George Glynn Galway native who became a vital part of the great Down team of the late '60s. The Kilconly man has played in three provinces, by Jack Mahon. George Glynn - Galway's gift to Down George Glynn is one of my favourite people. After games in Croke Park, there is a section in the concrete quadrangle outside the Hogan Stand entrance where a group of GAA aficionados tend to congregate. Out on the steps or just in from them, you'll find a Down contingent usually there - the O'Neills, Sean and Kevin, John McKnight of Armagh, Tony Kenny of Roscommon, Packy Brennan of Tipperary, Gerry O'Malley of Roscommon, Sean Freyne of Mayo. George will always be there too. All the pros and cons are discussed and then after a certain time the gathering disperses. It has always been part of the scene for me. Kilconly George hails from a good football stronghold in north Galway called Kilconly, not far from Tuam. It always had a good junior club and George won a North Board Junior Football Championship title in 1961, losing in the county final proper to Clifden later. He remembers players like Eamon Finnerty, Paddy Fallon, Joe Kelly, Sean Heverin and his two brothers, John and Joe. He went to school to St. Jarlaths College but lost in the Connacht Colleges Final of 1957 to St. Nathy's Ballaghaderreen, who went on to win the Hogan Cup that year. UCG Then on to UCG where I got to know George first. He had the honour of captaining UCG to Sigerson Cup success in 1960 with a great bunch of lads that included Martin Newell, Pat Donnellan, Sean Donnelly, Mick Laide, Hugh McGonigle, John Stafford-Kelly, Brian Geraghty or Garach as we knew him, Joe Langan, Tony Kenny, Des Feely - a team of stars. "1960 was a great year as I went on to win Connacht medals in senior and junior with my native Galway. Then the raw deals befell me. Finally, I was taken off in that 1960 Connacht Final in the second half, rather unjustly I still feel and never wore the Galway jersey after that. You see, in 1961 I was suspended by the Galway County Board for a year for playing illegally in London. At the time every college player was doing the same thing and I felt I was made a scapegoat. And I'm still sore about that because I loved Galway and the maroon and white and still do. You can't take the county out of a man." Boxing Champion George went on to take up boxing and believe it or not, became British and Irish Universities heavyweight boxing champion. Then he went off teaching to Nigeria 1962 - '64. Returning in 1964 he took up a teaching appointment in Castlewellan and so began his football career with Castlewellan and Down, which lasted for four year's. He made his debut versus Armagh in the National Football League and everything turned to gold from there on. Married Gay McCartan in 1965. Gay is a marvellous GAA enthusiast in her own right and a great reader of the game. George, in his prime, was a big, strong rangy midfielder, fine fielder and could keep going all day. Made the Combined Universities team in 1962 so you can imagine how sore he felt to be left out of football for a year in his prime when other even better known college students went scot free. 1968 But Down took him to it's football heart and he made a name there. Won a Down senior football league and senior football championship with Castlewellan in 1965 and regards the Down team of that time "as an exceptional group. We won the Grounds Tournament, beating Galway in 1965, the Gaelic Weekly Senior football competition in 1967, beating Kerry and both the National Football League and All-Ireland in 1968. The most efficiently run competitions for gaelic football are in Down. There were 11 teams in Division 1 and you were guaranteed 20 games in the League every year. We played them every Monday evening and I loved it all." Jack Quinn His greatest ever opponent at midfield was Jack Quinn of Meath. Went to live in Meath in 1969 and played for Kilbride of the Quinns for six years, winning Meath county titles in 1969, '70 and '71. All the mighty Quinns, Murty and Wardie Sullivan and Pat Bruton. Donaghmore George, Gay and his two sons, Seoirse and Brian now live in Donaghmore where the club has 22 teams. "I look after the under 14 team and get a great kick out of it. I go to Croke Park whenever we don't have a game ourselves." George thinks players are much better now than they were in his day. The skills are not as god. "But then how could they? We used to train in Killshanvey (near our home in Kilconly) every single evening in summer until darkness fell in. Now it has to be organised or they won't go to train." Best Footballer George has great regard for Colm O'Rourke, though his best days are maybe over. "I like Vinny Murphy a lot also, young James McCartan of course, Mickey Linden and Maurice Fitzgerald of Kerry - a glorious player." As to the 1993 All-Ireland, his fancy is Down. Needless to say, I'll be meeting himself and Gay on the steps outside the Hogan Stand many times in 1993, le congnamh De. Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 28th May 1993 Tweet

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