| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Páidí Ó Sé | ||
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Right corner-back | ||
| Born | May 16, 1955 Ceann Trá, County Kerry |
||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Occupation | Publican | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
| 1970s-1990s | An Ghaeltacht | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
| 1975-1987 | Kerry | 53 (0-08) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 11 | ||
| All Irelands | 8 | ||
| NFL | 4 | ||
| All Stars | 5 | ||
Páidí Ó Sé (born 16 May 1955 in Ceann Trá, County Kerry) is a retired Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He played football with his local club An Ghaeltacht and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1987. Ó Sé later served as manager of the Kerry, Westmeath, and Clare senior football teams.
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Páidi Ó Sé was born in the heart of the Gaeltacht in Ceann Trá, County Kerry in 1955. A native Irish speaker he was educated locally at Cill Mhic a’ Domhnaigh National School. He later attended Dingle CBS, St. Brendan's College in Killarney and St. Michael's College in Listowel. While receiving his secondary school education Ó Sé's interest in Gaelic football was nurtured. During his secondary schooling he won four consecutive Kerry senior colleges' titles from 1971 until 1974. Ó Sé won back-to-back Corn Uí Mhuirí titles in 1972 and 1973 with St. Brendan's, before adding a Munster 'B' colleges' title to his collection in 1974 with St. Michael's. He subsequently trained to be a Garda Síochána and was based in Limerick for much of his career in law enforcement.
Ó Sé married his wife Máire, a schoolteacher, in 1984 and together they have three children - Neasa, Siún and Páidí Óg. He currently runs his own bar and restaurant in Ventry. Ó Sé has three nephews that have also played for Kerry; Darragh, Tomás and Marc Ó Sé. All three have been selected for the GAA All-Stars Awards teams and have had much success in recent years.[1]
Ó Sé played his club football with his local club called An Ghaeltacht. He showed great talent as a teenager and started playing senior football as a fourteen year-old. In 1970, at the age of fifteen, he won a West Kerry Senior Football Championship winners' medal. The following year Ó Sé won an under-16 County League title, playing on a team that was made up of players from an Ghaeltacht, Dingle and Lios Póil. Over a decade later in 1984 he was player-manager of the West Kerry side that won the senior county championship title for the first time in almost forty years. A second county title followed for Ó Sé in 1985. He finished off his club career with an Ghaeltacht, winning a West Kerry League title in 1988.
By the early 1970s Ó Sé had joined the Kerry minor football team, however, he had no success in this grade as Cork dominated the provincial championship. He was quickly promoted to the county's under-21 team. After missing Kerry's Munster final triumph in 1973 he was a key addition to the team in time for the All-Ireland final. Mayo provided the opposition on that occasion, however, Kerry recorded a 2-13 to 0-13 victory. The win gave Ó Sé a coveted under-21 All-Ireland winners' medal.[2]
In 1975 Ó Sé captured a Munster title following a nine-point trouncing of Waterford.[3] Ó Sé's side later qualified for the All-Ireland final with Dublin providing the opposition. A 1-15 to 0-10 score line gave Kerry the victory and gave Ó Sé a second All-Ireland winners' medal.[4]
In 1976 Ó Sé made it two Munster under-21 titles in-a-row as Kerry retained their provincial crown at the expense of Cork. He later lined out in a third All-Ireland final. Kildare provided the oppsoution on that occasion, however, they were no match for Kerry. Ó Sé collected a third All-Ireland winners' medal following a 0-14 to 1-3 victory.[4]
Ó Sé first tasted success at senior level in the National Football League in 1974. That year he won a National League title following a six-point win over Roscommon.[5] He retained his place as a substitute for Kerry’s unsuccessful Munster Championship campaign.
