Tomas O Sé

Tomas O Sé

Tomás O Sé announced his retirement from inter county football on Thursday 3rd October 2013

 

Below are some of the Items about Tomás

Taken from the Kerry GAA WebsiteThursday 3rd October 2013

Tomás Ó Sé Announces his Retirement from Intercounty Football

Kerry defender, Tomas Ó Sé has announced his retirement from intercounty football after a career in his beloved Green and Gold Jersey that stretches all the way back to 1995.

The 35 years old An Ghaeltacht clubman bows out of the limelight at the end of an honours laden career that saw him win 5 All Ireland Senior Football medals, a similar number of All Star Awards and the Texaco Footballer of the Year award following his last All Ireland Medal in 2009.
Under the management of his Uncle, Paidí, Tomás made his senior Championship debut in the full back line against Cork in 1998 alongside Barry O'Shea and Stephen Stack, and went on to play 88 Championship games for his native Kerry scoring an amazing 3-35 in the process. He won his first All Ireland medal in 2000 an occasion he still regards as his most memorable sporting moment.

The Ventry native has certainly chosen to bow out at the top having given stellar performances during the 2013 Championship, particularly his defiant displays against both Cork in the Munster Final and Dublin in the All Ireland Semi Final.

Tomás Ó Sé was a firm favourite with the Kerry supporters, endearing himself to them with his swashbuckling style of play in the number 5 geansaí, his defiant attacking forays into "enemy territory" and his general no nonsense determined approach. His 5 All Ireland Medals were won in the company of his brother, Darragh while younger brother Marc was on board for four of those Celtic Crosses.

Tá seirbhís iontach tugtha ag Tomás do Chiarraí agus beidh Gaeil Chiarraí buíoch de go deo. Guímid gach rath air agus ar a chlann.

 

*Tomás Played his last game for Kerry v Dublin All Ireland Semi Final 2013


Statement by Mr Patick O'Sullivan Chairman
Kerry County Committee GAA

To say that Tomás Ó Sé will be a huge loss to the Kerry Senior Football team is an understatement. The Number 5 jersey, which he made his own for so many years, will be very difficult to fill. He is the longest serving inter county player, and not alone that, his honours in the game are a proud record of commitment to Kerry. Growing up in Árd a' Bhothair, Tomás along with Feargal, Darragh and Marc, was submerged in the football tradition and with their uncle Páidí as their mentor, and later Liam Ó Rócháin, we should not have been surprised that the Ó Sé family would continue to have a strong influence on the Kerry teams and go on to be long serving inter county players who would achieve the highest honours that an inter county playing career can offer.

His Kerry career started at minor grade where he excelled. It was not long before he established himself in the senior and Under 21 teams. Few people realise that Tomás was on the extended panel in 1997 when Kerry won the All-Ireland Final ending the long wait from 1986.

I thank Tomás for all the joy and entertainment he gave us down through his years as a player. We will miss those bursts of speed out of defence and needless to say, many of his opposing inter county forwards will be relieved that they don't have Tomás Ó Sé to worry about any longer! He has retired from the inter county scene in the full knowledge of the vast contribution he made to Kerry GAA and Kerry people throughout the world will be sad today when they hear of his retirement. He has given us great memories and we wish him well in everything he does in the future.

On reading through the list of his achievements listed below, we realise the extent of his unquestioned ability, character and talent as player. What is not listed here is the extent of the leadership he gave on the field. There are no medals to honour leadership, but the leadership that Tomás Ó Sé has given to his fellow team members on numerous occasions down through the years will be impossible to replace. We wish him, and his family, the very best in the future.

 

Statement by Eamonn Fitzmaurice Manager
Kerry Senior Football Team

On behalf of the players and management I would like to congratulate Tomás O Sé on his retirement. He had a fantastic honour laden career. In many ways Tomás epitomised everything that Kerry football is all about. His commitment, determination and never say die attitude were plainly visible every time he took to the pitch. He was a warrior. He also had a game changing ability and instinctively knew when one of his trademark bursts from defence culminating in a score was required. His fitness levels have always been astounding. He trained ferociously hard and really enjoyed the challenge of getting himself ready for the big championship days. These were the days that he enjoyed most. The days that defined him. The days when he always performed.

