Ger Power
Encyclopedia
Ger Power is an Irish
retired sportsperson. He played Gaelic football
with his local club Austin Stack's
and was a member of the Kerry
senior inter-county team from 1973 until 1988. Power captained Kerry to the All-Ireland
title in 1980.
, County Limerick
in 1952. He was little over a week old when his father, Jackie Power
, who worked for CIÉ
, was transferred to Tralee in County Kerry
. Jackie was a great hurler with Limerick
in the 1930s and 1940s, winning three All-Ireland
medals in 1934, 1936 and 1940. He later played hurling
with Kerry and was a huge influence on his son’s sporting career. Ger Power began his inter-county career with the Kerry under-16 hurling team, however, he soon realised that football
was the most important sport to Kerry people.
in Tralee. He showed exceptional talent from a young age and played a key role when the club won an under-16 county championship. Power subsequently won seven Kerry SFC titles with the club throughout the 1970s and 1980s. One of these county titles was converted into an All-Ireland
title in 1977.
He also played hurling with thr club and won a Minor County Championship in 1967.
in the 1970 All-Ireland final. Power was a substitute on the Kerry senior team that lost in a replay to Offaly
in the All-Ireland final of 1972. He played with the under-21 side for three years, winning an All-Ireland
medal in 1973. Two years later in 1975 Power had a very successful year with the Kerry senior team. He captured his very first Munster Championship
and All-Ireland
medals at senior level, under the new management of the legendary Mick O'Dwyer
. It was the beginning of a glorious era for Kerry football and Power played a key role in orchestrating much of the success.
In 1976 Power won his second Munster title, however, Dublin
gained revenge for the previous year by defeating Kerry in the All-Ireland final. 1977 was another frustrating year as Kerry won another Munster title but lost out to Dublin yet again, this time in a thrilling All-Ireland semi-final. By 1978 Kerry were ready for success. They easily won another Munster title and breezed into the All-Ireland final to face Dublin
The game itself is remembered for Mikey Sheehy
’s cheeky goal which he scored by lobbing the ball over the head of Paddy Cullen
. The final score was 5-11 to 0-9 and Power had secured a second All-Ireland medal. In 1979 Kerry once again faced up to Dublin in the All-Ireland final, however, Power missed the game because of a hamstring injury. In spite of this he was playing the best football of his career and scored a massive 2-6 against Cork in the Munster final.
Victories for Kerry over Roscommon
and Offaly
in the respective All-Ireland finals of 1980 and 1981 brought Power’s All-Ireland medal tally up to five. In 1980 he was captain of the side, however, he had to retire early from the game due to injury. In 1982 he collected his eighth consecutive Munster Championship medal and the scene was set for Kerry to become the first team in the history of the game to win five All-Ireland football titles in-a-row. Once again, Power’s side faced Offaly in the All-Ireland final. Kerry had the upper hand for much of the game and were leading by two points with two minutes left to be played. The game, however, was not over as Offaly substitute Séamus Darby
, who had entered the game almost unnoticed, produced possibly the greatest match-winner of all-time when he scored a late goal. Kerry failed to score again to level the match and Offaly went on to win their third All-Ireland title ever.
In 1983 Kerry were denied a record-breaking ninth Munster title in-a-row by Cork. Power’s side were down but not out, as they reclaimed the provincial title the following year, before securing back-to-back All-Ireland victories over their old rivals Dublin in 1984 and 1985. In 1986 Power collected his third All-Ireland title in-a-row with an 8 point victory over Tyrone
. It was his seventh All-Ireland medal overall. In all Power collected eleven Munster Championship medals. He played in nine All-Ireland finals, ending up on the winning side on eight occasions. Power also enjoyed playing Railway Cup football with Munster
, winning inter-provincial titles in 1975,1976, 1977, 1978, 1981 and 1982. His honours also include four National Football League
s in 1974, 1977, 1982 and 1984 and six All-Star Awards
, winning All-Star honors at three different positions: half-back, half-forward and corner-forward.
senior team during the 90s. He was also part of the back-team with Austin Stacks
. He has also trained the Kerry
senior hurling team with John O'Keeffe.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
retired sportsperson. He played Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with his local club Austin Stack's
Austin Stacks
Austin Stacks is a hurling and Gaelic football club based in Tralee in County Kerry, Ireland. It has more All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals and GAA All-Stars than any other GAA club in Ireland...
and was a member of the Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
senior inter-county team from 1973 until 1988. Power captained Kerry to the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
title in 1980.
Early life
Ger Power was born in AnnacottyAnnacotty
Annacotty is a town on the outskirts of Limerick, Ireland, from the centre of the city. It is situated where the old N7 main road between Limerick and Dublin crosses the Mulkear River, upstream of where it flows into the River Shannon....
, County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
in 1952. He was little over a week old when his father, Jackie Power
Jackie Power
Jackie Power was an Irish sportsperson. A renowned dual player, he played both hurling and Gaelic football with his local club Ahane and with the Limerick senior inter-county teams in both codes from 1935 until 1949. He later played with the Kerry senior hurling team.-Early life:Jackie Power was...
, who worked for CIÉ
CIE
-Organizations:* Cambridge International Examinations, an international examination board* Cleveland Institute of Electronics, a private technical and engineering educational institution — the International Commission on Illumination...