In 1975 a new-look Kerry team was formed under the management of former player Mick O'Dwyer. It was the beginning of a glorious era for Kerry football and Ó Sé played a key role in orchestrating much of the success for the team that would come to be regarded as the greatest of all-time. That year he won his first senior Munster title, dethroning Cork as provincial champions in the process.[6] Ó Sé later lined out in his first senior All-Ireland final. Reigning champions Dublin provided the opposition and were installed as the red-hot favourites over the youngest Kerry team of all-time. On a rain-soaked day John Egan and substitute Ger O'Driscoll scored two goals and 'the Dubs' were ambushed by 2-12 to 0-11.[7] It was Ó Sé's first All-Ireland winners' medal at senior level.
In 1976 Ó Sé captured his second Munster title before later lining out in his second All-Ireland final. Once again it was Dublin who provided the opposition. Both sides were hoping for success, however, new 'Dub' Kevin Moran was causing havoc with the Kerry defence. Jimmy Keaveney converted a penalty to help Dublin to a 3-8 to 0-10 victory and defeat for Ó Sé.[8]
1977 proved to be another frustrating year. The year began with Ó Sé capturing a second National League medal on the field of play and a third consecutive Munster title following another win over Cork. Kerry later took on Dublin for the third consecutive year, however, this time it was in the All-Ireland semi-final. In one of the greatest game sof football ever-played 'the Dubs' triumphed and Ó Sé was still left waiting for a second All-Ireland medal.
In 1978 Kerry faced little competition in the provincial championship once again. A defeat of Cork gave Ó Sé a fourth Munster winners' medal in-a-row. Kerry later qualified for a third All-Ireland final in four years. Old rivals Dublin provided the opposition, however, the game turned into a rout. The game is chiefly remembered for Mikey Sheehy's sensational goal. The Kerry forward lobbed over the ball over the head of Paddy Cullen, who was caught off his line arguing with the referee. New full-forward Eoin Liston scored a hat-trick of goals. Pat Spillane played all over the field, including goalkeeper after Charlie Nelligan was sent off. At the full-time whistle Kerry were the winners by 5-11 to 0-9.[9]
In 1979 Kerry made it five-in-a-row in Munster as Cork fell by ten points in the provincial final. Ó Sé later went in search of a third All-Ireland medal as he lined out in a fourth championship decider. Dublin provided the opposition for the fifth consecutive occasion. Kerry were handicapped throughout the game. Ger Power did not start the game, while John O'Keeffe got injured and Ó Sé was sent off during the encounter. Two goals by Mikey Sheehy and a third by John Egan helped 'the Kingdom' to a 3-13 to 1-8 victory. It was Ó Sé's third All-Ireland winners' medal.[10]
Kerry's dominance continued in 1980. Another defeat of Cork in the provincial final gave Ó Sé a sixth Munster winners' medal in succession. Another All-Ireland final appearance beckoned, this time with Roscommon providing the opposition. The Connacht champions shocked Kerry and took a five-point lead inside the first twelve minutes. Mikey Sheehy popped up again to score the decisive goal, as Kerry went on to claim a 1-9 to 1-6 victory in a game that contained sixty-four frees.[11] The victory gave Kerry a third All-Ireland title in succession, while Ó Sé added a fourth All-Ireland winners' medal to his ever-growing collection.
