Tomás Ó Sé facts for kids

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Tomás Ó Sé

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Personal information
Irish name	Tomás Ó Sé
Sport	Gaelic football
Position	Right half back
Born	(1978-06-21) 21 June 1978 (age 47) 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 senior Kerry county team. He played from 1998 until he stopped playing in 2013. Tomás usually played in the half-back line, which is a defensive 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 for The Sunday Game. He also got involved in coaching, working with the Offaly county football team.

Tomás Ó Sé's Playing Journey

Club Football Success

Tomás Ó Sé was born in Ard an Bhóthair, Ceann Trá, County Kerry. He started playing club football with his local team, An Ghaeltacht, in the mid-1990s. He quickly became a key player in their defense.

In 2000, An Ghaeltacht reached the county senior championship final for the first time. They lost a close game to Dr Crokes. But in 2001, An Ghaeltacht made it to the final again. This time, they beat Austin Stacks to win Tomás his first county medal.

In 2003, An Ghaeltacht won the county championship again, beating Laune Rangers after a replay. This win allowed them to play in the provincial club championship. They had a great run and won the Munster club title against St Senan's.

On St. Patrick's Day in 2004, An Ghaeltacht played in the All-Ireland club championship final. They faced Caltra from County Galway. It was a very exciting game, but An Ghaeltacht lost by just one point.

Early County Career: Junior, Minor, and Under-21

Tomás first played for Kerry at the junior level in 1995. That year, he won a Munster title.

In 1996, Tomás joined the Kerry minor football team. He helped them win a Munster title against Cork. They then reached the All-Ireland final but narrowly lost to Laois.

From 1997 to 1999, Tomás played for the Kerry under-21 team. They won the Munster title three years in a row. In 1998, Kerry also won the All-Ireland under-21 title, beating Laois. This was Tomás's first All-Ireland medal at any level.

Senior County Football: A Legendary Career

Tomás Ó Sé joined the Kerry senior football team in 1998. He played his first senior game in the Munster Championship against Cork.

First All-Ireland Win (2000)

In 2000, Kerry reached the Munster final and beat Clare. This was Tomás's first Munster medal playing on the field. Kerry then had tough games in the All-Ireland series. They drew twice with Armagh before winning the replay. This sent them to the Millennium All-Ireland final against Galway. After a draw, Kerry won the replay, giving Tomás his first All-Ireland winners' medal.

More Munster Titles and Tough Losses

In 2001, Kerry won another Munster title by beating Cork. They reached the All-Ireland semi-final but lost badly to Meath.

In 2002, Kerry had a difficult year but fought their way to the All-Ireland final. They played Armagh in a very exciting game. Kerry led at half-time, but Armagh came back strong in the second half and won by one point.

Kerry won the Munster title again in 2003, beating Limerick. However, they faced Tyrone in the All-Ireland semi-final. Tyrone used a strong defensive tactic called the "blanket defense." Kerry struggled against this and lost the game.

National League and Second All-Ireland (2004)

In 2004, Jack O'Connor became the Kerry manager. Tomás's team won the National League title, beating Galway. They also won the Munster final against Limerick after a replay.

Kerry then reached the All-Ireland final against Mayo. Kerry played brilliantly and won by a large margin, giving Tomás his second All-Ireland medal. He also received his first All-Star award that year, which recognizes the best players.

Another All-Ireland Final and All-Star (2005)

In 2005, Kerry won their fifth Munster title in a row, beating Cork. They reached the All-Ireland final again, facing Tyrone. It was a very close game, but Tyrone won. Tomás earned his second All-Star award that year.

Third All-Ireland Title (2006)

Kerry won the National League in 2006. After losing to Cork in the Munster final, they bounced back in the All-Ireland series. They beat Armagh and Cork to reach the All-Ireland final against Mayo. Kerry dominated the game, especially in the first half, and won comfortably. This gave Tomás his third All-Ireland winners' medal.

Fourth All-Ireland Title (2007)

In 2007, Kerry won the Munster final against Cork again. They then reached the All-Ireland final, which was a historic all-Munster match against Cork. Kerry played very well in the second half and won by a big score. This was Tomás's fourth All-Ireland medal. He also received his third All-Star award.

Tough Defeat and More Recognition (2008)

In 2008, Kerry lost the Munster final to Cork. They still made it to the All-Ireland final, where they played Tyrone. It was a very competitive game, but Tyrone won their third All-Ireland title of the decade. Despite the loss, Tomás earned his fourth All-Star award.

Fifth All-Ireland Title and Footballer of the Year (2009)

Tomás won his third National League medal in 2009. Kerry had a tough championship, losing to Cork in Munster. But they fought through the qualifiers and reached the All-Ireland final, facing Cork again. Kerry played a strong game and won, giving Tomás his fifth All-Ireland winners' medal. This was his sixth overall, including the U21 title. For his amazing performance, he received his fifth All-Star award and was named Texaco Footballer of the Year.

Later Career Challenges (2010-2013)

In the final years of his career, Tomás faced some challenges. In 2010, after Kerry won the Munster final, video footage showed an incident where Tomás was involved in contact with an opponent. He received a ban, which meant he couldn't play for a period.

In 2011 and 2012, similar incidents occurred where Tomás was involved in off-the-ball contact. These led to further suspensions, causing him to miss important games. In 2013, he received another red card for an off-the-ball incident.

Retirement from County Football

In October 2013, Tomás Ó Sé announced he was stopping playing for the Kerry county team. Éamonn Fitzmaurice, the Kerry manager at the time, praised Tomás. He called him "the best wing back" he had ever seen and said Tomás showed everything Kerry football was about: commitment, determination, and a never-give-up attitude.

When he retired, Tomás was the longest-serving inter-county footballer. Many people consider him one of the greatest players in modern Gaelic football.

Life After Playing

Media Work

After retiring, Tomás Ó Sé joined RTÉ's The Sunday Game as a sports analyst. He quickly became a regular on the show, sharing his insights on games. He also writes articles for the Irish Independent newspaper.

Coaching and Management

Tomás has also started a career in coaching. He coached the Glanmire minor footballers to win a county title. In 2021, he worked with the John Maughan-managed Offaly senior football team. In August 2022, Tomás Ó Sé 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. He chose teaching as a career because it allowed him to balance his work with his football commitments.

Achievements and Awards

Tomás Ó Sé has won many awards and titles 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 vote 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.
• Also in May 2020, the Irish Independent newspaper listed Tomás Ó Sé as number twenty in its "Top 20 footballers in Ireland over the past 50 years."