It was reported in the Star yesterday that Dermot Earley, the Chief of Staff of the Irish army may be forced to retire on health grounds. Dermot, who was only promoted to this post within the last couple of years, has been unable to work since Christmas and it appears unlikely that he will be able to return to work.
Readers here may recall that Dermot, from Roascommon, was highly placed in the list of football's top 100 players that was presented by Martin Breheny in the Indo some months ago.
He is the holder of five Connacht Senior medals, two All Star Awards, one National League medal (1979), one U21 All Ireland Medal (1966), an All Ireland runners-up Medal (1980) and two Railway Cup Medals.
He was a few years my senior at St Nath'y College, Ballaghadereen and even back then he stood out from the crowd as a brilliant footballer and a popular and well-respected individual.
I am shocked and saddened to hear of his illness and can only wish him the very best.
I doubt if there is anyone anywhere who would feel otherwise; as a sportsman and a gentleman he has been extra special.
Saw this myself on RTE's website.Very sorry to hear this. Brings back memories of some stirring All Ireland semi final tussles between Armagh and Roscommon in 1977 and 1980, in which he had a pivotal role. One of the best players never to win an AI medal, and a great servant to our Country outside the sporting arena as well
Quote from: T Fearon on April 03, 2010, 12:38:29 PM
Saw this myself on RTE's website.Very sorry to hear this. Brings back memories of some stirring All Ireland semi final tussles between Armagh and Roscommon in 1977 and 1980, in which he had a pivotal role. One of the best players never to win an AI medal, and a great servant to our Country outside the sporting arena as well
+1
Always remember holding my breath when he had a 50 with more or less last kick of the game in the drawn game in 77.
I wish him well.
Very sad news.
I wish him and his family all the best.
its gas ive always followed his career with interest because i was such a fan of him as a footballer. i hope he recovers and does well in the future
That's bad news. He's a gentleman as well as a football legend.
A hero of my childhood 70s and 80s a great example to everyone both as a sports man and a person .
As a Rossie I can not think of any one better . Only last week I was watching a dvd from the last time Ros played new york and he was given an award and made a great speech . I hope and pray that he recovers and if anyone can he can
He once said'''
when i pulled on the roscommon jersey
i always thought
i could run faster
jump higher
kick further
and play better than my opponents"
There aren't too many like Dermot who can garner universal acclaim, regardless of the county of the acclaimer.
Get well soon Dermot.
It's awful news and the prognosis isn't good. A great man.
Sadly heard this news a few weeks back.
Get well soon Dermot snr. He might be a Rossie but he has made a tremendous contribution to both the Sash and Kildare GAA. Three of his children, Dermot, David and Noelle have have represented the county with distinction. Dermot snr also played a big role in developing the '98 and '00 Kildare teams. He introduced a lot of those players while manager in '95 and '96.
Hope to see him back on the terraces in Newbridge soon.
Ya we new this in ross 6 months ago an its worse than originally thought.Its so sad because every gaa man especially a connacht man knows how special he was to our game . An as a ballaghaderreen man ill never forget ye mayo men after beating us in steand of ye going to collect the nestert cup ye thought it was approaite to carry Dermot Early off the rfield first becuse it was his ,ast game. Truly ye are great sportsmen an tonight even ye are U 21 champions ive great respect for ye guys an wish ye the best after us of course
Sad to learn of this bad news. He is a gentleman and sportsman of the highest order, I`ve met him a few times in my GAA career. I wish him and his family all the best in thr future.
Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on April 03, 2010, 10:07:37 PM
It's awful news and the prognosis isn't good. A great man.
Heard the same myself.....sad news.
I was always a big admirer of him. Hope he gets well soon.
That team which also contained other great players like Pat Lindsay and Harry Keegan were very unlucky to have met the great Kerry team a couple of times during that period.
Heard this myself some months ago .
Terrible news indeed.
My thoughts are with his family at this trying time.
So many memories but the rhubarbs lads carrying him off the pitch in 85 is one great one.
My Dad being from that era always spoke highly of Dermot as has any Roscommon man, who'd nearly bless themselves when his name was mentioned. Wish him and his family all the best and a full recovery.