From a personal point of view he was a great team mate and a dream to manage. He was a huge presence in our dressing room. In team meetings he always spoke well. He consistently had something new and relevant to contribute. He was an outstanding example to our younger players this season. He has passed the baton on to them and clearly displayed the characteristics and standards required by a Kerry footballer. He showed them the Kerry way.
Tomás was the best wing back that I have seen play the game. Deireadh ré is ea é. N'fheadar an mbeidh a leithéid arís ann? Go néirí go geal leis amach anseo.


Factfile: Tomás Ó Sé
DOB: 21/6/78
Age: 35
Height: 5ft 11"
Weight: 12.5st
Club: An Ghaeltacht
Occupation: Teacher

1st League game for Kerry: 1998
1st Championship game for Kerry: V Cork 1998
Championship Matches since Debut: 88
Championship Scores in Total since Debut: 3-35
Minor experience with Kerry: 1995, 1996.
U21 experience with Kerry: 1997, 1998, 1999.

Honours Won:
5 All Ireland Senior Football 2000, 2004, 2006 2007, 2009.
1 All Ireland U21.
3 National League Medals 2004, 2007, 2009
9 Munster Senior Football Championships
3 Munster U21 Football Championships
1 Munster Minor Football Championship 1996
1 Munster Senior Club Football Championship 2003
2 County Senior Football Championships 2001, 2003
1 Railway Cup
5 All Star awards, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009
Texaco Footballer of the Year 2009

 

***************************************************

Irish Examiner

Friday, October 04, 2013

Tomás Ó Sé : I went as hard as I could for as long as I could

Whatever challenge threw itself up on a football field, I always worked diligently to ensure I was ready for it.

By Tomás Ó Sé
That was ingrained in me. If you worked hard and trained hard, you were never going to be afraid of anything that was ahead of you.

