“He thought there was another few years in us.”
Out of the many tributes to the late Mick O’Dwyer, Pat Spillane’s heartfelt words on the Indo Sport podcast were particularly poignant, as the tearful Kerry legend opened up on his reverence for ‘Micko’, whom he played both with and under for the Kingdom.
In today’s Irish Independent, he delved further into his relationship with the great manager and touched on one of his failings in the final years of the great Kerry side of the 70s/80s.
That golden generation’s final All-Ireland title came in 1986, before they were beaten three years in a row by Cork from 1987-1989, with O’Dwyer leaving in ’89.
Spillane said: “There were failings. He was loyal to his players who had served him for years and particularly when we were well past our sell-by-date.
“He thought there was another few years in us, from 1987 to 1989, and sadly there weren’t.”
Spillane also spoke about Micko’s biggest regret, which did not directly involve Gaelic football, but International Rules and the series against Australia in 1986.
He added: “But his biggest regret, he told me, and it caused him real hurt, was not being offered management of the Ireland team that played Australia in 1986.
“He had already asked me to be his assistant on the tour, which would have been a serious privilege for me.”
