Pat Spillane facts for kids
Spillane in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Pádraig Ó Spealáin | ||
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Left Half Forward | ||
| Born | Patrick Gerard Spillane 1 December 1955 Templenoe, County Kerry, Ireland |
||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Occupation | Retired secondary school principal | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
| Templenoe | |||
| Club titles | |||
| Kerry titles | 2 | ||
| Munster titles | 1 | ||
| All-Ireland Titles | 1 | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
|
1974–1991
|
Kerry | 56 (19–123) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 12 | ||
| All-Irelands | 8 | ||
| NFL | 2 | ||
| All Stars | 9 | ||
Pat Spillane (born 1 December 1955) is a famous Irish former Gaelic football player and TV expert. He played for the Kerry county team for seventeen years, from 1974 to 1991. Many people think Pat Spillane is one of the best Gaelic football players ever.
He was born in Templenoe, County Kerry, into a family that loved Gaelic football. His father, Tom, and uncle, Jerome, both won All-Ireland medals. His mother's uncles also won All-Ireland medals for Kerry in the 1940s and 1950s.
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Pat Spillane's Early Life and School Days
Pat Spillane grew up in a family where Gaelic football was very important. His father passed away when Pat was only eight years old. His mother then managed the family pub and raised four children.
He went to the local primary school. Later, he attended St Brendan's College in Killarney. Here, his football skills became even better. He played senior football for his school team.
After school, Pat studied to become a P.E. (Physical Education) teacher at Thomond College in Limerick. His brother Mick also joined him there and played on the college football team.
Playing Gaelic Football
Pat Spillane played for his local club, Templenoe. He won a county novice championship in 1973 and a county junior championship in 1975.
College and Club Success
While at Thomond College, Pat also played club football. In 1977, he was captain when his team won the Limerick senior championship.
His college team then went on to win the Munster club championship. Pat led his team to the All-Ireland club final in Croke Park. They won the final, giving Pat an All-Ireland club medal.
Playing for Kerry: Minor and Under-21 Teams
Pat Spillane started playing for the Kerry minor football team when he was young. He then moved up to the Kerry under-21 team.
- In 1975, he won a Munster title with Kerry.
- His team then won the All-Ireland final against Dublin. This gave Pat his first All-Ireland medal.
- In 1976, Kerry won another Munster under-21 title.
- They also won a second All-Ireland under-21 final, with Pat collecting another medal.
Playing for Kerry: Senior Team Highlights
Pat Spillane joined the Kerry senior team in 1974. This was the start of a very successful time for Kerry football.
- In 1975, he won his first senior Munster title.
- That same year, Kerry, with a very young team, beat Dublin to win the All-Ireland final. Pat, at just 19, was given the honor of accepting the Sam Maguire Cup.
- Kerry won four All-Ireland championships in a row from 1978 to 1981. Pat won his second, third, fourth, and fifth All-Ireland medals during this amazing run.
- In 1982, Kerry tried to win a fifth All-Ireland in a row, but they lost to Offaly in the final.
- Pat had a serious knee injury in 1983 but worked hard to get back to playing.
- He then won three more All-Ireland medals in a row from 1984 to 1986. This brought his total to eight All-Ireland medals.
- His brothers, Mick and Tom, also played on the Kerry team with him. Together, the three brothers won a record 19 All-Ireland medals.
- Pat also won 12 Munster titles and two National Football League medals.
- He played his last game for Kerry in 1991.
Playing for Munster and Ireland
Pat also played for the Munster team in the inter-provincial competition. He won four Railway Cup medals with Munster.
He also played for Ireland in the International Rules series against Australia. In 1986, Ireland won the series.
Pat Spillane's Amazing Records
Pat Spillane holds many records in Gaelic football.
- He won eight All-Ireland senior medals, which is a record he shares with other great players.
- He also won a record nine All-Star awards. This is more than any other Gaelic footballer in history.
- He was named Texaco Footballer of the Year twice, in 1978 and 1984.
- In 1984, for the GAA's 100th year, Pat was chosen for the GAA Football Team of the Century. He was one of only two players from his time to be picked.
- In 1999, he was also named on the Football Team of the Millennium.
- The three Spillane brothers – Pat, Tom, and Mick – hold the record for the most All-Ireland senior medals won by brothers, with 19 in total.
Life After Playing: Media Career
After he stopped playing Gaelic football, Pat Spillane became a well-known sports broadcaster.
- He joined the TV show The Sunday Game in 1992. He started as a co-commentator and then became a studio expert.
- He also wrote a weekly column for the Sunday World newspaper.
- Pat Spillane announced that the 2022 All-Ireland Football Final would be his last time as an expert on The Sunday Game. He retired after three decades on the show.
Images for kids
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Pat Spillane (right) at Dengogo School with VSO volunteer Dr Negussie Araye
