On the occasion of what would have been his 60th birthday, a magnificent tribute to Páidí Ó Sé was unveiled today. A life size bronze statue of the great man, created by Clare sculptor Seamus Connolly, now stands outside of his pub in Ventry. Connolly told the Irish Examiner that the statue captures the Kerryman on one of his trademark expeditions up the pitch.
I was trying to capture the iconic player with this tremendous physique and an incredible will to win. What we came up with his an image of him with the ball in his left hand bursting up field as was his trademark from his playing days.
Ó Se, who won ten All-Irelands in total, eight as a player and two as a manager, died suddenly two and half years ago.
Several well-known faces from politics and sport turned out for the occasion.
Lovely day in Ventry for unveiling a statue in honour of the great Paidi O Se pic.twitter.com/1GazvSyKrU
— Jimmy Deenihan TD (@JimmyDeenihanTD) May 16, 2015
With Mick O'Dwyer and Cllr Damian Quigg at the unveiling of the new Páidí Ó Sé sculpture in Ventry today. pic.twitter.com/h5FoAKeBQf
— Martin Ferris TD (@FerrisMartin) May 16, 2015
Tá Páidí Ó Sé ag sheasamh arís i Árd a' Bhóthair. Well done to the Coiste. A fitting tribute for a true legend! pic.twitter.com/pwRl8EptmR
— Breandán Fitzgerald (@breandanfitz) May 16, 2015
See also: A Great Yarn From Paul Galvin About His First Kerry Trial Under Páidí Ó Sé
The Páidí Ó Sé/Any Given Sunday Mashup Will Make You Want To Run Through Walls
Cover image credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
