'Proud Offaly man' Kevin is laid to rest

The late Kevin Kilmurray, acknowledged as one of the greatest Offaly footballers of his generation, and one of best of all time to don the green, white and gold, has been remembered as a “very proud Offaly man” with a fierce “loyalty to his roots” at his funeral Mass yesterday morning (Thursday).

Aged 72, Kevin, who starred in the history making 1971 and 1972 All Ireland triumphs over Galway and Kerry, died peacefully following an illness on Sunday last.

A native of Daingean, but based in Dublin most of his life, he won two All-Star awards among many other accolades during an illustrious career, and he was the manager of the last Offaly team to reach a Leinster senior football final in 2006.

While his sporting prowess has been admired in Offaly and further afield for many decades, his final farewell in St Brigid's Church, Blanchardstown, shared many family and personal memories of Kevin off the field which had the large attendance clapping and laughing in equal measure.

Fr Dan Joe O'Mahony, who led his funeral Mass, described Kevin as a “great model of sportsmanship” who shared his skill with the local school and club and a “great GAA man”, who retained a fierce “loyalty to his roots”.

Symbols of Kevin's life brought to the altar included Offaly and Daingean jerseys to remember his great memories on the field and as a proud Offaly man, a picture of his cheeky smile, golf balls to remember his passion for golf and some straw/hay and a toy tractor to recall his great love of farming.

A final eulogy by his two sons Craig and Ken, and daughter Orna, painted a very witty portrait of Kevin, the man. Everything from his passion for farming, to his competitive nature for the fiver prize every Saturday on the golf course, to his banter with referees and his bold fashion choices.

Thanking so many people for attending in such great crowds, his eldest son Craig joked that now that his father was at peace so too were many Dublin referees, without him to walk the sidelines harassing them. Although he laughed that the referees would say it went both ways.

For the kids, there was Kevin Kilmurray, the Offaly legend, and there was Dad, who liked the simple things – farming, golfing, babysitting the grandkids and cooking steak and spuds.

“When we gave our names anywhere, they would say are you anything to Kevin Kilmurray? We would say ‘Yes, yes that’s our Dad’ and they would respond with ‘What a player I watched him in Croke Park. Always had tanned legs.’

His funeral Mass also heard that farming was his passion, he worked hard, and his stubborn work ethic has stood to his kids, according to Craig.

On his cancer diagnosis two years ago, he paid tribute to his father who said: ‘I will own it. This is my battle.’ He showed bravery and stubbornness again”.

“To the legendary 1971 and 1972 teams who are here today, he was a very proud Offaly man. He would sign the family WhatsApp group when we got good news – Up Offaly. And this is what we would say back to him – he absolutely loved it – it was his battle cry.”

In recent years, he got great enjoyment watching another Offaly legend, Shane Lowry.

“He would say jokingly Shane is a legend, there’s only a few legends left in Offaly! And then laugh. Some of those legends are here today,” said Craig. Daughter Orna lovingly described her father as “unapologetically him” which he proved recently to very witty effect with some of his bolder fashion choices at a Christmas Day swim in Galway shorts and on a recent holiday in Portugal.

In the midst of the many lighter moments, the family’s strong bond with Kevin grew even more during his illness, added Orna, who as a nurse, said it was her “privilege and honour” to look after him after he had guarded, protected and cared for throughout her life.

His son Ken said his dad was passionate about life, sports and GAA, but jokingly said one of his pastimes was arguing with referees.

He recalled perhaps the very first time when Kevin being sent off at a U12 soccer match which meant leaving the facilities, so he stood under a hedge to watch the game.

Ken spoke about his positivity for life, stating that for years his favourite adjective was super, then it was fantastic.

His resilience was another big trait, and he was very inclusive making sure no one was left out, something Ken attributed to his Offaly days.

Poignantly, he ended by saying his father wanted to come to Australia for Christmas, but that wasn’t to be. However, he said holding back the tears that “he will take him back with him in his heart”.

The late Kevin Kilmurray, beloved father of Craig, Ken, Lindsay, Jaclyn and Orna and a devoted grandfather to his ten grandchildren, is sadly missed by his loving children and their mothers Mary and Bette, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Following his Funeral Mass on Thursday morning, his cremation took place in Glasnevin Crematorium.