TOM LONG: Laoch go smior

God he was so strong you thought he’d go on forever, but the great Tom Long died on Monday last aged 86.

He won All-Irelands with Kerry in ’59 and in ’62. It was no fault of his that they lost several other finals. A Gaeltacht man, he trained as a national teacher and was hugely influential playing with Erin’s Hope, the college team that shocked the “invincible” St Vincent’s in 1956.

I had the good fortune to play as a corner forward alongside Tom Long in the 1965 O’Donoghue Cup win over Glenflesk. This very underage teenager often thanked Longie for minding him in tackles that were robust and frequent. No cards by referees in those days; there were other ways.