In 1981 Ó Sé won his seventh consecutive Munster title, before lining out in the All-Ireland final against Offaly. Kerry had an easy win with seven players combing for a great goal. He captured his fifth All-Ireland winners' medal that day as Kerry won by 1-12 to 0-8.[11]
In 1982 Ó Sé won his third National League medal before Kerry secured an eighth consecutive Munster final victory over Cork. The All-Ireland final pitted 'the Kingdom' against Offaly for the second year in-a-row. Kerry had the upper hand for much of the game and were leading by two points with two minutes left to be played. The game, however, was not over as Offaly substitute Séamus Darby, who had entered the game almost unnoticed, produced the most spectacular of finishes by scoring a late goal. Kerry failed to score again to level the match and Offaly went on to win their third All-Ireland title ever. Kerry's five-in-a-row dream was shattered.[12]
Kerry missed out on an historic nine-in-a-row in Munster in 1983, as Cork finally triumphed. 'The Kingdom' bounced back the following year with Ó Sé winning his fourth National League medal and his ninth Munster title. The centenary-year All-Ireland final pitted Kerry against old rivals and reigning champions Dublin. 'The Kingdon' dominated the game from start to finish. Only two Dublin forwards scored as Kerry ran out easy winners by 0-14 to 1-6. It was Ó Sé's sixth All-Ireland winners' medal.[13]
Kerry made no mistake again in 1985. A two-goal victory over Cork gave Ó Sé a tenth Munster winners' medal. Another All-Ireland final beckoned, with Dublin providing the opposition for a second consecutive year. Jack O'Shea scored a key goal after eleven minutes and Kerry stormed to a nine-point lead at half-time. 'The Dubs' came storming back with Joe McNally scoring two goals. The gap could not be bridged and Kerry won by 2-1 to 2-8.[13] The victory gave Ó Sé an impressive seventh All-Ireland winners' medal.
In 1986 Kerry's dominance showed no sign of disappearing. Cork fell again in the provincial final, giving Liston an eleventh Munster title. An eighth All-Ireland final appearance quickly followed and it turned out to be an historic occasion. Tyrone provided the opposition in their first-ever championship decider. A Peter Quinn goal gave the Ulster men a six-point lead in the second-half, however, the game was far from over. Spillane ran fifty yards up the field for a hand-passed goal to get Kerry back on track. Mikey Sheehy scored a second goal to give 'the Kingdom' a 2-15 to 1-10 victory.[13] It was his eighth All-Ireland medal overall, a record haul of All-Ireland medals and a record that he shares with fellow Kerrymen Pat Spillane, Ger Power, Ogie Moran and Mikey Sheehy. Remarkably, he only conceded one point to his opponent in ten All-Ireland final appearances.
The glory days were now over for Kerry as Cork captured the Munster title in 1987. Ó Sé decided to retire from inter-county football following this defeat.
In late 1995 Ó Sé returned to the limelight when he was appointed manager of the Kerry senior football team. The task ahead was enormous as Kerry had fallen down the pecking order in terms of championship aspirations. The county hadn't won an All-Ireland title since Ó Sé was a player almost a decade earlier in 1986. Kerry's last Munster title came in 1991, however, since then near rivals Cork had dominated the provincial series. In Ó Sé's first Munster campaign in 1996 Kerry reached the final. Cork, a team looking for an eighth title in ten years, provided the opposition, however, Ó Sé's touch worked the oracle as 'the Kingdom' won by 0-14 to 0-11. It was a sign that Kerry were on the way back, however, a defeat by Mayo in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final highlighted the fact that the team was lacking in some quarters.
In 1997 Ó Sé's Kerry announced their arrival when they captured the National League title at the start of the year. A second Munster title soon followed after a demolition of Clare in the provincial decider. Kerry subsequently qualified for the All-Ireland final, with Mayo providing the opposition. The game saw both sides share periods of dominance. Kerry's Maurice Fitzgerald scored nine of his team's points while Mayo scored 1-2 in a two-minute spell. The Connacht champions failed to score in the last twenty minutes as Kerry held on to win by 0-13 to 1-7.[14] The win was all the more significant for Ó Sé as he became one of the few people who captained and managed his county to an All-Ireland title.
1998 saw Ó Sé's Kerry team make it three Munster titles in a row. But, his side were later defeated by Mick O'Dwyer's Kildare in the All-Ireland semi-final.
