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Gary Breen reveals his Kerry GAA connections to Michael O'Muircheartaigh

We were in the presence of broadcasting greatness on our Drive For Five Special as Micheal O'Muir...
Raf Diallo
Raf Diallo

20.07 29 Aug 2019


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Gary Breen reveals his Kerry GAA connections to Michael O'Muircheartaigh


Raf Diallo
Raf Diallo

20.07 29 Aug 2019


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We were in the presence of broadcasting greatness on our Drive For Five Special as Micheal O'Muircheartaigh joined us in studio.

The Kerry native has witnessed a host of All-Ireland finals as a commentator and keen observer. And Sunday will be no different as his county try to stop Dublin achieving a historic fifth title in a row.

Ex-Ireland soccer international Gary Breen also dropped in during the chat and he spoke of his own strong connections to Kerry.

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He also revealed that there was an All-Ireland winner in his family.

"I initially thought there were two," said Breen.

"But it was my great-grandfather Paddy Breen who would've played in the 1913 Croke Park Memorial game, but then got the All-Ireland medal in 1914.

"He also played for Tottenham during that time. But there's a bigger link in terms of why I'm so invested into Kerry.

Iconic Kerrymen

"Of course, my family and great-grandfather winning that medal. But his brother-in-law was Dr Eamonn O'Sullivan. We're talking about iconic Kerry men here in terms of the fact that he won All-Ireland titles over five decades.

"It's unprecedented and incredible to look back on it. That was something, as a youngster, I was desperate to know about Kerry football. I was so invested and so proud of it. I just look back with great memories."

O'Muircheartaigh added that Paddy Breen's "name lives on". He also brought up another code with past connections to Kerry.

"And there was a Breen connected in some way with the first All-Ireland they won after 1900. The first Kerry team that appeared in an All-Ireland final, they were actually rugby players," he said.

"Kerry was over-run with rugby teams in the early days of the GAA. There was a rugby club even in Valentia Island. Every town in Kerry and then the GAA was founded and Gaelic football was a sport that was invented at that time.

"Three young teachers arrived down in Killorglin and Dr Eamonn's father was the rugby captain of the winning team in Kerry that time."

You can watch the full chat with Micheal O'Muircheartaigh and Gary Breen above. It's part of our Drive For Five Special in association with Tec7.


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All-ireland GAA Gaelic Football Gary Breen Kerry Micheal O'muircheartaigh Off The Ball

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