Ray Prendiville was born in 1951 to parents Sean and May, one of ten children of the family that lived in Scartaglin. Ray's parents moved to Sutherland, Ratoath, Co Meath, around 1969. His brother, Tom, still runs the family farm there, with other members of the Prendiville family living around the home farm. His sister Sheila O'Connor lives in Dromulton, not far from the Prendiville home place in Knockeenahone.
A former garda, Ray was based in Waterford and Dublin during his career and he won a Munster Football Championship medal with Kerry in 1975. Prior to the recent Dublin-Kerry All-Ireland SFC semi-final, he was among the deceased remembered in a minute's silence in a hushed Croke Park. He died in a shooting incident in Namibia, where he was involved in the security business, on September 23rd.
Ray started off his playing career with Scartaglin and also played for the Civil Service and with the Meath club, Curraha. He won a Meath Junior Championship with Curraha in 1976 and later won a Waterford Senior Football title with Tramore in 1984.
He played a major part in the 1976 Meath Junior Football Championship triumph when they defeated Nobber by 1-10 to 3-1. In a preview to the game, The Meath Chronicle reported that 'Curraha has a fair share of experienced performers, notably the former Dublin county man, Shay Donnelly and Ray Prendiville, who has assisted Kerry in the senior and under 21 grades over the past couple of years.
'Prendiville, in his first season with the Meath club, has been proving his worth on the full forward line.'
In the quarter-final against Bohermeen/Martry Harps, he and Sean Galway had been 'especially brilliant in the winners' attack'. And he played a significant part in the final too, giving Curraha the lead in the fifth minute with a point. He went on to make a number of appearances for Meath in the National Football League and continued to play for Curraha for a number of years.
Speaking on RTE's The Sunday Game before the Dublin-Kerry All-Ireland semi-final former Kerry footballer, Pat Spillane, paid tribute to Ray Prendiville, saying he was a sub on the team for the 1975 All-Ireland. He scored a goal for the Kingdom in his only championship outing, against Tippeary and was on the bench for the final a month later when Kerry beat Dublin. He was one of the members of the 1975 team honoured in the Irish Nationwide Jubilee Team on All-Ireland day in 2000.
Having retired from the guards, Ray went on to work in the running of a number of pubs around the country and had a number of business interests. In recent years, he had enjoyed his retirement by taking up golf, swimming, attending the gym and he got huge enjoyment from his interest in Germany shepherd dogs.
He is survived by his five children, Sean, Ann, Clare, Raymond and Mary; his beloved grandchildren Sophie, Ray, Daniel, Emma and Harry; his brothers and sisters.
His funeral which was held in Curraha, Co. Meath on Saturday Septemver 14th was attended in vast numbers where many of those who had known Ray over the years gathered to share fond memories and stories.
He will be greatly missed by his family, extended family, relatives, neighbours and friends.

Kerry's Eye, 26th September 2013 Tweet

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