Heffo R.I.P.

[townman]

The great Kevin Heffo has passed away, i remember some great battles with his Dublin
sides of the late 70's and 80's again offaly.

i heard a story one time that he spent most of his childhood in offaly in Bracknagh or Gracefield, R.I.P

[SearingDrive]

Sorry to hear Townman that the great Kevin Heffernan has died, he was an iconic figure in the 1970's and 1980's. Offaly crossed paths with him from 1978 to 1983.
Yes, he did spend some of his childhood in Offaly, possibly Bracknagh, someone will no doubt confirm this

[Plain of the Herbs]

Rest in Peace, Kevin. You have done the State some service.

I have just dug out Enda McEvoy’s The Godfather of Modern hurling, the Father Tommy Maher story. Interestingly, on pages 62 & 63, the author notes how Kilkenny drew with Dublin in the 1957 Leinster semi-final. Kevin Heffernan levelled the scores with a late point, and was in possession and had a chance of scoring the winner but took too long lining up his shot and the referee blew the final whistle while Heffo still had the ball in his hand. Kilkenny won the replay, ambushed Wexford in the Leinster Final and went on to win their first All-Ireland for ten years.

Modern hurling might well be of a very different landscape had Heffo landed what would have been a winning point.

[Bord na Mona man]

I believe his mother was from Offaly and his father from Kilkenny. He might have bristled at being considered one or the other as he wouldn't have portrayed himself as being overly fond of culchies.

[Bord na Mona man]

Rest in Peace, Kevin. You have done the State some service.

I have just dug out Enda McEvoy’s The Godfather of Modern hurling, the Father Tommy Maher story. Interestingly, on pages 62 & 63, the author notes how Kilkenny drew with Dublin in the 1957 Leinster semi-final. Kevin Heffernan levelled the scores with a late point, and was in possession and had a chance of scoring the winner but took too long lining up his shot and the referee blew the final whistle while Heffo still had the ball in his hand. Kilkenny won the replay, ambushed Wexford in the Leinster Final and went on to win their first All-Ireland for ten years.

Modern hurling might well be of a very different landscape had Heffo landed what would have been a winning point.

By the same token, in 1974 Offaly were beating Dublin near the end of the game and Sean Lowry at full back got blocked down trying to welly the ball upfield.
Dublin got a goal from it to win the game by a point and went on to capture an All Ireland that few would have tipped them for.
Had Lowry not been blocked, perhaps Heffo's Army would never have marched?

Who knows, the GAA in Dublin might still be viewed as a small minority interest for culchies, like it was in the early 70s.

[ryot]

Recall my late father saying Heffo had a connection with Rhode and that he may actually have been born there.
Red or class may be able to shed some light.

20 or 21 Dublin Senior Championships between Fotball & Hurling ( each hurling was part of a double), captain when the Dubs won O'Byrne, League, Leinster & All Ireland in 1958.

Great player & better manager.RIP

[Plain of the Herbs]

Interesting point. Such are the swings and roundabouts.

That was a relatively old Dublin team. Paddy Cullen & Jimmy Keaveney had been around for around a decade at that time. Had Dublin not pulled through in 1974, Jimmy Keaveney would likely have re-retired for a start and never became one of the game's great characters (which he still is, ny the way). Kevin Heffernan might well have travelled another path (he was gone from the sideline for 1977, '78 & '79 and returned in 1980), and I agree, Dublin might well be a GAA wasteland.

Leslie Deegan it was who pointed that 1974 winner against Offaly.

By the same token, in 1974 Offaly were beating Dublin near the end of the game and Sean Lowry at full back got blocked down trying to welly the ball upfield.
Dublin got a goal from it to win the game by a point and went on to capture an All Ireland that few would have tipped them for.
Had Lowry not been blocked, perhaps Heffo's Army would never have marched?

Who knows, the GAA in Dublin might still be viewed as a small minority interest for culchies, like it was in the early 70s.

