Séamus Mac Gearailt facts for kids

Séamus Mac Gearailt (born in 1945), also known as Séamus Fitzgerald, is a famous retired Irish Gaelic football player and coach. He played for the Kerry senior team for twelve seasons, from 1963 to 1974. During his career, he won many important titles in both the league and the championship.

Séamus Mac Gearailt's Journey

Starting Young in Gaelic Football

Séamus Mac Gearailt began his journey in Gaelic football at a young age. When he was just sixteen, he was chosen to be the goalkeeper for the Kerry minor team. This is a team for players under 18 years old. He quickly showed his talent.

He played for the minor team for two championship seasons. During this time, he won two All-Ireland medals in a row, in 1962 and 1963. This was a fantastic start to his career!

Moving Up to Under-21 and Senior Teams

After his success with the minor team, Séamus joined the Kerry under-21 team. In 1965, he helped them win an All-Ireland medal in that age group.

Around the same time, he also joined the main Kerry senior team. His first game for the senior team was during the 1962-63 league season. He played for the Kerry senior team for twelve seasons in total.

Winning Big with Kerry

Séamus Mac Gearailt had a very successful time with the Kerry senior team. He won two All-Ireland medals in a row, in 1969 and 1970. These are the biggest awards in Gaelic football.

He also won five Munster medals. The Munster Championship is a major competition for teams in the Munster province of Ireland. On top of that, he won six National Football League medals. His last game for Kerry was in July 1974.

Playing for Munster Province

Besides playing for his county, Kerry, Séamus also played for the Munster inter-provincial team. He first played for them in 1964. He later rejoined the team in 1971 and 1972. As a key player, he helped Munster win one Railway Cup medal in 1972.

Becoming a Coach and Manager

After he stopped playing, Séamus Mac Gearailt became involved in coaching and managing teams. In 1975, he trained the Kerry minor team. He guided them to win the All-Ireland title that year.

Later, he worked as a coach and selector for the Kerry under-21 team. He helped them win another All-Ireland title in 1994. Séamus also worked with the Kerry senior football team as part of Páidí Ó Sé's management team. Together, they helped the team win the All-Ireland title in 1997.

Séamus Mac Gearailt's Achievements

As a Player

Kerry

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (2): 1969, 1970
• Munster Senior Football Championship (5): 1964, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972
• National Football League (6): 1962-63, 1968-69, 1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1973-74

Munster

• Railway Cup (1): 1972

As a Coach

Kerry

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (1): 1997
• Munster Senior Football Championship (3): 1996, 1997, 1998
• National Football League (1): 1996-97