So I can't really know if I'll regret retiring from football because there's not much you can do to prepare for the day when you're no longer a footballer. ‘Former' is a word I'm going to have to get used to seeing a lot of.
Over the course of the last three or four seasons, I've concluded it's really hard to be where I want to be in terms of being happy with my game and remaining in good shape. When you throw into the mix the balances and pressures of life, you reach an undeniable conclusion that it's hard to keep them all going. I felt I was continuously chasing my tail. Never having time to do things properly.
And that's the key word - properly. I'd never be happy unless I was trying to be the best. If I was going out onto a field, I'd always want to be the best prepared player on that field. That was right up until my last game at the start of September in Croke Park.
I grew up across the road from PO; from the moment we understood how to walk or talk, it was always Kerry football. We saw what Páidí had won, we saw legends coming through the front door like the postman. I learned more watching him and it's all I ever wanted to do.
Everything else in my life took a back seat after that; that is just the way it is, a lot of things suffered because of it. Even the Gaeltacht club took a back seat. Everything was geared towards Kerry and winning and getting myself geared up for that. Someone asked me lately did I ever regret not fecking off to the States for a summer. I did in my backside. The best place you could be of a summer in Kerry was training inside in Fitzgerald Stadium. Lucky enough too that we were up in Dublin every August, the best feeling you could have.
Retirement torpedoes all that; the three hours travelling to and from training that invariably meant having the craic and the banter with the lads; that was half the fun. I enjoyed the training, even though when you are working, there is no talk, no craic, just driving it on, soaking it up. I enjoyed that bit of it. There will be a big chunk missing from the schedule, and I'm not sure how I am going to deal with that.
I could have had a better send off than losing a semi-final and seeing my man, Diarmuid Connolly, get man of the match, but there's no script to these things. Kerry were on an upward curve this year, but if anything we, the players, let management down in the finish. I think Kerry would have improved again for a final. I might have too. It's where you want to be with your form, always have the curve going upwards with the autumn.
You look at Dublin this year, a lot of their younger lads were on a downward curve as the year was progressing but their go-to men were on an upward curve; the sign of a great player is being able to peak in September. Fair play to Dublin, I'd be the first to congratulate them.
It just goes to show that the two biggest games in any inter-county player's season - certainly one with Croke Park ambitions - are the All-Ireland semi-final and final.
Reflecting now, maybe 2009 was the last year I was totally happy with where my form was at. Like Kerry, I've been doing stuff in patches since, sporadically doing things well. And well in Kerry is winning All-Irelands. But 2009 was probably the best season I ever had, even though I spent half an hour of it suspended to the bench after going offside for a few hours after one match. It was also the most fulfilling, because it felt like Kerry were either at one extreme or the other. We were being booed and laughed at one minute, and spanking Dublin in Croke Park the next. Beating Cork in the final had a nice feel to it too.
Páidí enjoyed that one. As a shaper of things for me, you look back more now because he's gone. He was the greatest Kerryman I've ever known. He was passionate about culture and the language, and he was brilliant with the locals back west. But ultimately it was the football. To my eyes, Kerry is defined a lot by footballers from the past, and he was top of the pile because I saw what he did, I saw what he sacrificed. I saw his work suffering, his family life suffering - and this was all for the Kerry cause. The man would wake up and not work a tap for the day because he'd be on the phone as Kerry manager from dawn till dusk, trying to make the team better. That's why it irked us when he was treated so harshly and with such disrespect in 2003. I saw fellas from his own era, his own colleagues, laughing behind his back. That kind of stuff irked me. PO wasn't a saint, but he was still the greatest Kerryman I saw. He continually did it on the field for Kerry, and then did it as a manager. It was probably the time for him to leave when he did go but I thought that fellas, the Tadgh a dha thaoibhs, should have treated him with more respect.
The sting didn't last though, because Kerry was the bigger issue, and he'd have said that to us at the time. He was sour, but only because of how much he loved Kerry. But for him Kerry was the most important thing and us kicking up was not the way a Kerry footballer should behave. He was right. You take it on the chin, you walk away. He didn't walk away quietly but he did make up with the fellas involved with his dismissal at the time. The then Kerry chairman - and possibly next GAA president - Sean Walsh is no bad man at all, and he wished him well. Seán spoke at Páidí's graveside because the family asked him to.
Fellas also said we got off on the wrong foot with Jack O'Connor, and that is untrue because we never made an issue of it. We could have been awkward but we bought fully into Jack O'Connor from the start because it was more about Kerry than Páidí.
Down through the last 15 years, I've been to a lot less training sessions back in Gallarus with Gaeltacht than I should have been. But the inter-county fitness kept me relevant to them.
Without that now, it's probably prudent to pack up the club too. And I wouldn't have the stomach to fall in with a club in Cork at this stage, though there was a few offers over the years.
If I was to continue playing, I'd either have to train with a club in Cork, where I live, or do it on my own. Unlikely but whereas I know I won't be reversing my decision on Kerry, maybe at some stage next season if I can help out the club in some way, I'd look at that - if I'm in the right shape.
The body creaks more now though, especially after losses. We've had a few sore ones and I've had a few cranky days but that's all part of it. We lost some classics, but maybe they were classics because Kerry were involved, because the likes of Declan O'Sullivan and Gooch and these fellas lifted them to a higher plane.
It's important too today to look at the county board in Kerry. Kerry players and the board work well together. There was always open lines of communication and when we asked for something that was reasonable, invariably we got it. That's very important for harmony, and it transmitted itself onto the field.
And as John B Keane might say, it's all about The Field. It's where you saw the unvarnished character in a man, the truth of him. One scut on the field was Ryan McMenamin. Then I came across him on an International Rules tour and I was hoping I could hate him off the field too, but he was actually someone I got on very well with. I've never fallen out with any fella off the field because that's where you leave it. Not that I'd be shy in saying if I didn't like someone. But my experience has been, and perhaps there's a thesis here, that players who have won All-Irelands tend to be more comfortable in their own skin. Those who have been there or thereabouts always seem to have an itch to scratch. Mine are scratched.
Mar focail scoir, I want to say how much I enjoyed every second I had playing and representing Kerry.
I love its history and traditions and am proud to say I was part of that Kerry jigsaw.
There are many people I need to thank which I will in my own time and in my own way but I want to thank the supporters of Kerry publicly for everything down the years. I was privileged to play with and alongside great, great players and made lifelong friends from it.

