FELLOW SPORTS stars turned out to pay their final respects to Kerry GAA’s John Egan, who was laid to rest yesterday.
The six-time All-Ireland winner and native of Sneem, Co Kerry, died at the age of 59 at his home in Cork on Sunday, having recently undergone heart surgery.
“Your ghost will be a legend like the famous Sam Maguire,” John Egan jnr said in a tribute to his father, before helping shoulder the Tricolour-clad coffin out of the Church of the Real Presence in Curraheen, Bishopstown, Co Cork.
“I’ll never forget those three words – calm, composed, class – they really summed you up,” John jnr said. “After every chat we had, I would feel I could take on the world.”
GAA football greats lined the packed church. Ger Power, Mikey Sheehy, Timmy O’Dowd and Mick O’Dwyer were in attendance.
Members of the Dublin panel that clashed with Kerry so memorably including Jimmy Keaveney, Tony Hanahoe, Paddy Cullen and GAA and soccer star Kevin Moran were also among the mourners.
Eugene McGee, manager of the 1982 Offaly team that denied Egan and Kerry five All-Irelands in a row, attended. Fr Seán Heaney, former chairman of Offaly GAA, travelled from Tullamore to concelebrate the Mass.
“We had great admiration for him as a footballer, he brought us so much happiness and pleasure, we could never thank him enough,” Fr Pat Crean-Lynch said.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny was represented by his aide-de-camp, Comdt Michael Treacy.
Egan’s Kerry jersey and a football, his Garda cap and prayer book were brought to the altar as gifts. He was remembered as a “magical” footballer and a “genius on the pitch”, but Egan’s greatest joy was his family.
His cousin Eamonn Egan told how proud John was of his wife Mary and his children Maureen and John. From John, he received regular updates about his progression with soccer club Sunderland, while Maureen recently scored three goals for her club.
“Like father like daughter. He lived for Mary, Maureen and John and will look down on them now from above as they live their lives,” Mr Egan said.
Chief concelebrant Fr Robert Brophy said Mr Egan’s passing was made all the more tragic because of his determined battle against a two-year illness. Fr Brophy said the same characteristics he showed on the pitch shone through again in his health battles.
Egan was buried in Chetwynd Cemetery, Togher, after the funeral Mass.