Galway GAA legend and former Footballer of the Year passes away
Noel Tierney was part of the famous Galway All-Ireland three-in-row side and is regarded as one of the greatest full backs to ever play the game.
Legendary Galway All-Ireland three-in-a-row full back Noel Tierney has passed away, aged 82.
Former Caltex Footballer of Year, Tierney had been battling illness for some time, and passed away peacefully last night.
A gathering was organised a week ago for his old team mates, family and club mates in Milltown to honour the player on the 60th anniversary of his player of the year award.
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Recently honoured Footballer of the Year and Galway midfield star Paul Conroy made a surprise appearance at the event. Tierney was just 22 when he won the most prestigious individual honour in the game.
Noel Tierney started out playing with Garrymore in South Mayo, but lived on the Glaway side of the border and moved to play with Milltown.
His first All-Ireland medal arrived in 1960 and came at minor level, before going on to help Galway to a famous senior three-in-a-row (1964-66) in the most successful era in their history.
Renowned for his high fielding, Tierney was the central cog in a Tribe defence that didn't concede a goal across those three All-Ireland final wins over Kerry (2) and Meath.
Tierney won two Cú Chullain awards, the predecessor to the All Stars and also holds a National Football League medal (1965), two Railway Cups and five Connacht titles.
In 1999 he was named at full back on the Galway Football Team of the Millennium.
At club level Tierney won junior (1961) and senior (1971) championships with Milltown, defeating Ballinasloe in the senior final by 0-5 to 0-4.
Reflecting on his playing career in an article with the Teagasc Media, Noel said: “I played a lot of football, beaten in the ’63 Senior All-Ireland, won ’64, ’65 and ’66.
“ ’68, they dropped a few of the team. The same pleasure wasn’t there anymore and then I was getting busier on the farm so I retired from inter-county football in ’67.
“But we were burnt out pretty well because it’s like anything in life, we had given a few hard years.
“Again, it’s like a family breaking up, when they drop a few of the team it didn’t mean the same anymore so that was my footballing finished. I still had lots of energy and that’s when I really took into full time farming.”
Noel Tierney was predeceased by his son, Fergal, who passed away in a tragic farm accident, and is survived by his wife Peggy, son Martin, daughters Aoife and Mairead.
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