I went as hard as I could for as long as I could.

 

*****************************************************************

Irish Examiner

Friday, October 04, 2013 

Impossible to replace a legend like Tomás

You do not replace a footballing legend - you just hope someone will be inspired by their greatness.

By JP McCarthy and Denis Hurley


That's what Dublin's Alan Brogan, former Kerry manager Jack O'Connor and a host of contemporaries feel about the plan to fill the shoes o f the man from Ard an Bhóthair.

Brogan was adamant Kerry should not look to directly replace Ó Sé. "You just can't do it. They are of one breed the Ó Sés and, like Darragh before him, are irreplaceable," he said

The 2011 Footballer of the Year admitted Dublin made special mention of Tomás Ó Sé prior to games.

"You had to have a plan for him. How many times have you seen games where Tomás pops up on the right wing and plants a ball over the bar? For a half-back his scoring record was phenomenal. He played the game with great balance. He would go forward but he never seemed to get caught going backwards.

"He is one of the greatest to play the game and I speak for the Dublin team and management in wishing him all the best in retirement."

"Part of the fun of football" is how former Kerry manager Jack O'Connor, now the county's minor manager, described the impending search for Kerry's next right-half-back.

"Trying to find the next generation is part of the fun of football and management. The problem is players like Tomás just don't come along too often. He had a great spell and was a unique player and man."

Dingle's Tommy Griffin was by Ó Sé's side for his five All-Ireland wins but it was their early days together that stood out for him.

"Tomás and I played together with Dingle CBS in 1995 when we won an All-Ireland B Colleges final [they beat Banada Abbey of Sligo by two points in Ennis]. I was full-back and he was midfield. He was inspirational then, as he is now.

"He always had that drive, that will to win. His runs out of defence even as a young lad got the whole team going. He was just a born leader.

"There was a lot of Páidí in him, their way of playing was very similar," added the Dingle publican.

His Kerry team-mate since 2006 and All Star nominee Donnchadh Walsh, recalls being inspired by his passion for the game. "I will miss the man that spoke to the Kerry team before the Cork and Dublin games this year. He would make the hair stand on the back of your neck with the depth of his feelings and his thoughts on the game we were about to play."

For the Cromane man, still only 29, it's Ó Sé's longevity that is equally inspiring. "He obviously has great genes and great breeding as we all know but to stay relatively injury-free for 16 years at intercounty level, apart from the odd niggle, is amazing. "

"It's sad for me he is retiring," Cork's Daniel Goulding said, citing his consistency as one of his main attributes.

"Tomás would always be viewed as a fella who got his job done," he said, "but he went about his business quietly and was hugely effective. One thing you'd say about him was just how good he was in terms of raw football skills but he added a lot more to that too."

Former team-mate and manger Eamonn Fitzmaurice added: "He was a great team-mate and a dream to manage. In team meetings he spoke well. He consistently had something new and relevant to contribute. He was an outstanding example to our younger players this season.

"He has passed the baton to them and displayed the characteristics and standards required by a Kerry footballer. He showed them the Kerry way.

"Tomás was the best wing back I have seen play the game."

© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved

 

*****************************************************Kerry

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football

Kerry legend Tomás Ó Sé retires from football 

Legend and five-time All-Ireland winner Tomás Ó Sé is retiring from football at the age of 35.

Gaelic football's longest serving player has now called time on his career after the 2013 Championship, where Kerry were beaten by Dublin in a classic All-Ireland semi-final.

The 35-year-old made his debut in 1998, going on to win eight Munster titles with the Kingdom. He was part of Kerry's 1997 All-Ireland winning squad, but did not feature in any match that season.

After making the number five jersey his own in 1998, Ó Sé went on to make 88 Championship appearances with Kerry - the most ever by an inter-county player..

The Ventry native scored 3-35 throughout his remarkable Championship career.

Ó Sé also enjoyed success with his club, An Ghaeltacht, winning two Kerry County Championships and reaching an All-Ireland Club Final in 2004, where they lost to Caltra by one point.

