Pat Spillane called time on his highly successful and enjoyable punditry career with RTE on the most fitting of days as Kerry celebrated their 38th All Ireland success in Croke Park against Galway. Pat captured the heart of the nation with his emotional recollection of his father Tom, who died at the early age of 41, just days after Kerry’s defeat to Galway in the 1964 All Ireland, at a time when he was a Kerry selector. Tom Senior of course was married to Maura Lyne of Cleeney and also played on the only Killarney Legion team to win a County Championship in 1946. Together Tom and Maura raised three boys namely the aforementioned Pat, Mick and Tom Jnr who of course won 19 All Ireland medals between them during Kerry’s famous Golden Years.
The Lyne family of course has its own medal collection as well with Canon Michael winning two in 1937 and 1941, Jackie successful in 1946 and 1953 and Denny collecting a Celtic cross in 1946. Denny of course was also the captain of the Kerry team in the famous final of 1947 against Cavan in the Polo Grounds in New York, the only final to be played outside Ireland. Jackie later returned as trainer of the Kerry team and led them to All Ireland success in 1969( with a team captained by Johnny Culloty) and 1971. More recently of course Denny’s Grandson Jonathan added to the family medal board with the 2014 success. Jonathan’s cousins and Tom Snr grandsons Killian and Adrian helped turn the tide in Kerry’s direction in the 2022 edition and so consolidated the Spillane / Lyne as a Kerry Football dynasty.
Fittingly only this past Sunday Adrian and Killian played starring roles for their club Templenoe as they shocked County Champions Austin Stacks in the first round of the Senior Championship. The game played in Legions home ground of Direen might have had the feel of a second home to the Spillane tyros.