[DAF]

He must have been some player aswell.Just look at his list of medals

Club
15 Dublin football championships
6 Dublin hurling championships

Intercounty
4 Leinster championships
1 all Ireland
2 National Leagues
1 Junior all Ireland
1 Leinster Minor Hurling meadal
1 Lesinter minor football medal

Corner forward on team of the century and team of the millenium

[KillougheyGoBragh]

R.I.P Heffo,
wasn't he with the ESB the time of the electricity strikes in mid to late 70's and Tony McTeague was with the unions, opposing each other as always...
sad news indeed

[KillougheyGoBragh]

Who knows, the GAA in Dublin might still be viewed as a small minority interest for culchies, like it was in the early 70s.

Yes I would agree wholeheartedly we just have to look at the Ballymun Kickhams website to see how media outlets are employed to promote their club and keep everybody informed given their meteoric rise in recent years.
Dubs rarely fail to exploit a bird in the hand!
How the Phoenix rose from the ashes a legacy of many.
A lesson to all.

[True Red]

This is taken from Sean Moran's article in the Times on Saturday

Heffernan was in the catchment, reared in Marino by his father John, a Garda from Offaly, and mother May, from Kilkenny.

I believe his father was originally from Bracknagh.

And here is a quote from Tullamore's Phil O'Reilly Snr from a little known book published in late 2011

…….on playing against Dublin in the 1961 Leinster Final in Portlaoise

‘I remember during the game, Kevin Heffernan came out on me during the 2nd half and I cleared a ball up the field, and Heffernan followed through with the tackle and hit me and left me out over the sideline. Now there was no free or anything, and would you believe Kevin came back and helped me back up onto me feet and he said to me ‘Are you alright Phil? And I replied ‘Sure I am, Kevin’ and Heffernan responded ‘Well for you that you can be!’ This was in the white heat of a Leinster final and just shows the sportsmanship that he had.

[SearingDrive]

Interesting point. Such are the swings and roundabouts.

That was a relatively old Dublin team. Paddy Cullen & Jimmy Keaveney had been around for around a decade at that time. Had Dublin not pulled through in 1974, Jimmy Keaveney would likely have re-retired for a start and never became one of the game's great characters (which he still is, ny the way). Kevin Heffernan might well have travelled another path (he was gone from the sideline for 1977, '78 & '79 and returned in 1980), and I agree, Dublin might well be a GAA wasteland.

Leslie Deegan it was who pointed that 1974 winner against Offaly.

By the same token, in 1974 Offaly were beating Dublin near the end of the game and Sean Lowry at full back got blocked down trying to welly the ball upfield.
Dublin got a goal from it to win the game by a point and went on to capture an All Ireland that few would have tipped them for.
Had Lowry not been blocked, perhaps Heffo's Army would never have marched?

Who knows, the GAA in Dublin might still be viewed as a small minority interest for culchies, like it was in the early 70s.

I remember that Sunday afternooon sitting at home and hearing Micheal O Muirihirceagtich's radio commentary on the game, saying 'Leslie has scored it' End of one era, and start of a new one.
Wonder what happened to the said Leslie, as he didn't seem to feature much after that.

[Bord na Mona man]

Just to correct the above it was in fact the winning point from Leslie Deegan that came from Sean Lowry being blocked down and not a goal.

[the bare biffo]

Great GAA man. He was the reason Offaly fupped up in 83 also. Obviously he was in charge of Dublin for one thing but also because Eugene McGee was so obsessed with proving himself the better manager.
Shewed his ruthless side by wiping out the Dublin half back line from th 74 winning team after they lost to Kerry in 75. Paddy Reilly Alan Larkin and Georgie Wilson were out and in came Tommy Drumm Kevin Moran and Pat O'Neill.
Someone mentioned about Keaveney retiring if they didnt win in 74. Keaveney plated in th e60's and had already retired. It was Heffo that brought him back for 74. Who would have seen a fat ould lad coming out of retirement making such an impact.

Hard to imagine the man was 83 years old. Time is pushing on.