Wallace, Michael
December 08, 2011Mick was born on September 8th, 1943, the second eldest of the family of Tom and Hannah Wallace. He attended Ardfert national school and then furthered his education at Tralee Technical School in Moyderwell. When he finished school, he worked at the Kingdom Tubes factory in Rock Street where he spent several years before emigrating to England.
In the 1960s, Mick played hurling with his beloved St. Brendan's and won many underage, minor and under-21 championship titles before winning a senior county championship medal. To his team mates and fellow sportsmen he was known as "the classy goalkeeper and stopper."
He continued to play hurling after he went to London, joining the Kingdom club and he went on to win junior, intermediate and senior championship medals in London with the all-Kerry team.
Mick's other passion was soccer and it was a game he loved to chat about. He was a warm, humorous character who had many a funny tale to tell.
It was in London too, that he met Cathy who would become his beloved wife when they married a few years later. They were an inseperable couple and enjoyed the craic and music as well as the many visits home that they had together.
They settled in Kilburn and it was there they reared their children, Kerry and Vincent.
A gathering of his family and friends attended his removal and funeral at St Mary's Magdelen Church, Willesden Green. The sadness of his passing was heart-rending for all of them.
Mick is survived by his wife Cathy; Kerry and Vincent, grandchildren, brothers Tony, Joe, Frank, Jermiah and Gerard. Two other brothers Vincent and Patrick pre-deceased him.
- Courtesy of Kerry's Eye, 8th December 2011 Tweet
