Death of Offaly football great Sean Foran

July 10, 2015

The Offaly team that took on Kildare in Portlaoise 1956. Front l-r: Sean Brereton, Liam Moran, Kevin Scally, Mick Casey, Noel McGee, Christy Carroll, Alo Kelly, Richard Conroy. Back l-r: Joe Bracken, Paddy Fenlon, Peter Nolan, Mick Ashe, Sean Foran, Mick Brady, Seamus Kavanagh.

Offaly GAA is mourning the passing of the legendary Sean Foran.

His death comes just a few weeks after that of his Edenderry and Offaly colleague Mick Brady. Regarded as one of the leading midfielders of his generation, Sean won a Leinster MFC title with the Faithful in 1947 before making his senior championship debut as a substitute against Westmeath two years later.

Foran was a near constant in the centre of the park for the next 13 years, during which he made 82 league and championship appearances. He was part of the Offaly team that won the inaugural O'Byrne Cup in 1954 and was captain when the Faithful lost the Leinster SFC final to Meath the following year. 

He went on to win Leinster SFC medals in 1960 and '61 as well as a Railway Cup medal in the latter year. An injury confined him to a substitute appearance in Offaly's 1961 All-Ireland final loss to Down. The winner of three Offaly SFC medals in 1951, '53 and '57, Sean made his final appearance in the green, white and gold jersey against Louth in the National League in October 1963. 

A former chairman of Edenderry GAA, Sean was inducted into the Offaly GAA Hall of Fame in 2009.

He is survived by his wife Gretta, son John, daughters Mary and Noelle, sister Mona and extended family.


Most Read Stories