Mr Pat Spillane

Pat Spillane is widely regarded as one of the greatest Gaelic Footballers of all time. Following a hugely successful career as a member of the Kerry Inter-County Team, Pat (55) is the holder of 8 Senior All-Ireland Medals. Off the field, he is also a well-known Irish sports pundit. 

Born in County Kerry into a family steeped in Gaelic football history, at around the same time as Pat started with his local club in Templenoe, his father Tom died when he was just eight years-old leaving his mother Maura to take over the running of the family pub while simultaneously raising four children. After attending St Brendan's secondary school in Killarney where his football skills were developed further, Pat subsequently came to Limerick where he studied to be a P.E. Teacher at Thomond College of Education (TCE was integrated into UL in 1991). He was later joined by his brother, Mick at Thomond and both played on the college football team where Pat captained the side to victory in Croke Park in the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship in 1978, a rare honour for a college team. The 2-14 to 1-3 win over St John's of Antrim gave Pat a coveted All-Ireland club winners' medal. 

Back home, Pat had also joined the Kerry Minor Football Team in the early 70's but his side has little success as Cork dominated the provincial championship. He quickly progressed onto the Kerry Under-21 Team where in ‘75 and '76, he earned not just two Munster titles but also two All-Ireland U-21 Winners' Medals. Pat also made his Senior Inter-County debut as a substitute in a National Football League game against Galway in March, 1974. 

In 1975, a new-look Kerry Senior Team was formed under the management of former player, Mick O'Dwyer. It was the beginning of a glorious era for Kerry football and Pat played a key role in orchestrating much of the success for the team who would come to be regarded by many as the greatest of all-time. That year, Pat won his first Senior Munster title, dethroning Cork as provincial champions in the process. Pat later lined out in his first Senior All-Ireland Final. Reigning champions Dublin provided the opposition and were installed as the red-hot favourites over the youngest Kerry team of all-time. On a rain-soaked day, 'the Dubs' were ambushed by a 2-12 to 0-11 score-line. It was Pat's first All-Ireland Winners' Medal at senior level. Because team captain Mickey 'Ned' O'Sullivan had left injured in the first-half, Pat, at the age of nineteen, was given the task of accepting the Sam Maguire Cup on the Hogan Stand. In an illustrious career playing for ‘The Kingdom' until 1991, Pat earned a further eleven Munster Winners' Medals and a further seven All-Ireland Winners' Medals, the latter a record he shares with fellow Kerrymen, Páidí Ó Sé, Ger Power, Ogie Moran and Mikey Sheehy. For the last trio of All-Ireland victories, Pat was joined by his two brothers, Mick and Tom, on the Kerry team. 

His inter-county football career, which spanned three decades, saw Pat earn a record nine All-Star awards, more than any other player in the history of the game. Pat was also presented with the coveted Texaco Footballer of the Year award on two occasions, the first in 1978 and the second in 1984, his second win all the more remarkable considering he had battled back from a career-threatening injury which required surgery on a snapped cruciate ligament. That same year, Pat was singled out as one of the greatest players of all-time when he was chosen in the left wing-forward position on the Football Team of the Century. He retained this position on the Football Team of the Millennium in 2000 through which he was honoured with his image appearing on a commemorative postage stamp. Pat's career also included four appearances with Ireland in the International Rules Series in 1986 and '87. 

Football Achievements: 

• Templenoe: Kerry Novice Football Championship: Winner (1): ‘73 
• Kerry Junior Football Championship: Winner (1): ‘75. 
• Thomond College: All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship: Winner (1): ‘78; Munster Senior Club Football Championship: Winner (1): ‘77; Limerick Senior Football Championship: Winner (1): ‘77. 
• Kerry: All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: Winner (8): ‘75, ‘78, ‘79, ‘80, ‘81, ‘84, ‘85, ‘86; Runner-up (2): ‘76, ‘82; Munster Senior Football Championship: Winner (12): ‘75, ‘76, ‘77, ‘78, ‘79, ‘80, ‘81, ‘82 (sub), ‘84, ‘85, ‘86, ‘91; Runner-up (6): ‘74 (sub), ‘83, ‘87, ‘88, ‘89, ‘90; National Football League: Winner (4): ‘74 (sub), ‘77, ‘82 (sub), ‘84 ; Runner-up (2): ‘80, ‘87; All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship: Winner (2): ‘75, ‘76; Munster Under-21 Football Championship: Winner (2): ‘75, ‘76 . 
• Munster: Railway Cup: Winner (4): ‘76, ‘77, ‘78, ‘81; Runner-up (2): ‘79, ‘80. 
• Ireland: International Rules: Winner (1): ‘86; Runner-up (1): ‘87. 

Coinciding with his own retirement from Gaelic football, Pat took over the running of the family pub in Templenoe in the late ‘80s. He also worked as a P.E. and Geography teacher at St. Gobán's College in Bantry, Co Cork where he became Vice-Principal and in 2011, Principal of the school. He proudly led the schools Under-16 Boys Team to two 'Munsters' in a row in ‘06 and 07, both finals were played on Kerry soil against Limerick opposition! 

In recent years, Pat has developed a career in the media. He joined RTE television's ‘The Sunday Game' in 1992 where he has been a co-commentator and for a time, presenter of the programme but is best known as a Studio Analyst. He also writes a weekly column for the ‘Sunday World' newspaper. Today, Pat still lives in Templenoe where he remains involved with the local football club. He is married to Rosarii and they have three children: Cara, Shóna and Pat Jr. 

The above text is an extract from the 2011 UL Alumni Awards Souvenir Booklet.