Five-times All-Ireland senior football championship winner Johnny Culloty has died at the age of 88.
Culloty won the first of those five medals as a forward in 1955 but was the Kerry goalkeeper for the other four – 1959, 1962, 1969, 1970. His five senior medals were claimed across three decades. The Killarney Legion clubman lifted the Sam Maguire as team captain in 1969.
A talented dual player, he also hurled for Kerry as well and was part of the Kingdom’s 1961 All-Ireland junior hurling championship winning side. He also won an All-Ireland junior football title in 1954.
Culloty was Kerry manager in the early 70s during which time they won three National League titles, while also claiming a Munster title in 1972 before subsequently losing that year’s All-Ireland final to Offaly.
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He was a member of Jack O’Connor’s Kerry backroom team between 2004-06, during which time Sam Maguire was brought back to the Kingdom twice.
Killarney Legion led the tributes: “An all round sportsman who could put his hand to any game, Johnny was also a part of the Busby Babes, the Killarney basketball team who won numerous town leagues and championships, peaking in 1967 when they won the Senior County Championship.
“Playing alongside his great friends and neighbours Weeshie Fogarty and Tadghie Fleming they went on to represent the county and defeat the famed Neptune in the Munster Championship.
“A keen golfer and cyclist he rarely rested and up to the winter of this year was a regular user of the Club Gym.
“And while all his achievements at national level are well documented it would be incalculable to even attempt to measure his influence within Killarney Legion.
“He was an ever present every day in the club grounds in Direen and was always on hand to lend advice to any player or coach. He was involved in numerous teams all his Legion life and served as club chairman too.
“In later years he was a driving force, alongside his partner in crime Pat Healy, in the clubs Development Committee, and the current facilities are the fruits of the work Johnny and his cohorts put in.”
*Reposing at O’Shea’s Funeral Home, Killarney on Wednesday from 3.30pm to 6.30pm followed by removal to St Mary’s Cathedral. Requiem Mass on Thursday morning at 10.30, burial afterwards in Aghadoe Lawn Cemetery.
