The strong boy of the class room as i do recall
He later became a legend of Gaelic Football
In Cork’s All Ireland nineteen seventy three winning team the stalwart full back
In his prime Humphrey Kelleher was a hard nut to crack
.
Even as a boy he was as strong as a man
Full of the joys of life and of youthful elan
And what a great character he grew into be
The likeable fellow he did seem carefree
.
The great games for the Millstreet Club that he did play
For him there was many a rapturous hooray
Michael O Hehir once said a monument should be built to him in Millstreet Town
It would be a fitting way to honour his renown
.
Though from his first home in the Tanyard not that far away
It is not by Cashman’s Hill his last remains lay
He died in his late fifties but the memory
Lives on of the mighty man he used to be
.
From the strong boy of the class room to enduring fame
The Humphrey Kelleher Cup in Millstreet for under age players to honour his name
A man amongst men when in his glorious prime
And his legend lives on through the Seasons of time.
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Community website for Millstreet, Co. Cork, Ireland
In Gaelic Football for Millstreet, Ballyclough, Cork and Munster he never left the side down
There will never again be one like Humphrey Kelleher at least not in Millstreet Town
As a teenage boy he was as big and strong as a strong adult man
Yet sadly his life in time did not seem a long span
On his fifty ninth year of life Humphrey passed away
The Iron man from Millstreet of him the late Michael O Hehir used to say
One of the great fullbacks of Gaelic Football in his life’s prime
But sadly the best of them eventually become victims of time
A powerhouse who was feared by opposition forwards on the field of play
But in life one who did make new friends every day
For about him he did have quite a likeable way
And he lived as an honourable fellow of him one can say
Far beyond the borders of Millstreet and Duhallow’s green countryside
Humphrey Kelleher became famous and was known far and wide
One of the great characters in Ireland of the Gaelic Football game
Where as a sterling fullback he made for himself a name
A great Gaelic Footballer admired and well liked and widely known
A hero of Cork and one of Millstreet’s own
Where peace reign supreme his last remains do lay
So many great games at fullback he did play.
“Humphrey Kelleher” is by Francis Duggan
http://francisrhymer.blogspot.ie/2015/01/humphrey-kelleher.html
(mdc)