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​Down fans are mourning the loss of Kevin O’Neill, a member of the first Ulster team to bring Sam Maguire across the border.

​The great man sadly passed away peacefully last Wednesday, October 21.

Kevin was a lovely, quietly spoken gentleman, who lived his life as he played football all those years ago, with grace and dignity.

He played wing half in the famous red and black-clad Mourne side that in 1960 defeated the seemingly unbeatable Kerry in Croke Park… to thus become the first Northern side to claim Sam and carry the huge trophy across the border.

Newry Mitchels

Kevin was one of two Newry Mitchel footballers in that first All-Ireland-winning side, the other being his brother Sean, who went on to become arguably Down’s greatest ever player.

Kevin also has the distinction of playing in the 1961 All-Ireland-winning side that beat Offaly to win back-to-back Sams.

Furthermore, the late great has a 1957 Ulster Junior Championship medal and has also won four senior county championship titles with his beloved Mitchels’ team, captaining the side in 1960. Kevin too won a MacRory Cup medal with his Abbey School and a UCD Sigerson Cup medal.

Kevin was always a skilful, clean player who at all times played the ball and was adept at setting up attacks from his half back position. Plus he was a superb fielder and an excellent reader of the game.

Unforgettable scenes at Croke Park

I remember speaking to Kevin about Down’s first All-Ireland success and these were his words:

“It was unforgettable. We were just swamped by joyous people coming onto the pitch. I had great difficulty getting from the field up to the Hogan Stand for the presentation of Sam Maguire. I was carried across the field by my Mitchels’ team-mates.

“I also remember coming into Newry for the first time with Sam. We all boarded Danny Hughes’ potato lorry at Cloughogue Bridge before heading to Soho Car Park in the town where we were introduced to a massive crowd.”

‘Down were always that wee bit fitter than the rest’

On the ability of his Down team, Kevin said: “Most teams could have stayed with us until the last 15 minutes but then we almost always pulled away.

“We trained during the winter, something that was then unheard of in Gaelic football circles. We used to go to St Malachy’s School in Castlewellan and use the gym. So in the spring we were a very fit team, always that wee bit fitter than the rest of the Ulster teams.

“We were also a talented team. I mind the late Gerry Brown, who coached Down to All-Ireland victory in 1968, asking me if the 1960-1961 teams practiced our moves in training. I had to tell him we didn’t.

“I said: You don’t have to tell my brother Sean, Paddy Doherty, James McCartan or Breen Morgan how to play the game. They knew each other’s play so well. In fact it came naturally to them.”

“Gerry was surprised as a lot of the moves were so devastating. We were all told to deliver the early ball and send it in low.

“Then teams played in zonal system with everyone playing in their allotted position. Down didn’t do that. When Down lost the ball our wing half forwards all dropped back. It was unheard of then. We broke the old catch-and-kick monopoly. But we could do it because the players were so talented.”

Kevin said the two best players he ever saw were Galway’s Sean Purcel and his own bother Sean. “In his earlier days my brother Sean played right half forward but in the 1968 team he played full forward and developed his own style. He stood on the edge of the square and asked his team-mates to drop the ball onto the 21-yard line where he would get it.

“It worked. Sean scored a record number of goals.”

The highly intelligent Kevin went on to become Chief Executive Officer of the Newry and Mourne Council.

Intriguingly he was married to Mary McKnight (RIP), who was always a huge Armagh fan.

Kevin is survived by four sons: Michael, Shane, Donal and Ronan. And brothers Sean, Maureen, Una, Bronagh, Veronica and Brian (RIP) … as well as eight grandchildren.

Incidentally Kevin’s son Donal helped form the Gaelic Players’ Association in 1999 and became their Commercial Director.

In conclusion, Down fans will always remember the great Kevin O’Neill with warmth, pride and respect.

Rest in Peace Kevin.