Tomás Ó Sé facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Tomás Ó Sé | ||
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Right half back | ||
| Born | 21 June 1978 Ard an Bhóthair, Ceann Trá, County Kerry |
||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Occupation | Gaelscoil teacher | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
|
1996–2013
2015–2018 |
An Ghaeltacht Nemo Rangers |
||
| Club titles | |||
| Kerry titles | 2 | ||
| Munster titles | 2 | ||
| All-Ireland Titles | 0 | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
|
1998–2013
|
Kerry | 199 (3–35) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 9 | ||
| All-Irelands | 5 | ||
| NFL | 3 | ||
| All Stars | 5 | ||
Tomás Ó Sé (born 21 June 1978) is a famous Irish former Gaelic football player. He played for his local club, Nemo Rangers, and for the Kerry county team from 1998 until he stopped playing in 2013. He mostly played in the half-back position.
Tomás Ó Sé had an amazing career in Gaelic Games. He won 5 All-Ireland titles and 9 Munster titles. In 2004, he was even named Footballer of the Year! His brothers, Darragh and Marc, also played Gaelic football for Kerry.
After he stopped playing, Tomás became a sports analyst on The Sunday Game, a popular TV show. He also worked with the Offaly county football team as part of their management.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Club Football Journey
Tomás Ó Sé started playing club football with his local team, An Ghaeltacht, in County Kerry. He quickly became a key player in their defence.
In 2001, An Ghaeltacht won their first ever county senior championship title. They beat Austin Stacks with a score of 1–13 to 0–10. This was a big moment for Tomás.
The team won the county championship again in 2003 after a replay against Laune Rangers. This win allowed them to play in the Munster club championship. They had a great run and won the Munster title by beating St Senan's of Clare.
In 2004, An Ghaeltacht reached the All-Ireland club championship final. They played against Caltra from County Galway. It was a very close game, but An Ghaeltacht sadly lost by just one point.
Early County Success
Tomás Ó Sé first played for Kerry at a younger level. In 1996, he won a Munster title with the Kerry minor team. They reached the All-Ireland final but lost to Laois.
In 1998, Tomás won his first All-Ireland title with the Kerry under-21 team. They beat Laois in the final, which was a fantastic achievement. Kerry also won three Munster under-21 titles in a row from 1997 to 1999.
Senior County Career
Tomás Ó Sé joined the Kerry senior football team in 1998.
First All-Ireland Win (2000)
In 2000, Tomás won his first Munster medal with the senior team. Kerry then reached the All-Ireland final against Galway. The first game was a draw, but Kerry won the replay by 0–17 to 1–10. This gave Tomás his first All-Ireland winners' medal.
Challenges and Comebacks (2001-2003)
Kerry won another Munster title in 2001. However, they had a tough loss in the All-Ireland semi-final against Meath.
In 2002, Kerry reached the All-Ireland final again, playing against Armagh. It was a very exciting game, but Armagh won by just one point.
Kerry won the Munster title in 2003, but they were defeated by Tyrone in the All-Ireland semi-final. Tyrone used a new "blanket defence" tactic that made it hard for Kerry's talented players to score.
More All-Ireland Glory (2004-2009)
In 2004, Jack O'Connor became Kerry's manager. Tomás won his first National League title that year. Kerry also won the Munster title and went on to beat Mayo in the All-Ireland final by 1–20 to 2–9. This was Tomás's second All-Ireland medal. He also received his first All-Star award.
In 2005, Kerry reached the All-Ireland final again, but Tyrone beat them in a very close game. Tomás earned another All-Star award that year.
Kerry won the National League title again in 2006. They also won the All-Ireland title by beating Mayo in the final with a score of 4–15 to 3–5. This was Tomás's third All-Ireland medal.
In 2007, Kerry won both the Munster title and the All-Ireland title. They beat Cork in the All-Ireland final, which was a historic all-Munster decider. This gave Tomás his fourth All-Ireland medal and a third All-Star award.
The 2008 season saw Kerry lose the Munster final to Cork. They still made it to the All-Ireland final but were defeated by Tyrone. Despite the loss, Tomás received his fourth All-Star award.
In 2009, Tomás won his third National League title. Kerry then went on to win the All-Ireland final against Cork. This was Tomás's fifth All-Ireland winners' medal on the field of play. He also received his fifth All-Star award and was named Texaco Footballer of the Year.
Later Career and Retirement
In the final years of his career, Tomás Ó Sé faced some challenges. He received a few red cards for incidents during games, which led to him missing some important matches due to suspensions. These incidents were reviewed after the games or by the referee during the match.
In October 2013, Tomás Ó Sé announced that he was retiring from inter-county football. At the time, he was the longest-serving player for Kerry. Many people consider him one of the greatest Gaelic footballers of his time.
Éamonn Fitzmaurice, who was the Kerry manager, praised Tomás, saying he was "the best wing back" he had ever seen. He added that Tomás showed great commitment and a "never-say-die" attitude every time he played.
Life After Playing
Media Work
After retiring, Tomás Ó Sé became a regular analyst on RTÉ's The Sunday Game television show. He also writes articles for the Irish Independent newspaper.
In 2019, during an All-Ireland semi-final between Dublin and Mayo, Tomás briefly left the studio. While he was gone, Dublin scored quickly and turned the game around. This moment was humorously mentioned during the post-match analysis as an example of how fast things can change in Gaelic football!
Coaching Career
Tomás Ó Sé has also worked as a coach. He coached the Glanmire minor football team to a county title. In 2021, he worked with the Offaly senior football team. In August 2022, he was named the manager of the Kerry under-20 football team.
Personal Life
Tomás Ó Sé lives in Glanmire, County Cork. He works as a teacher in Fermoy, a job he chose because it allowed him to balance his football career.
Achievements and Awards
Tomás Ó Sé has won many awards and championships throughout his career:
- Munster Senior Football Championship (9): 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (5): 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009
- National Football League Division 1 (3): 2004, 2007, 2009
- All-Ireland Under 21 Football Championship (1): 1998
- Munster Under-21 Football Championship (3): 1997, 1998, 1999
- Munster Minor Football Championship (1): 1996
- Munster Senior Club Football Championship (1): 2003, 2017
- Kerry Senior Football Championship (2): 2001, 2003
- Cork Senior Football Championship (1): 2015, 2017
- All Stars Awards (5): 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009
- Texaco Footballer of the Year (1): 2009
In May 2020, a public poll by RTÉ.ie named Tomás Ó Sé as one of the best half-backs in a team of All-Stars from The Sunday Game era. The Irish Independent also named him among the "Top 20 footballers in Ireland over the past 50 years" in May 2020.
Images for kids
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Tomás Ó Sé (left, number 5) playing against Derry in the 2009 National League final.
