Death of
Clonmore legend Martin Molloy
Martin
Molloy (1929-2009)
Martin
Molloy, who sadly passed away on 16 February 2009, held the distinction
of being the first and only man ever to captain a Clonmore team to the
Carlow Senior Football Championship, leading them to victory over
O’Hanrahans in 1955 and repeating the feat in 1956.
When a club
wins its first ever Senior Championship it is a very special occasion
and every member of the team becomes a hero within the club. But the
captain tends to hold a special place and Martin Molloy held legendary
status in Clonmore.
A
native of Ricketstown, Co. Carlow, Martin starred at centre half back with the great
Clonmore team of the fifties – alongside brothers Larry at wing back and
Patsy at corner forward. With the other members of Clonmore’s “big five”
(Paks Connolly, Jim Fogarty, Denis Cullen and
Mick Connolly), Martin was
a regular on the Carlow team at a time when the county was a match for
the best, playing in the Leinster Junior Final of 1951 and against Mayo
in the 1954 National League Final in Croke Park.
In a recent
newspaper article, former Carlow player and trainer, Vinnie Harvey,
described Martin as the ”best small man ever to play with Carlow”. High
praise indeed. Nominated at right half back on the Carlow Football Team
of the Century, Martin was unlucky to lose out to the great Peenie
Whelan. There can be no doubting the greatness of the man or his love
for football – when his native Rathvilly started up a team he returned
to play for them winning a Junior Championship in 1967.
Martin is
remembered with great respect by friend and foe alike, as a gentleman
off the field and as a great hearted player who was uncompromising and
fearless on it. The huge number of people who attended his funeral was
an indication of the high regard with which he was held throughout the
county, and beyond.
Clonmore GFC
sends sincere sympathies to the family and friends of this great Gael –
ar dheis De go raibh se.
Source: The Nationalist February 27th 2009
NEXT PAGE:
Tommy Murphy