The Kerry defender won five All-Star awards in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and was named the Footballer of the Year in 2004.

"Tomás was the best wing back that I have seen play the game" - Eamonn Fitzmaurice

Speaking to RTÉ Raidio Na Gaeltachta this afternoon, Ó Sé expressed his disappointment that the defeat to Dublin meant he did not end his Kerry career on a high.

"In a way, I feel that we, the players, let Eamonn Fitzmaurice and the management down on the day, as they had every base covered, and that upsets me given the work that everybody involved had put in."

Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice paid the ultimate tribute to Ó Sé, claiming the An Gaeltacht man was 'the best wing back that I have seen play the game'.

Fitmaurice said: "In many ways Tomás epitomised everything that Kerry football is all about. His commitment, determination and never-say-die attitude were plainly visible every time he took to the pitch.

"He was a warrior. He also had a game-changing ability and instinctively knew when one of his trademark bursts from defence culminating in a score was required.

"His fitness levels have always been astounding. He trained ferociously hard and really enjoyed the challenge of getting himself ready for the big championship days. These were the days that he enjoyed most. The days that defined him. The days when he always performed.

"From a personal point of view he was a great team mate and a dream to manage. He was a huge presence in our dressing room.

"Tomás was the best wing back that I have seen play the game. Deireadh ré is ea é. N'fheadar an mbeidh a leithéid arís ann? Go néirí go geal leis amach anseo."

 

******************************************************************

http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news

Kerry legend Tomás Ó Sé has announced his retirement from inter-county football.

One of the most decorated footballers of his generation, Ó Sé won five All-Ireland medals, five All Stars and the 2009 Footballer of the Year award during a storied career in the green and gold that goes all the way back to 1995.

Kerry manager and former team-mate Éamonn Fitzmaurice said: "On behalf of the players and management I would like to congratulate Tomás O Sé on his retirement.

"He had a fantastic honour laden career. In many ways Tomás epitomised everything that Kerry football is all about. His commitment, determination and never say die attitude were plainly visible every time he took to the pitch. He was a warrior.

"He also had a game changing ability and instinctively knew when one of his trademark bursts from defence culminating in a score was required. His fitness levels have always been astounding. He trained ferociously hard and really enjoyed the challenge of getting himself ready for the big championship days. These were the days that he enjoyed most. The days that defined him. The days when he always performed.

"From a personal point of view he was a great team mate and a dream to manage. He was a huge presence in our dressing room. In team meetings he always spoke well. He consistently had something new and relevant to contribute. He was an outstanding example to our younger players this season.

"He has passed the baton on to them and clearly displayed the characteristics and standards required by a Kerry footballer. He showed them the Kerry way."

 

 

******************************************************************

Twitter Reaction

04 October 2013

Sad to see Tomas retire. Great player and great guy! Honoured to have played with him for the last 3 years. He will be missed.#legend - Kerry's Shane Enright 

 

A lot of half-forwards will sleep easier in Ire tonight. Well done Tomas, epitomised everything Kerry football is all about, just like PO

- Ex-Kerry and AFL star Tadhg Kennelly

 

I remember a great night with Paidi O Se - massive pride in his 3 nephews. But the chancer was slow to admit Tomas was better than him! -

RTE's Des Cahill 

 

 One of my heros calls it a day..No better sight than Tomas in full flight

- Armagh's Aaron Kernan

 

 Best wishes to Tomas OSe in his retirement. Not many deserve the title of legend but he certainly does. Set standards for all to aspire to.

- Ex-Tyrone defender Philly Jordan

 

 Happy retirement to Tomas O Se, it was a privilege to see him play!He owes Kerry or gaelic football nothing!#legend#gaa

- Cork dual star Michael Cussen

 

Tomas O Se had some career. Can't think
of a better half-back who played the game

- Ex-Dublin footballer Barry Cahill

 

Tomás Ó Sé, an incredible career!

- Brian O'Driscoll Rugby Player

 

Gud luck 2 the next kerry no.5-filling the boots of Tomas o' Se,they will require something very special to even compare "A true legend"!!

