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Pat Spillane speaking on The Sunday Game. RTÉ

Emotional Pat Spillane remembers late father as Adrian and Killian add to family tradition

‘He would have been a proud man…21 All-Ireland senior football medals into his house.’

LAST UPDATE | 24 Jul 2022

IN HIS FINAL broadcast with the Sunday Game, Pat Spillane paid a tearful tribute to his late father as he explained the significance of Kerry’s All-Ireland win.

Spillane’s nephews Killian and Adrian became the latest members of the family to win Celtic Crosses.

Their grandfather Tom died aged 41 from a heart attack, when Pat was just eight. 

“Just from a personal point of view, in 1964 my father was a selector for Kerry against Galway (in the All-Ireland final),” he recalled. The night before the game he had a pain in his chest, wouldn’t go to the doctor.

“He went to the game the following day as a selector and was dead on Tuesday. Kerry-Galway matches to me always bring back this memory. My father never saw his three sons play.

“The three sons have 19 All-Ireland medals and his two grandsons today Killian and Adrian have two more.

“He would have been a proud man. 21 All-Ireland senior football medals into his house. It’s just a special day.”

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