Donie O’Sullivan Autobiography to be launched on this Friday evening
An Autobiography of former Spa, East Kerry and Kerry player Donie O’Sullivan will be launched on this Friday evening in the Spa GAA Clubhouse at 7:30P.M. The book, titled “A Footballer Once” is published by Liam Hayes’ Hero Books and is co-written by Spa’s own Jimmy O’Sullivan-Darcy.
Kerry’s first All Star made his senior championship debut for Kerry as a 19 year old in the 1962 Munster Final against Cork but missed out on All Ireland glory that year having returned to college in Maynooth before the final against Roscommon. Defeat was to be his lot in the 1964, ’65 and ’68 All Ireland Finals before he finally got back to winning ways in 1969 when Kerry won their 21st All Ireland title.
In 1970 he captained Kerry to victory over Meath in the first 80 minute final but two years later in 1972 Kerry were defeated by Offaly after a replayed final. The Spa man was a sub on the 1975 Kerry team winning a 4th All Ireland medal and bringing the curtain down on an outstanding career that saw him play 35 championship games for the Kingdom winning 9 Munster senior medals.
O’Sullivan played in 6 National League Finals winning all 6 including 4-in-a-Row between 1971 and 1974 and in all played 68 League games for his county.
In 1972 he was a member of the Munster team that brought a first Railway Cup football title to the province in 23 years after 11 final defeats in the interim for the province.
In 1971 he was Kerry’s first and only All Star at number 4 on the inaugural team and would win another in the same position a year later in the company of Mick O’Connell.
A dedicated club and district player, he had the distinction of winning 4 County Championship titles with East Kerry (1965, ’68, ’69 and ’70) and was a member of the Divisional side to claim the first All Ireland Club Championship title in 1971 – the first and only time divisional sides were allowed participate in the competition.
Above all, O’Sullivan’s heart and soul was in his club and though he started his career with Dr Crokes, winning 3 O’Donoghue Cup medals with the town side, he threw in his lot with Spa when the club was reformed in 1966. The fledgling club went on to establish itself as one of the best in the county and the experienced defender helped his club to a Senior Football League Division 1 title, a county Intermediate title and 7 O’Donoghue Cup (East Kerry Championship) titles.
He was renowned for the length and accuracy of his dead ball kicking, and this skill brought him to the attention of the New York Jets during a sojourn in college in the Big Apple in 1967. O’Sullivan played on the College Football team as a kicker and Shea Stadium, where the Jets played, was adjacent to the Campus in Queens. They had never seen anything like
his kicking! He signed a contract intending to return the following June but lost interest on his return home.
He was also one of the last great exponents of the drop-kick, a skill seldom seen in the modern era.
The 1970 All Ireland winning captain and two-time All Star who won almost every honour in the game was a worthy recipient of the Munster GAA Football Hall of Fame Award in 2019.
The Book will be on sale on the night in Hard Copy and Paperback.
John O’Leary
