Weeshie in this day and age to forget our past footballers who forged the traditions we have in Kerry today."
To Denis wife Kathleen and son Bart we extend our deepest sympathies on behalf of Kerry followers everywhere.
Leaba I measc na naomh da anam usual dilis.
Courtesy of the Kerryman
21st July, 2010 Tweet
