The Meath GAA fraternity was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former All Ireland winning keeper Sean McCormack.

Sean was one of the stars as Meath claimed All Ireland glory in 1967.

Some of the tributes posted on hoganstand.com and Royal County Meath Yearbook to Sean over the years

The last line of defence - Sean McCormack.

Strong and utterly fearless, Sean is a part of a great north Meath GAA family.

He had already captured a junior All Ireland medal in 62 and was a graduate of the 60 minor team.

Son Larry likewise played in all grades for the county.

Sean lined out in the All Ireland deciders of '66 and '70 and was also very useful out the field. hoganstand.com of the 50th anniversary of Meath's third All Ireland football final win

Sean McCormack: Defender turned goalkeeper

For some strange reason Meath have a proud tradition for playing outfield players in goals and with much success.

Mickey McQuillan, Cormac Sullivan, David Gallagher, Paddy O'Rourke and most recently Joe Sheridan and Barry Dardis.

It a tradition that goes back to the '60's. Here's an extract from the 1988 National Football League Division 1 final between Meath and Dublin.

Sean lined out in goal in the 1966 and 1970 All Ireland deciders also. hoganstand.com

Royal County Meath Yearbook caught up with Sean in 1998

The 'Woods' man of Steel

Sean McCormack played for Meath at the highest level. Royal County explores an era that is a million miles away from the life we now live in. 

When Meath captured their third senior All- Ireland football title in 1967 it represented a personal triumph in the face of adversity for goal -keeper Sean McCormack. 

In his early childhood days Sean could only look on as his friends played out their dreams of playing on the hallowed turf of Croke Park. Royal County spoke to the personable Kilmainhamwood clubman and heard his remarkable story. " I was about six at the time and my father kept a few calves, and one day I decided to go for a jaunt on one of them. You know the stupid games children play. The calf threw me into a ditch and a splinter lodged in my knee. It was very sore and swollen at the time but later it became much worse. The doctors couldn't find the cause of the problem and I spent about two years in the Cappagh hospital in Dublin. At one stage things got that bad that the doctors were talking about amputating the leg above my knee. My father wasn't having any of it and eventually I got home with a metal splint on my leg which meant I couldn't work my knee. I walked with a limp and the lads at school called me ' Bocka' because of the limp." Sean's father Patsy instructed the teachers at the local national school not to allow him take part in any sport. 

Sean takes up the story, " We used to position the goals in such a way that Mrs Dillon ( Sean's teacher ) couldn't see us when she looked out the window at break times. I got stuck in the goals and because of the metal leg nobody would come in near me with the ball. In those days the worst kid got stuck in the goals and because I couldn't run I always ended up playing there. He continued to wear the metal splint for a full two years until it was discarded. " In my early teens I was able to run with a very slight limp and it was at that stage that I began playing outfield." Sean's first taste of success came in 1961 at minor level when he togged out at right full back on the Castletown/ Kilmainhamwood team that eventually went on to win the championship. " There were six or seven of us from Kilmainhamwood on that team. Larry and Padraig ( Sean's brothers ) Matt and Tom Clarke and Willie Mooney and there were a few lads from the 'Wood amongst subs. As far as I can remember we beat Duleek in the final and they had six county minors at the time." 

All Ireland champions 1967. Front l-r: Tony Brennan, Terry Kearns, Pater Darby, Sean McCormack, Mick White, Pat Collier, Mick Mellett. Back l-r: Bertie Cunningham, Paddy Mulvanny, Noel Curran, Peter Moore, Jack Quinn, Mattie Kerrigan, Ollie Shanley, Pat Reynolds.

The following year Sean was picked on the Meath Junior team that went on to win the All- Ireland. Sean recalls with a wry smile. "The Junior scene at the time was fiercely competitive. It was taken every bit as seriously as the Senior. We beat Cavan in the final at Ardee in front of a crowd of about 11,000. From what I can remember we held on for a deserved victory against a gale force wind in the second half. There would have been three or four Kilmainhamwood lads on that team. Myself, Padraig, Tom Monaghan and John Carolan were all on the Meath team. There were three or four from Kingscourt on the Cavan team also. The funny thing is that six out of the seven worked in Gypsum so you can imagine the craic before and after the game." 

The Meath Junior team of 1962 were ineligible the following year having won the All-Ireland but Sean was called back into the panel in 1964. " I was living in digs in Dublin at the time, and I got a postcard from the County Board saying I had been picked for the Meath Juniors. I went along expecting a subs jersey and when they handed me the yellow jersey I thought I was the sub goal- keeper. I couldn't believe my eyes when I turned it over and saw I was actually playing." Cork beat Meath that year after a replay but it proved a huge stepping stone for McCormack. 

Sean made his mark as an inter county goalkeeper and it was to prove the first step on the road to representing Meath at senior level. Sean recalls " I was called into the senior set up at the tail end of 1965 and managed to get a few tournament games. I was picked as first choice keeper for the first round of the championship in 1966. I managed to hold my place and we got to the All-Ireland Final. Galway beat us that day. We were terrible. It was Galway's third in a row. I think about eight of the Galway team went straight back home after the match. It didn't mean that much to them. It meant an awful lot more to the Galway team that won this year I can tell you." 

Disappointed and dejected the Meath team bounced back the following year and Sean was to fulfill his life long ambition to win a senior All- Ireland. Sean recalls " We beat Cork by a couple of points but it was a poor game. We were terrible in the first half but we improved in the second half and deserved to win." And what of Sean's own performance that day ? " I hadn't an awful lot to do really. A few high balls and a few on the chest. I don't think I had a shot to save. It was a quiet game for me really ." 

And what are his abiding memories of that historic day ? " In those days the Meath team assembled at Barry's Hotel. A lot of the lads would walk down to Croke Park and listen to the banter amongst the crowd. It was easy to do that in those days because there were no County uniforms. You just wore your own clothes. Directly after the match myself and the Red ( Collier ) threw our bags to Scups White and made our way out with the crowd again. We made arrangements with him to pick us up at a pub later on. I don't think either of us drank at the time. We just sat there and listened to the craic. It's hard to believe but neither of us were recognised." 

In comparison to other Counties we were well looked after at the time. We always had a steak after training while other counties might only get a salad or something. But we were all responsible for our own kit. I remember the day before the All Ireland ('67) I was cleaning my old boots and my father Patsy said I should get a new pair. In those days I was earning £ 11.50 a week and a pair of boots was £ 5.00. I went out to Vincie Cahill in Kells who had been on the Meath team a few years previously and whom I knew quite well hoping to get a bargain. Vincie explained that a pair of boots had been robbed from outside the shop, but the thief took a size eight and a size nine. He offered me the boots at £ 3.50. Believe it or not I wore those boots for the rest of my career." 

1967 represented the highlight of Sean's footballing career although he continued to play in goals for the County until 1972. Meath went under to Kerry in the All Ireland Final in 1970 after beating Galway in the semi final. Again Sean has vivid memories " I played particularly well in the victory over Galway. I was asked by R.T.E. to do an interview after the match and obliged. When the interview was over I went back to the dressing rooms to collect my kit. Everybody had left. I came back out onto the pitch and made my way through the Hogan Stand to find the whole place locked up and me inside. I eventually got out by climbing the wall of the Handball alley, across a roof and jumping out onto the road. I don't think that would happen nowadays."

Funeral details

Reposing at his daughter Nickie's residence (A82 P440) Saturday from 3pm to 8pm and Sunday from 3pm to 8pm. Removal Monday morning to the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Kingscourt for 10am funeral Mass with burial afterwards in adjoining cemetery.

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