, was transferred to Tralee in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
. Jackie was a great hurler with Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
in the 1930s and 1940s, winning three All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
medals in 1934, 1936 and 1940. He later played hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with Kerry and was a huge influence on his son’s sporting career. Ger Power began his inter-county career with the Kerry under-16 hurling team, however, he soon realised that football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
was the most important sport to Kerry people.
Club
Power played his club football with the famed Austin StacksAustin Stacks
Austin Stacks is a hurling and Gaelic football club based in Tralee in County Kerry, Ireland. It has more All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals and GAA All-Stars than any other GAA club in Ireland...
in Tralee. He showed exceptional talent from a young age and played a key role when the club won an under-16 county championship. Power subsequently won seven Kerry SFC titles with the club throughout the 1970s and 1980s. One of these county titles was converted into an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971, played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland. The current champions are Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, who defeated St. Brigid's of Roscommon on March 17, 2011 to win their...
title in 1977.
He also played hurling with thr club and won a Minor County Championship in 1967.
Inter-county
Power played with Kerry’s minor football team for two years and was captain of the side when they lost to GalwayGalway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
in the 1970 All-Ireland final. Power was a substitute on the Kerry senior team that lost in a replay to Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
in the All-Ireland final of 1972. He played with the under-21 side for three years, winning an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months...
medal in 1973. Two years later in 1975 Power had a very successful year with the Kerry senior team. He captured his very first Munster Championship
Munster Senior Football Championship
The Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council and are played during the summer months...
and All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
medals at senior level, under the new management of the legendary Mick O'Dwyer
Mick O'Dwyer
Mick O'Dwyer , is an Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He played Gaelic football with his local club Waterville and was a member of the Kerry senior team from 1956 until 1974...
. It was the beginning of a glorious era for Kerry football and Power played a key role in orchestrating much of the success.
In 1976 Power won his second Munster title, however, Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
gained revenge for the previous year by defeating Kerry in the All-Ireland final. 1977 was another frustrating year as Kerry won another Munster title but lost out to Dublin yet again, this time in a thrilling All-Ireland semi-final. By 1978 Kerry were ready for success. They easily won another Munster title and breezed into the All-Ireland final to face Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
The game itself is remembered for Mikey Sheehy
Mikey Sheehy
Mikey Sheehy is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club Austin Stacks and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1974 until 1987. Sheehy is regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time.-Club:Sheehy played his club football with the...
’s cheeky goal which he scored by lobbing the ball over the head of Paddy Cullen
Paddy Cullen
Paddy Cullen is a former inter-county goalkeeper and manager with the Dublin GAA senior football team. During his player career Cullen won three All-Irelands and four all-stars awards....
. The final score was 5-11 to 0-9 and Power had secured a second All-Ireland medal. In 1979 Kerry once again faced up to Dublin in the All-Ireland final, however, Power missed the game because of a hamstring injury. In spite of this he was playing the best football of his career and scored a massive 2-6 against Cork in the Munster final.
Victories for Kerry over Roscommon
Roscommon GAA
For more details of Roscommon GAA see Roscommon Senior Club Football Championship or Roscommon Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Roscommon County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Roscommon GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games...
and Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
in the respective All-Ireland finals of 1980 and 1981 brought Power’s All-Ireland medal tally up to five. In 1980 he was captain of the side, however, he had to retire early from the game due to injury. In 1982 he collected his eighth consecutive Munster Championship medal and the scene was set for Kerry to become the first team in the history of the game to win five All-Ireland football titles in-a-row. Once again, Power’s side faced Offaly in the All-Ireland final. Kerry had the upper hand for much of the game and were leading by two points with two minutes left to be played. The game, however, was not over as Offaly substitute Séamus Darby
Séamus Darby
Séamus Darby is an Irish former sportsperson who played Gaelic football for County Offaly in the 1970s and 1980s...
, who had entered the game almost unnoticed, produced possibly the greatest match-winner of all-time when he scored a late goal. Kerry failed to score again to level the match and Offaly went on to win their third All-Ireland title ever.
In 1983 Kerry were denied a record-breaking ninth Munster title in-a-row by Cork. Power’s side were down but not out, as they reclaimed the provincial title the following year, before securing back-to-back All-Ireland victories over their old rivals Dublin in 1984 and 1985. In 1986 Power collected his third All-Ireland title in-a-row with an 8 point victory over Tyrone
Tyrone GAA
The Tyrone County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Tyrone GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Tyrone. The county board is also responsible for the Tyrone inter-county teams....
. It was his seventh All-Ireland medal overall. In all Power collected eleven Munster Championship medals. He played in nine All-Ireland finals, ending up on the winning side on eight occasions. Power also enjoyed playing Railway Cup football with Munster
Munster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
, winning inter-provincial titles in 1975,1976, 1977, 1978, 1981 and 1982. His honours also include four National Football League
National Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
s in 1974, 1977, 1982 and 1984 and six All-Star Awards
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
, winning All-Star honors at three different positions: half-back, half-forward and corner-forward.
Post career
After retiring Power became trainer of the LimerickLimerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
senior team during the 90s. He was also part of the back-team with Austin Stacks
Austin Stacks
Austin Stacks is a hurling and Gaelic football club based in Tralee in County Kerry, Ireland. It has more All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals and GAA All-Stars than any other GAA club in Ireland...
. He has also trained the Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
senior hurling team with John O'Keeffe.