THE NORTH Galway town of Tuam yesterday came to a standstill as one of the greatest footballers in history was laid to rest.
Thousands attended the funeral of Frank Stockwell in the Cathedral of the Assumption. They came from near and far to pay tribute to a GAA legend.
Fr Stephen Farragher, administrator of Tuam parish, said that the name of Frank Stockwell was always associated with glory.
He said that Frank Stockwell and his Bishop Street neighbour the late Seán Purcell – they became known as the Terrible Twins – lived out the dreams of so many by their talents and success on the football fields.
Joe Young, a colleague when they won the 1956 All-Ireland, said it had been a privilege to play in the same team.
The chairman of Galway football board, John Joe Holleran, said that Purcell and Stockwell were iconic figures who set a standard that all young players aspired to.
“Those men of that era brought the bar to a new high and they set a standard for everyone to follow. But one of the most remarkable things about them all was how humble each of those men were,” he said.
Fr Farragher noted how Joe Young recalled how Frank Stockwell had sought out and put his arm around the Cork captain Donie O’Sullivan who had been his marker in the 1956 All-Ireland final.
Frank Stockwell had just scored 2-5, a record never beaten in a 60-minute final, but he had consoling words for the vanquished.
The funeral cortege, led by a lone piper, detoured along Stockwell Road and Purcell Road on its way to Tuam cemetery. The two GAA heroes had been honoured some years ago by having two new roads in the town named after them.
Mr Stockwell, who was 80, was predeceased by his wife Pauline and he is survived by his daughters Fidelis and Marilynn and son Francis.