-Eamonn O Hara @EamonnOHara8


Watched him in awe as a child, privileged to share a field with him last month. Ardfhear, laoch na Gaeltachta agus peileadóir den scoth

Ciarán Kilkenny @CKKilkenny93


Best wishes to Tomás O'Sé! It was an honour to play with him and an absolute nightmare to play against him. He will be sorely missed! #5

 

Tommy Walsh  @tommywalshkor

 

All the best to Tomás on his retirement in my opinion the best defender to play the game he was the benchmark for a wing back.Top man also

Kevin Cassidy @KCASS7

 

Tomas O'Se calls it a day with Kerry. Will never see his likes again.

Jerry O'Sullivan @jerosullivanRK

 

 

Sickened to hear that Tomas O' Se has called it a day...still tink he is d best we have in that position. He owes nothing to Kerry Gaa #Hero

Paul Cahill @Cahill50

 

 

As expected Tomas O Se is retiring. What a savage wing-back. Devoured breaking ball. Ruthless on the field but very approachable off it.

Éamonn Murphy @EamonnMurphy19

 

 

The no 5 jersey, 5 All Irelands, 5 All Stars, 1 Tomas O Se. One of my all-time favourite players. Hopefully he'll manage Kerry someday!

Sinéad Kissane @sineadkissane

 

 

***********************************************************

 

Kerry legend Tomás O'Sé announces his retirement from inter-county football 

Independent Friday 4th October

03 October 2013
Five-time All-Ireland winner Tomás O'Sé has announced his retirement from inter-county football at the age of 35 bringing the curtain down on an illustrious 15-year career with the Kingdom.
The An Ghaeltacht clubman made the revelation on Dara O'Cinneide's radio programme on Raidió na Gaeltachta today.

O'Sé has been one of the greatest defenders of the modern era and retires with five All-Ireland titles, eight Munster crowns, five All-Star awards and an All-Ireland under-21 winners medal to his name.
He was named as Texaco Player of the Year after Kerry's successful 2009 All-Ireland campaign.
O'Sé has been an ever-present at wing-back for the Kingdom and has played more Championship games for the county than other player in the history of Kerry GAA.
Under the management of his Uncle, Paidí, Tomás made his senior Championship debut in the full back line against Cork in 1998 alongside Barry O'Shea and Stephen Stack, and went on to play 88 Championship games for his native Kerry scoring an amazing 3-35 in the process.
Eamon Fitzmaurice descibed O'Sé as the greatest wing-back he had ever witnessed in a statement today.
"On behalf of the players and management I would like to congratulate Tomás O Sé on his retirement," Fitzmaurice said in a statement.
"He had a fantastic honour laden career. In many ways Tomás epitomised everything that Kerry football is all about. His commitment, determination and never say die attitude were plainly visible every time he took to the pitch.
"He was a warrior. He also had a game changing ability and instinctively knew when one of his trademark bursts from defence culminating in a score was required.
"His fitness levels have always been astounding. He trained ferociously hard and really enjoyed the challenge of getting himself ready for the big championship days. These were the days that he enjoyed most. The days that defined him. The days when he always performed.
"From a personal point of view he was a great team mate and a dream to manage. He was a huge presence in our dressing room.
"In team meetings he always spoke well. He consistently had something new and relevant to contribute. He was an outstanding example to our younger players this season. He has passed the baton on to them and clearly displayed the characteristics and standards required by a Kerry footballer. He showed them the Kerry way.
"Tomás was the best wing back that I have seen play the game."
Kerry legend Pat Spillane told RTE Radio One: "He owes nothing to Kerry football. One of the most natural wingbacks in the history of the game. He was a warrior.
"For the greatest tesm of all time, Tomás would be an obvious selection."
Patick O'Sullivan, Chairman of the Kerry County Committee added: "To say that Tomás Ó Sé will be a huge loss to the Kerry Senior Football team is an understatement.
"The Number 5 jersey, which he made his own for so many years, will be very difficult to fill. He is the longest serving inter county player, and not alone that, his honours in the game are a proud record of commitment to Kerry.
"Growing up in Árd a' Bhothair, Tomás along with Feargal, Darragh and Marc, was submerged in the football tradition and with their uncle Páidí as their mentor, and later Liam Ó Rócháin, we should not have been surprised that the Ó Sé family would continue to have a strong influence on the Kerry teams and go on to be long serving inter county players who would achieve the highest honours that an inter county playing career can offer.
"His Kerry career started at minor grade where he excelled. It was not long before he established himself in the senior and Under 21 teams.
"Few people realise that Tomás was on the extended panel in 1997 when Kerry won the All-Ireland Final ending the long wait from 1986.
"I thank Tomás for all the joy and entertainment he gave us down through his years as a player. We will miss those bursts of speed out of defence and needless to say, many of his opposing inter county forwards will be relieved that they don't have Tomás Ó Sé to worry about any longer!
"He has retired from the inter county scene in the full knowledge of the vast contribution he made to Kerry GAA and Kerry people throughout the world will be sad today when they hear of his retirement.
"He has given us great memories and we wish him well in everything he does in the future.
"On reading through the list of his achievements listed below, we realise the extent of his unquestioned ability, character and talent as player. What is not listed here is the extent of the leadership he gave on the field.
!There are no medals to honour leadership, but the leadership that Tomás Ó Sé has given to his fellow team members on numerous occasions down through the years will be impossible to replace. We wish him, and his family, the very best in the future."