Quote from: Rossfan on April 04, 2010, 08:00:17 PM
Heard this myself some months ago .
Terrible news indeed.
My thoughts are with his family at this trying time.
So many memories but the rhubarbs lads carrying him off the pitch in 85 is one great one.
I suppose as a mayo man he had the missionary Zeal the he brought to Kildare as well
Quote from: rosnarun on April 04, 2010, 11:25:08 PM
Quote from: Rossfan on April 04, 2010, 08:00:17 PM
Heard this myself some months ago .
Terrible news indeed.
My thoughts are with his family at this trying time.
So many memories but the rhubarbs lads carrying him off the pitch in 85 is one great one.
I suppose as a mayo man he had the missionary Zeal the he brought to Kildare as well
I was thinking that to Rosnarun, he was from Castlebar originally wasn't he. But in the end of the day he was a Roscommon man. A great footballer, one of the Connacht greats. Hope he gets better soon.
i was thinking of a non soppy compliment to pay hime , I dont think i could do any better than call him a Mayo man
Dermot Earley home place is outside Ballinlough in Roscommon i didn't hear about this Mayo connection until ye boys talked about it? maybe he was born in Castlebar
anyways my Dad Trained him in the Army & i know first hand his love for everything Roscommon, a true gentleman on & off the field
i hope he recovers from his illness & has a happy retirement
Dermot was born in Castlebar. Moved to Gortnaganny when he was four or five or so. I was only 3 in 1985 but so many people talk highly of Dermot being chaired from the field by the Mayo players. Twas some act and somewhat ony befitting a great gael. Which Dermot is.
Lads, I'd say the last thing Dermot wants or needs is a message-board squabble about his County of origin :P
Suffice it to say that the only thing that really matters is the jersey he wore on his back in his illustrious playing days, and that was most definitely not Red and Green ;)
Quote from: ross4life on April 05, 2010, 06:35:47 PM
Dermot Earley home place is outside Ballinlough in Roscommon i didn't hear about this Mayo connection until ye boys talked about it? maybe he was born in Castlebar
anyways my Dad Trained him in the Army & i know first hand his love for everything Roscommon, a true gentleman on & off the field
i hope he recovers from his illness & has a happy retirement
Gortaganny is right up against the county boundary line and I'd say Ballyhaunis is the nearest half-decent town to the place. It was one of the townlands shifted from Mayo to Roscommon back in 1898 and a lot of Mayo locals from around there are still sore about it!
I was in a place called Crossard on the Mayo side of the border about six weeks ago and was having a quiet chat with a few locals when the subject of the 'land grab' came up.
Janey Mac; they are just as annoyed as their great great grandparents would have been when 'Johneen' Dillon got the boundary line re-drawn as the rents in Roscommon were lower than in Mayo. One elderly lady told me that if Johneen was still alive, he'd be killed stone dead on the spot!
Quote from: Fear ón Srath Bán on April 05, 2010, 08:10:23 PM
Lads, I'd say the last thing Dermot wants or needs is a message-board squabble about his County of origin :P
Suffice it to say that the only thing that really matters is the jersey he wore on his back in his illustrious playing days, and that was most definitely not Red and Green ;)
No one is arguing at all. Also I don't know of an County that play in Red and Green, Mayo do however play in Green and Red.
well you guys do know that theres not maternity ward in Roscommon now & unless babies are born in the home they are born in either Galway or Castlebar
so does that make them roscommon people?
Funny how charles haughey a born & bred Castlebar man is never claimed as one of your own in mayo?
Quote from: mayogodhelpus@gmail.com on April 05, 2010, 08:35:21 PM
Also I don't know of an County that play in Red and Green, Mayo do however play in Green and Red.
