The death has taken place of Kevin Kilmurray, the former Offaly All-Ireland football winner. He was 72. Centre forward on the team that won the county’s first Sam Maguire, in 1971, beating Galway in the final, he was again leading the attack when the title was retained a year later after a replay against Kerry.
From Daingean, his intercounty career spanned the two eras of Offaly’s All-Ireland football championships. Having made his debut in 1969 – he came on in as a replacement in that year’s All-Ireland final defeat by Kerry – he finished in early 1982, the year that the county sensationally stopped the Kerry five-in-a-row.
He retired with the two All-Ireland and five Leinster medals and was an All Star in 1972 and ‘73
Although he had retired by then, Kilmurray had a major influence on the 1982 achievement, recommending manager Eugene McGee to Offaly in 1976, having played for him at UCD where he won both Sigerson Cup medals and enjoyed a distinguished career, culminating in the 1974 and ‘75 All-Ireland wins against Clann na nGael and Nemo Rangers (a final he missed through injury), respectively.
He went on to manage his county, bringing them to a Leinster final in 2006 when they lost to Dublin and had a long association with the St Brigid’s club in Dublin where he lived.
