Tributes paid to 'The Master'

Death of Seán Purcell: Many tributes have been paid to Galway's Seán Purcell who died on Saturday night.

One of the legendary figures of football history, Purcell - affectionately known as 'The Master' from his days teaching in Strawberry Hill NS near Dunmore - was selected at centre forward on both the Centenary Team of 1984 and the Millennium Team of 2000.

He won an All-Ireland with his county in 1956 and in that year's final against Cork gave what some regarded as his best display, linking up with Frank Stockwell - a combination that became known as the Terrible Twins - who ended up scoring 2-5, a record for a 60-minute final.

He, Stockwell and the 1956 captain Jack Mangan were all from Shop Street in Tuam where they enjoyed great success with the local Tuam Stars club with whom Purcell won 10 county titles.

The death of Seán Purcell, who was 76, completes a very sad 17 months for Galway football, which has in that time lost three legendary figures. The latest news comes after the deaths of Mattie McDonagh, the only Connacht man to win four senior All-Ireland medals, and Enda Colleran, almost exactly a year previously, a member of the three-in-a-row team of the 1960s and captain in 1965 and '66.

The president of the GAA, Seán Kelly, has expressed his sadness at the news, saying that all in the GAA were saddened at the untimely death of such a well-known and talented man and said that the thoughts of all in the association were with his family at this sad time.

He expressed the condolences of the association to the family, friends and former team-mates of the Galway great.

Seán Purcell passed away in the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin, where he had been for a number of weeks after heart surgery, on Saturday evening. He is being taken back to his native Tuam today and his body will lie in repose at St Jarlath's College from 6 pm to 10 pm and again tomorrow from noon until it is removed to the nearby Cathedral of the Assumption at 7.30 pm.

He will be laid to rest in Tuam Cemetery after 12 o'clock Mass in the Cathedral of the Assumption on Wednesday.

Purcell first came to national prominence when winning an All-Ireland Colleges medal with St Jarlath's College in 1947. His senior career lasted from 1949-62 during which he also won three Railway Cup medals with Connacht, captaining the 1958 team, and a National League in 1957. He also played for both the Combined Universities and the Rest of Ireland teams during the representative series of the 1950s.

County chair Frank Burke also paid tribute. "He is recognised by many as the greatest exponent of the skill of Gaelic football ever to grace the football fields of Ireland. He represented Galway in all the central positions with equal success, obviously displaying his versatility and completeness as a player," he said.

"After his distinguished playing days were over, Purcell enthusiastically served as mentor, chairman of the football board and president of both Galway county and football boards.

"The Master's brilliance on the field was matched with a remarkable measure of humility and a very caring human touch. The Galway GAA are deeply proud of Seán Purcell and greatly lament his untimely passing," he added. His old team-mate and close friend Frank Stockwell was too upset to give his reaction to the media.

Seán Purcell is survived by his sons John and Robert, daughters Ruth, Mary (who is married to former Dublin player and manager Tom Carr), Francis and Louise, his sister Maura, brother Frank and a wide circle of other relatives and friends.