Uachtarán CLG John Horan has extended the sympathies of the Association to the families of the late Jerome O’Shea and Liam Hegarty who passed away in recent days.

Jerome, from the St. Mary’s club in Cahirciveen, was a three-time All-Ireland SFC winner with Kerry and part of an iconic Kingdom team renowned for its football mastery that won Sam Maguire in 1953, 1955 and 1959.

Originally from Donegal, Liam was an inspirational figure among the GAA community in North America, and at the heart of the GAA in Philadelphia, and was Chairman of the Continental Youth Championships.

Uachtarán Horan said: “Our Association is mourning the passing of two giants of Gaelic games in the last few days.

“Kerry’s rich footballing history is full of players who were famous far beyond the borders of the Kingdom for their class and style, and Jerome O’Shea was one such hero of the green and gold.

“He made his mark on the field as a great player and was equally held in high regard off it where his contribution to the promotion of the game was immense.

“It was only last weekend that I had the pleasure of being in Liam Hegarty’s company in Philadelphia on the PwC All-Star tour to the city, where his influence was obvious on the thriving GAA presence in the region.

“He was the ultimate volunteer; always looking for ways to make a positive impact and to help serve others and he worked tirelessly for the Irish community.

“The GAA benefitted hugely from the lifetime of friendship and loyalty that we enjoyed from Jerome O’Shea and Liam Hegarty and we are all the better for having had them in our sporting family.

“We owe them both a debt of gratitude and our deepest sympathies to their respective families and friends. Ar dheis Dé go raibh siad.”