Garry McMahon

Garry McMahon (1937–2008) was an Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club Listowel Emmets and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from the 1958 until 1962. McMahon holds the record for scoring the fastest goal ever in an All-Ireland final.^[1]

Playing career

McMahon started playing Gaelic football at a young age. In 1954, he helped St. Michael's College to win the Dunloe Cup for the first time, which brought him to the attention of the Kerry Minor team. He played for them in 1955, where they were beaten in the Munster Minor Football Championship final by Tipperary.^[1]

While attending college in Dublin, where he played for the Clan na nGael club in Raheny for two years, working his way up from the club's junior team to the senior team. Later, while training as a solicitor with his uncle in Cashel, Co. Tipperary, McMahon offered to play for Tipperary, but was denied, allegedly on the grounds of being part of the McMahon family from Fethard, who seemingly were not renowned Gaelic footballers.^[2]

McMahon played with the Kerry Senior football team between 1959 and 1962, winning 2 All-Ireland medals in that time. His debut was against Cork in the 1959 Munster final, where he scored 2-2 in the first half, leading match commentator Michael O'Hehir to say: "This morning, Garry McMahon was a son of a famous father, this evening Bryan McMahon is the father of a famous son".^[1] He is attributed with scoring the fastest goal ever in an All-Ireland final - a fisted goal after 34 seconds against Roscommon, in what was the first live televised All Ireland final in 1962.^[2] He was also a renowned writer and singer of ballads and could pen a few lines as quick as he scored those famous goals of his youth.

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