After losing their provincial title in 1999, Kerry were back in 2000, securing a fourth Munster title in five campaigns. Kerry later defeated Armagh, after a draw and a replay which featured extra-time, to set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Galway. That game saw Ó Sé's side take a seven-point lead, however, Galway fought back to force a 0-14 apiece draw and a replay. A disputed free gave Kerry the lead with seventeen minutes left and Ó Sé's side eventually held on to win by 0-17 to 1-10.[15]
At this point it looked as if Ó Sé's side would dominate football for the foreseeable future. In 2001 he guided Kerry to another Munster title and it looked[says who?] as if a second consecutive All-Ireland title was on the cards. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final proved to be a reality check as Meath trounced 'the Kingdom' by 2-14 to 0-5.
In 2002 Kerry were still the masters of provincial football and Ó Sé guided his county to a sixth Munster title. Kerry later reached a third All-Ireland final under Ó Sé, this time with Armagh providing the opposition. At half-time it looked as if Kerry were on course for the ultimate victory. The Ulstermen lost John MCentee to concussion while Oisín McConville missed a penalty just before the interval. With a four-point lead and playing into the wind Kerry were set. McConville, however, scored a decisive goal in the fifty-fifth minute which stunned Kerry. Ó Sé's side failed to score for the last seventeen minutes as Armagh went on to claim their first All-Ireladn title with a 1-12 to 0-14 victory.[16]
2003 saw Ó Sé's tenure as manager dogged by controversy. In January of that year he gave a controversial interview to the Irish Independent in which he described the Kerry supporters as 'the roughest type of fucking animals you could ever deal with.'[17] Ó Sé was forced to issue an embarrassing apology, however, he still guided his team to a seventh Munster title in eight years. Kerry, however, were later trounced by eventual champions Tyrone in the All-Ireland semi-final. Ó Sé later described the result as a "disastrous defeat". Ó Sé was subsequently fired as manager.[1]
One week after being sacked as Kerry manager, he was unveiled as the new manager of the Westmeath senior football team. Ó Sé proved to be an inspired choice as manager as he led the county to their first ever Leinster Championship title in his first season in charge. The 0-12 tp 0-10 defeat of Laois in the provincial decider provided that Ó Sé was a manager of some considerable skill. Westmeath's dream season, however, came to an abrupt halt with a defeat by Derry in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
Ó Sé's second season in charge was less successful. Westmeath were dumped out of the provincial championship on their first outing. A defeat of Tipperary in the subsequent All-Ireland qualifiers was followed by a loss to Clare. This defeat brought Ó Sé's tenure to an end, and he was replaced by his understudy Tomás Ó Flatharta.
In 2006 Ó Sé was linked with a possible return to Kerry as manager, however, instead he was appointed manager of the Clare senior footballers. Once again expectations were high that Ó Sé would work his magic in a 'non-traditional' football county. His tenure got off to a bad start when Clare were defeated by Waterford in the opening round of the provincial campaign and dumped out of the championship. Clare later participated in the Tommy Murphy Cup competition, however, a defeat by Antrim in the semi-final brought Ó Sé's tenure as manager to a premature end.
Schools Titles
Underage Titles
Senior Titles
Kerry
Westmeath
West Kerry
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ambrose O'Donovan |
Kerry Senior Football Captain 1985 |
Succeeded by Tommy Doyle |
| Preceded by Ogie Moran |
Kerry Senior Football Manager 1996-2003 |
Succeeded by Jack O'Connor |
| Preceded by Luke Dempsey |
Westmeath Senior Football Manager 2003-2005 |
Succeeded by Tomás Ó Flatharta |
| Preceded by John Kennedy |
Clare Senior Football Manager 2006-2007 |
Succeeded by Frank Doherty |
| Achievements | ||
| Preceded by Ambrose O'Donovan (Kerry) |
All-Ireland Senior Football winning captain 1985 |
Succeeded by Tommy Doyle (Kerry) |
| Preceded by Seán Boylan (Meath) |
All-Ireland Senior Football Final winning manager 1997 |
Succeeded by John O'Mahony (Galway) |
| Preceded by Seán Boylan (Meath) |
All-Ireland Senior Football Final winning manager 2000 |
Succeeded by John O'Mahony (Galway) |
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