John Egan (13 June 1952 – 8 April 2012) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

sportsperson. Egan was born in Tahilla (near

Sneem Sneem () is a village situated on the Iveragh Peninsula (part of the Ring of Kerry), in County Kerry, in the southwest of Ireland. It lies on the estuary of the River Sneem. National route N70 runs through the town. While the 2016 census recor ...

County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...

. He played

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

with his local club

, his divisional side South Kerry and at senior level with the Kerry county team between 1975 and 1984.

Career

A prolific corner forward on the Kerry county team of the late 1970s and 1980s, Egan made his senior

inter-county Inter-county, or inter county is Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) terminology which refers to competitions or matches between counties, as used in Gaelic games (differently from legal counties). The term can also be used to describe the players o ...

debut against

Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...

in the 1975 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, and instantly marked his arrival onto the senior stage with two goals in the first round opener. The 1975 success marked the beginning of a golden era for the county. Successive Munster titles in 1976 and 1977 were followed by consecutive defeats to Dublin at the All-Ireland SFC final and semi-final stages. However, in 1978, Egan scored in every round of the Championship, and Kerry went on to win again against Dublin in the final. The winning scoreline in that match of 5-11 to 0-9 failed to reflect Dublin's early dominance, which resulted in a rapid five-point lead. An initially shellshocked Kerry were inspired by a crucial Egan goal against the run of play, and they progressed to win a famous victory. Egan was a key part of the Kerry team that won a record-equalling four consecutive All-Ireland SFC titles (1978-1981).Flynn, Niall. ''36 and Counting...Kerry's Football History to 2009''. Canada: Trafford, 2009. Egan's individual footballing talents were recognised with the awarding of five

GAA All Stars Awards The Gaelic Athletic Association-Gaelic Players' Association All Stars Awards (often known simply as the All Stars) are awarded annually to the best player in each of the 15 playing positions in Gaelic football and hurling. Additionally, one playe ...

in 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1982. His son, also

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

, plays

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

and has been

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

ped by the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...

senior national side.

Health

In a '' Sunday Independent'' column published on 7 March 2010,

Páidí Ó Sé Páidí Ó Sé (, ; 16 May 1955 – 15 December 2012) was an Irish Gaelic football manager and player, whose league and championship career at senior level with the Kerry county team spanned fifteen seasons from 1974 to 1988. Ó Sé is wide ...

wrote: "All our best wishes go to my old colleague John Egan who, I'm told, is not well right now. John is 58 and, of course, captained the Kerry team that lost to Offaly in the 1982 five-in-a-row final. He has six All-Ireland medals, and my Dublin rivals in the 1970s always regard him as the finest of our Kerry team.

Robbie Kelleher Robbie Kelleher is a former Gaelic footballer who played for the Dublin county team. He is All-Ireland winning. Biography He grew up in Glasnevin, County Dublin. He was educated at Coláiste Mhuire, where he excelled in his studies which incl ...

, who has adopted Ventry as his home from home, will join with me in wishing the very best to John, and a speedy recovery."

Death

On 8 April 2012, Egan died at the age of 59 at his home in

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

following recent heart surgery. He is survived by his wife Mary, son

, and daughter Máirín.

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...

president

Christy Cooney Christy Cooney ( Irish: Críostóir Ó Cuana, born 1952 in Youghal, County Cork, Ireland) is a Gaelic games administrator, who served as the 36th president of the Gaelic Athletic Association. He was elected president at the annual GAA Congress o ...

paid tribute saying in a statement "John was an iconic footballer on arguably the most iconic team of all time and his undoubted skills and dedication were handsomely rewarded in an era that will be remembered fondly by Kerry supporters for evermore". Kerry legend

Pat Spillane Patrick Gerard Spillane (born 1 December 1955), better known as Pat Spillane, is an Irish former Gaelic football pundit and player. His National Football League (Ireland), league and All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, championship career ...

described him as "one of greatest corner-forwards ever in Gaelic football, one who never craved the spotlight, He was a gentle giant and a warrior". Former manager

Mick O'Dwyer Michael O'Dwyer (born 9 June 1936) is an Irish retired Gaelic football manager and former player. He most famously managed the senior Kerry county team between 1974 and 1989, during which time he became the county's longest-serving manager an ...

paid tribute by saying "There has never, at least in my understanding of Gaelic football, been a better inside forward than John Egan. I can't say he was the best, but I can say there was no-one better".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Egan, John 1952 births 2012 deaths All Stars Awards winners (football) Gaelic football forwards Garda Síochána officers Kerry inter-county Gaelic footballers Munster inter-provincial Gaelic footballers Sneem Gaelic footballers Winners of six All-Ireland medals (Gaelic football) Police officers from County Kerry