O'Sullivan, Danny
March 11, 2010Danny O'Sullivan was born in Drombrick, Faha on September 9th, 1915. When he was four and half years he commenced school at Faha NS that was in 1919. His junior infants teacher was a Miss O'Doherty and Johnny Moriarty NT taught from infants to sixth class.
Some of Danny's school mates in Faha were Mick Tangney, Andy Meara, Tim O'Mahony, Dan O'Mahony, Con O'Mahony, Patie O'Mahony, Tom Buckley, Connie Leary and Jer Clifford. Danny finished his schooling at Faha NS in 1927. Coming from a farming background Danny went to Clonakilty Agricultural College in 1930.
He was one of the founder members of Listry GAA club in 1932. The others were J Clifford, J Counihan, T Lynch, T Leslie, J Scully, J Lantry, D Clifford, O Sweeney, Mick Buckley, Monty Buckley, J Clifford, D Lantry, M Moriarty and Wade Sugrue. The AGMs were held in Mick McCarthy's workshop in Faha and Jackie Clifford gave the use of his house for monthly meetings. Danny became secretary of the club and remained in that position until 1950. Listry played junior football for the first four years but in 1937 they decided to go senior. This decision paid off when Listry won five East Kerry league titles in a row, 1937-41. In the 1937 final they defeated Kenmare and Danny scored six goals and five points which is a record that has never been broken.
His direct opponent in that game was Joe Fitzgerald, a garda based in Kenmare who later went on to captain Dublin in the 1942 All-Ireland final. Others in the five-in-a-row were Danny Healy, Darby Healy, Jim Sugrue, Tadhg Sugrue, T Leslie, Mick Tangney, Jer Clifford, Mort Moriarty, Jim Counihan, Tom Lynch, P Lynch, Mick Buckley, Monty Buckley, Tom Buckley, Jack Scully, Sonny Guerin and Pa Mannix. He played against many famous players including Jackie Lyne, Roundy Landers, Willie Casey and Eddie Walsh.
Danny played with Kerry junior team in the Munster Championship. Their opponents in Tralee were Clare and Danny scored 3-3 from corner forward. That day his opposite number was the famous 'Fowler' McInerney the great Clare hurler. As a result of this game Danny was called into the senior panel as they were due to play a tournament game in Kenmare the following weekend. While preparing for this game Danny sustained a serious leg injury that put an end to his inter county ambitions. However, he did line out on a number of occasions with Listry afterwards.
Danny took over as secretary of the East Kerry Board when the late Dr Paddy O'Driscoll, Glenbeigh, was chairman and held the position for three years. After that in 1944 he became chairman of the board for four years and automatically vice-chairman of the Co Board.
As chairman the Listry farmer was given the two-fold task of improving the board's financial situation and to work towards a County Championship victory, last won by a Killarney team in 1914. Soon the financial position began to get better.
Co Championship glory did come to East Kerry in 1946 when Legion won the title. In 1949 Killarney were successful while in 1951 Dick Fitzgerald's won the title and it was Danny who proposed that the team be called after the celebrated Dick. When he was chairman he cycled from Faha to the Ashbourne Hotel in Tralee in 35 minutes to attend Co Board meetings which were held there. Danny held a great admiration for Co Secretary at that time Micheál Ó Ruairc and Munster Council delegate John Joe Sheehy.
Danny O'Sullivan was a man with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Kerry football. He was the kind of man that revelled in telling stories about the past and one could have hardly hoped for better company on, say, a long train journey to Croke Park for All-Ireland finals.
He grew up kicking football around the fields of Listry where the youth of the district played every evening from May to August when the hours gradually shortened around Puck Fair time.
Danny will be remembered for his fast, strong, clever forward play, specialising in the low hard kick for goal, "grasscutters" as he called them. He believed that too many poor quality teams were now participating in the Co Championship. When it came to the game of football Danny was a traditionalist. He favoured the direct approach and fast delivery. He strongly argued that a team should always assess the opposition and work out tactics accordingly.
He was an ardent admirer of skilful players and often talked of the craft of Mikey Sheehy. Danny was always regarded as a shrewd judge of football ability. A believer that if players were well treated they'd deliver the goods, he always enjoyed the social aspect of the GAA and was a lifelong teetotaller.
Following on his footballer exploits he turned to farming. He was a founder member of Macra na Feirme and Listry had the first branch in Kerry and third in Ireland. He organised the building of the clubrooms in Faha, the first clubrooms in the country. He was secretary of the club for many years and he also organised many educational and social events. He was Co Chairman of Macra at the foundation of IFA and became one of the founding fathers of IFA nationally. During this time the mart movement was starting to take root.
He became involved with others in the organising of the building of Mid Kerry Mart in 1959 and he was later to serve as secretary for almost forty years.
Courtesy of Kerry's Eye
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