Factfile: Tomás Ó Sé
DOB: 21/6/78
Age: 35
Height: 5ft 11"
Weight: 12.5st
Club: An Ghaeltacht
Occupation: Teacher

1st League game for Kerry: 1998
1st Championship game for Kerry: V Cork 1998
Championship Matches since Debut: 88
Championship Scores in Total since Debut: 3-35
Minor experience with Kerry: 1995, 1996.
U21 experience with Kerry: 1997, 1998, 1999.

Honours Won:
5 All Ireland Senior Football 2000, 2004, 2006 2007, 2009.
1 All Ireland U21.
3 National League Medals 2004, 2007, 2009
9 Munster Senior Football Championships
3 Munster U21 Football Championships
1 Munster Minor Football Championship 1996
1 Munster Senior Club Football Championship 2003
2 County Senior Football Championships 2001, 2003
1 Railway Cup
5 All Star awards, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009
Texaco Footballer of the Year 2009

 

*************************************************

Newtalk.ie

Dara O'Cinneide and Darran O'Sullivan explain what made the retiring Kerry star so special

Yesterday it was announced that five-time All Star and multiple All Ireland-winning wing-back Tomas O'Se is retiring from inter-county football.

The name itself holds a certain mythical status in Kerry and that was delivered on the pitch from the moment he made his Championship debut in 1998 all the way to today.

Two men - Dara O'Cinneide and Darran O'Sullivan - who have shared pitches and dressing rooms with him were on Off The Ball last night to tell the lads what it was that made him a living legend.

O'Se announced his decision to retire on O'Cinneide's radio show on Raidio na Gaeltachta.

"Tomas probably had his mind made up immediately after the Dublin game. I'd know Tomas inside-out over the years and lived together in college so it was really just a chat. It was an easy interview," said O'Cinneide.

"We all remember him for his marauding runs up the wing. He wasn't always like that in the early years but he felt like he had extra energy around 2003/2004 and Jack O'Connor came on the scene and encouraged it. It became a tactic for the opposition to put an extra midfielder on him to track his runs."

A nightmare for wing-forwards, O'Sullivan knew exactly how O'Se impacted on the opposition.

"Being a wing forward I probably marked him more in training than other fellas," said O'Sullivan. "The first thing you'd think is 'God I hope he doesn't outscore me'. He's like a machine, he just keeps on going and that's why it's been a shock that he's retiring. You'd just presume that he'd go on forever. He wasn't slowing down."

Tomas was the "natural successor" to his uncle - the late, great Paidi O'Se according to Dara O'Cinneide.

"It never inhibited him even on his debut game when he performed quite poorly. He never buckled under that pressure because he always felt that Paidi was more of a guidance. I think he would have used Dara and his older brothers Fergal and Mark as well as his confidantes in those early years. I don't think he ever doubted himself which is something of an O'Se trait."



 


FACEBOOK

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

PLAYER PROFILES