KERRY LEGEND MICK O’Dwyer is one of four players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the GAA Museum at Croke Park.
O’Dwyer has been named alongside Waterford hurler Pat McGrath and Kilkenny’s Noel Skehan along with Sligo footballer Michael Kearins. The quartet are second group of former players to receive the awards since the inaugural event last year.
O’Dwyer has been involved, as a player and manager, in GAA for over 60 years. He won four All-Ireland titles with The Kingdom and managed his county during a golden period in the 1970s and 80s. Under his guidance, Kerry won eight All-Irelands, including the famous four-in-a-row. He went on to coach Kildare, Laois, Wicklow and Clare.
McGrath was a Déise hurling star from his 1970 debut until 1986. He captained the Waterford U-21 side to the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny, which they lost, and won Railway Cup titles in 1976 and ’78. His sons, Ken and Eoin, have played for Waterford in recent years.
Kilkenny goalkeeper Skehan won an impressive nine All-Irelands, three National Hurling Leagues, eight Leinster titles and four Railway Cups. Kearins played for Sligo for 18 consecutive years and scored 1,158 points in 215 games. He won two Railway Cups and, in 1971, was the first Sligo player to be named on an All-Star football team.
GAA president Liam Ó Néill commented, “It is a great honour to welcome these four outstanding GAA ambassadors into our Museum Hall of Fame and it is difficult to think of more fitting men for the award.
“These four individuals illuminated their respective codes, setting consistently sky high standards that thrilled crowds and highlighted the great attributes of our games. I congratulate Mick, Noel, Micheál and Pat and of course their families and I hope this acknowledgement helps shine a light on their efforts over many years to generations who were not lucky enough to witness first-hand the skills they brought to bear on the game.”
While keeping Hooper in Australia for the next 5 years is obviously the priority, 5 years is a big commitment for Hooper to make for one contract, even if it’s for 5 million. Financially it would be a great move for Hooper but whether he wants to tie himself down for that long is questionable.
I personally think that the ARU would be better off putting a 3-year contract on the table for 3 million-which is still too much for European clubs to buy out for 2 years at least-and then look at it again in 2021. Add in the factor that there is a high injury rate for international backrows in their late twenties and the ARU could possibly offer less money in 3 years time.
Regardless of whether Hooper takes the contract or not, this offer shows the desperate state that Australian rugby union is in at the moment.
@EK: With league cherry picking some of union’s best youngsters (Ponga and Crichton to name but a few), the ARU needs to keep as many high-profile names at home as possible-there has to be some union players for youngsters to aspire to. Too many young union players want to be the next Cooper Cronk(another union schoolboy) or Greg Inglis rather than the next Will Genia or David Pocock. Union’s not dead yet in Australia, but it could be soon if they don’t take drastic action.
@EK: the ARU have mismanaged the game to catastrophic levels in the last 15 years. All the focus was on setting up new franchises and very little on grassroots development. As a result the game suffered in Queensland and NSW, and didn’t even make a dent in Victoria or WA.
He’s no Dan Leavy