Kevin Heffernan RIP - Up the Dubs

Coiste Átha Cliath CLG, on behalf of all associated with Dublin GAA, extend our sincere sympathy to Kevin's wife, Mary, daughter, Orla and family, the extended Heffernan family and to his club St. Vincent's on this sad occasion. 

 Kevin Heffernan was ahead of his times as a player, a manager and an administrator. He revolutionised Gaelic Football in both how players and teams prepared and operated and also in terms of the philosophy and psychology of our national games. 

 For his unparallelled devotion and contribution to Gaelic Football and Hurling the Association in Dublin will be forever indebted to him. So too is Irish society for lifting the awareness of Gaelic games, putting it on a revered pedestal, particularly at a juncture in time when participation in Gaelic games in the capital was waning.

 When Kevin was selected on the team of the Millennium it was a justifiable award for the undisputed Giant of Dublin Football. Not only for being instrumental in delivering a long-awaited All-Ireland Senior Football Championship victory in 1958 as a corner-forward but most importantly for his management and leadership of the Dublin team that brought glory to the capital in the 1970's and 1980's. At a local level, Kevin embodied the spirit of the St. Vincent's club in winning 21 senior county championships between football and hurling. At International level his managerial excellence was recognised by the GAA who chose him to lead the Irish team in Australia in 1986 to a great victory. In recent years Kevin chaired the County Board Development Committee which devised a Development Squad strategy that has proved highly successful with a number of All-Ireland successes at underage level. 

 Kevin was a very modest and unassuming man and never dwelt on his past achievements. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

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Yours in Sport, 

Damian