A sad week in the Club as we bade farewell to one of the icons of the GAA in not only the county but the country. Simply put Johnny was one of the greatest sportspeople the county has ever produced and as a club we were fortunate to have the benefit of his incredible knowledge. Johnny had a honour laden career as a player winning 12 Munster titles, 5 All Irelands and 5 league titles. He then moved into management with the Kerry senior team winning a further three National Leagues and a Munster title. He again answered the call of the county when helping Paidi O Se with the Kerry U21s and Jack O'Connor with the Kerry Seniors to add further honours. Gaelic football wasn't his sole interest as he won 4 National Hurling titles and An All Ireland Junior Hurling title  in 1961. All those honours are well documented but what you can't find on google is the influence he had on his own club . There was no job too big or too small for Johnny as he coached numerous teams over the years, and to coach the Legion U14 teams to seven East Kerry titles in a row was some achievement when you think of the changing cast each year. He held the role of Legion chairman while still managing the Kerry senior team,  When the club set up home in Direen he took a huge interest in its development. As his son Donal said at his funeral mass he was involved in the sourcing and purchase of the original field and every improvement that had been made in the following thirty three years Johnny had his shoulder to the wheel of it. Alongside Pat Healy , his brother in arms, they spent an incalculable amount of time in Direen and the facilities today are a credit to the likes of Johnny, Pat , Pat Moynihan and their fellow committee members. But as Fr Pat O Donnell said in his wonderfully sculpted homily it was Johnny's ability to deliver a perspective to any situation and also his modesty and humility. One memorable tale was when Jack O Connor asked Johnny to come on board as a Kerry team selector and urged Johnny to embrace a mobile phone . Johnny's reply was "If you want a man with a mobile phone off you go but if you want a Kerry selector , I'll be at home for my dinner between 1-2 and my tea at 6pm any evening, you know where to find me". And while we as a club mourn his loss it is incomparable to that of his wife of 62 years Joan, sons Donal and Sean, daughters Brid and Orla and his extended family.  But may they take comfort in knowing that someone so great will never be forgotten.