RedAndGreenSniper, your board handle is all wrong! :D
Quote from: Lar Naparka on April 05, 2010, 08:27:02 PM
Quote from: ross4life on April 05, 2010, 06:35:47 PM
Dermot Earley home place is outside Ballinlough in Roscommon i didn't hear about this Mayo connection until ye boys talked about it? maybe he was born in Castlebar
anyways my Dad Trained him in the Army & i know first hand his love for everything Roscommon, a true gentleman on & off the field
i hope he recovers from his illness & has a happy retirement
Gortaganny is right up against the county boundary line and I'd say Ballyhaunis is the nearest half-decent town to the place. It was one of the townlands shifted from Mayo to Roscommon back in 1898 and a lot of Mayo locals from around there are still sore about it!
I was in a place called Crossard on the Mayo side of the border about six weeks ago and was having a quiet chat with a few locals when the subject of the 'land grab' came up.
Janey Mac; they are just as annoyed as their great great grandparents would have been when 'Johneen' Dillon got the boundary line re-drawn as the rents in Roscommon were lower than in Mayo. One elderly lady told me that if Johneen was still alive, he'd be killed stone dead on the spot!
Reminds me of the story told around Ballagh of the woman who once said to Dillion, "if I was your wife, I'd give you poison", to which he replied, "and mam if I was your husband I'd drink it gladly."
Prayers with Dermot and his family. Seems like only yesterday since he was telling great stories to the Ros fans when we played New York in Gaelic Park. A legend in every sense of the word.
Quote from: ross4life on April 05, 2010, 08:57:47 PM
well you guys do know that theres not maternity ward in Roscommon now & unless babies are born in the home they are born in either Galway or Castlebar
so does that make them roscommon people?
Funny how charles haughey a born & bred Castlebar man is never claimed as one of your own in mayo?
He is, there is a commemorative plaque (on the wrong house).
Sorry to hear about Dermot's illness. I remember the Mayo players carrying him from the field that day.
Quote from: Fear ón Srath Bán on April 05, 2010, 10:06:25 PM
Quote from: mayogodhelpus@gmail.com on April 05, 2010, 08:35:21 PM
Also I don't know of an County that play in Red and Green, Mayo do however play in Green and Red.
RedAndGreenSniper, your board handle is all wrong! :D
Nah, just like to be different!
Quote from: mayogodhelpus@gmail.com on April 05, 2010, 08:35:21 PM
Quote from: Fear ón Srath Bán on April 05, 2010, 08:10:23 PM
Lads, I'd say the last thing Dermot wants or needs is a message-board squabble about his County of origin :P
Suffice it to say that the only thing that really matters is the jersey he wore on his back in his illustrious playing days, and that was most definitely not Red and Green ;)
I know and if he had been just a bit better he could have
(im sure he has heard it all before. and Recognise the complement i don see any one arguing over the birth place of
No one is arguing at all. Also I don't know of an County that play in Red and Green, Mayo do however play in Green and Red.
I know and if he had been just a bit better he could have
(im sure he has heard it all before. and Recognise the complement, i don see any one arguing over the birth place of
Cake)
Quote from: muppet on April 05, 2010, 10:56:43 PM
Quote from: ross4life on April 05, 2010, 08:57:47 PM
He is, there is a commemorative plaque (on the wrong house).
which house then? is it not the house across the road close to the TF Hotel
Quote from: rosnarun on April 06, 2010, 01:39:10 AM
Quote from: mayogodhelpus@gmail.com on April 05, 2010, 08:35:21 PM
Quote from: Fear ón Srath Bán on April 05, 2010, 08:10:23 PM
Lads, I'd say the last thing Dermot wants or needs is a message-board squabble about his County of origin :P
Suffice it to say that the only thing that really matters is the jersey he wore on his back in his illustrious playing days, and that was most definitely not Red and Green ;)
I know and if he had been just a bit better he could have
(im sure he has heard it all before. and Recognise the complement i don see any one arguing over the birth place of
No one is arguing at all. Also I don't know of an County that play in Red and Green, Mayo do however play in Green and Red.
I know and if he had been just a bit better he could have
(im sure he has heard it all before. and Recognise the complement, i don see any one arguing over the birth place of
Cake)
Some oven that was.
I wish him well too, saw him play a few times and he nearly pulled off that elusive All Ireland medal for Roscommon against my own county in 1980.