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www.ladiesgaelic.ie | SPRING 2021 | 41 FEATURE "He was shy, but he always had a smile on his face and he won people over very well, and then once he got to know you, he sparkled and then you really saw him at his best." Progress didn't come easy at this time. Clubs and county boards might start, then run into trouble and either disintegrate or lie dormant for a while, but even if it was three steps forward and one step back at times, gradually participation rates increased. Soon the sport began to thrive all over the country, with Wexford, Westmeath and Leitrim all emerging to contest All-Ireland senior finals within ten years of Tommy's tenure as President. Outside of Offaly, he had a particularly significant influence in Cavan, where the sport took root almost immediately, catching fire thanks to Tommy's spark. A group of women from Mullahoran and Crosserlough who were working in Dublin had taken to meeting up in the Phoenix Park in early 1975 for kickaround games, and once Tommy happened to see this one evening, he quickly set about motivating these women to represent Cavan in the All-Ireland championship. They did exactly that later that year, losing a semi- final to Galway in Mullingar, before going on to win the big prize in 1977, which remains the only time the Breffni County have reached the top of the tree. While the growth of ladies football as a competitive sport may have been his ultimate aim, such was Tommy's nature that he never lost sight of the importance of his home county. Alongside Tipperary, Offaly were the other dominant force in the early stages of the LGFA championships, with Tommy acting as selector and coach for the Faithful County women, alongside Mick Talbot. Phyllis Price of Ballycumber was both county secretary and a prominent player for the county back then, a much simpler time in the world of ladies football training. "We used to meet up in the Christian Brothers' field in Tullamore but it was very simple stuff, Tommy would stand at the end of the field and just say to you to go on and do a few laps there, he was very easy-going" said Phyllis. "Above all, he was a decent man to have around. We had a bus for the 1974 All-Ireland final (against Tipperary, played in Durrow), but up to then it was a case of getting lifts to games and Tommy would make sure everyone was looked after. "He was a very humble man, but he always gave it his all, and we were a competitive group so it was just about getting us going. We lost a few before we finally got to the top of the mountain (in 1979 and 1981) and Tommy certainly was a big part in those All-Ireland wins." Once his tenure as LGFA President was over, Tommy moved away from the world of administration in the sport, instead shifting his focus back to the GAA and to local matters in Belmont and in Offaly, but his love for the sport of ladies football never diminished. He remained an avid follower of games, and took huge satisfaction out of the development of the Naomh Ciarán club in Ferbane, which shares a parish with Belmont. Naomh Ciarán made it five Offaly titles in succession last year, having recently won an All- Ireland Intermediate Club title. At a national level, Tommy was also an ever- present, regularly meeting up with old friends for big games at Croke Park. "I used to see Tommy at the All-Irelands in Croke Park every year, obviously we couldn't go up last year but I was talking to him at the 2019 game between Dublin and Galway, and he was still as big a supporter of the sport as he ever was," said Marie McAleer. "He was the same person I knew from decades ago – very mild-mannered, and a gentleman in every sense of the word. I was so sorry to hear of his death, and I'm sure I'm one of many who felt the same". The phrase 'gone but not forgotten' applies to so many people who have passed on, but if the size of the mark you leave on the world is anything to do with it, the memory of Tommy Kenny will live on for generations to come. Bottom Left: Eimear Flynn of Naomh Ciaran lifts the trophy following the All-Ireland Ladies Intermediate Club Championship Final, 2019. Bottom Right: Referee Mel Kenny with Naomh Pól captain Aine Tubridy and Naomh Ciaran captain Eimear Flynn