The late Kevin Scally The sad death has taken place of an Offaly football hero from the 1940s and 1950s. Kevin Scally, a native of Ballycommon, passed away in London, where he has lived for many years and he was buried in the English capital. Kevin Scally played a key and pivotal role as Offaly football began to emerge from the doldrums into the limelight. He was full back on the Offaly minor football team that brought the first provincial football title to the county in 1947. Offaly defeated Dublin by 1-7 to 1-5 in a replayed final in Mullingar and the Midland Tribune report of that game lauded Scally's performance. It stated: "Each of the full backs, Rory O'Brien, Kevin Scally and John Cloonan, in turn brought off fine timely clearances, but Scally had most to do, and proved himself once more a really fine full back." A Leinster minor final success may seem modest enough but the development football force can be traced back to that success in Mullingar. That team featured players such as Paddy Casey (Rhode), Mick Furlong (Tullamore), and Paddy Fenlon (Ballycumber) who went on to join the pantheon of great Offaly footballers. Kevin Scally soon graduated to the senior football team where he established a reputation as a tough but very capable full back who possessed all the attributes to play in that position - A good midfielder of the ball, he was rock solid as Offaly finally began to challenge the elite in Leinster. He was a full back on Offaly team that was beaten 4-7 to 2-10 by Meath in a famous Leinster senior football final in 1954 and early the next year he was in fine form as Offaly captured their first ever senior football title - The 1954 O'Byrne Cup final which was played in March of 1955 at Croke Park and saw Offaly defeat Louth by 0-10 to 1-5. Again, Kevin Scally was in outstanding form with one report describing him and centre half back, Peter Nolan as being 'solid as rocks, controlling the middle'. Kevin Scally's performances in those vital years that played such an important role in installing a new found belief and confidence in Offaly football are still spoken with awe and reference by contemporaries from that time. That he was an outstanding prospect became apparent at an early age and he first played minor football for Offaly at fifteen years of age . He is one of a small group of players in Offaly who played minor football for three years, as he also starred in 1947 and 1948. By the early '50s, he had nailed down the full back berth on the senior team and his performances here came to attention well beyond Offaly's borders. A member of a famous and large Ballycommon family, that are synonymous with Ballycommon GAA Club, Kevin Scally played for them and Ballyglass, as well as with Knockbeg College and the ARmy, when he worked there - From the early '40s to the mid '50's. Ballycommon found themselves in a transitional period and didn't succeed in fielding a team every year. A native of Ballyteague, near Ballycommon Church, he was based in London when Offaly won their first Leinster senior football title in 1960. He was just thirty year of age at that time and contemporaries are convinced he would have nailed down a spot in that team had he not emigrated. By the late '50s, Kevin had been bitten by the travel bug , and spent spells in London and at home before moving permantley to the English capital, where he ran a pub at one stage. Married in his youth, he later met his partner Sharon and he is survived by her, a son, Damien and a daughter, Jodie. Born in 1930 and 77 years of age at the time of his death, Kevin sustained a heart attack in November 2006 and didn't recover full health. He was the last male member of his family and was predeceased by his brothers, Donie, Roger and Tom. He is also survived by four sisters, Mrs Beanie Mahon, Logmore, Geashill; Mrs Rose Mangan, Daingean; Mary Scally, Back Road, Daingean and Mrs Evelyn Graham, Dublin; and a large collection of nieces and nephews. Members of his family travelled over to London for his funeral while there was a large attendance at a special memorial Mass in Ballycommon. Sincere sympathy is extended to his family and friends of their sad loss. Courtesy of the Midland Tribune 16 May 2007 Tweet

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