Séamus Leydon
Personal information
Irish name Séamus Ó Liodáin
Sport Gaelic football
Position Left Half Forward
Born 1942 (1942)
Galway, Ireland
Died (aged 81)
County Kildare, Ireland
Nickname The Dunmore Dynamo
Club(s)
Years Club
1960–1972
1972–1975
 Dunmore McHales
Nemo Rangers
Club titles
Galway titles 5 (Dunmore); 2 (NemoRangers)
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1961–1971
 Galway
Inter-county titles
Connacht titles 7
All-Irelands 3
NFL 1
All Stars 1

Seamus Leydon (1942 – 31 October 2023) was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played with his local club Dunmore MacHales and was a vital member of the Galway three-in-a-row team of the 1960s. [1]

Biography

Schools & Minor

1960 started with success for Leydon in the Hogan Cup All-Ireland Schools Football Championship with a 3-10 to 3-7 victory for St Jarlath's College over St Finian's College. Among Seamus' teammates on the Jarleth's team were future Galway teammates Johnny Geraghty, Enda Colleran and Pat Donnellan.[2]

The success continued in 1960 as a star-studded Galway Minor team won Connacht and All-Ireland honours beating Cork 4-9 to 1-5 in a one-sided All-Ireland final.

Senior

In 1961 Leydon made his inter-county Galway debut at Senior level and quickly established himself on the team. Backboned by the 1959 and 1960 minor teams (eight of whom made it through to Senior level), Galway were a coming force.

They were defeated by Dublin in the 1963 All-Ireland final however the Corrib-siders were not to be denied. Between 1964 and 1966 they famously achieved the three-in-a-row beating Kerry in 1964 All-Ireland final and 1965 All-Ireland final and then Meath in 1966 All-Ireland final.[3][4][5]

Leydon enjoyed further success with Galway winning Connacht titles in 1968, 1970 and 1971 and making it back to the 1971 All-Ireland final losing out to Offaly.

At the time when the Railway Cup was a popular competition, Leydon was a regular on the Connacht team from 1964 to 1972. He played on both of Connacht's wins in 1967 and 1969.

Club

At club level, Leydon was a central figure in the Dunmore MacHales team that emerged to dominate Galway football during the 1960s. Dubbed the Kings of the Sixties, Dunmore won five Galway Senior Football Championship titles in 1961, 63, 66, 68 (captained by Leydon) and 69. Among Seamus' teammates on the Dunmore team were Galway teammates John Keenan, Tommy Keenan, Bosco McDermott, John Donnellan, Pat Donnellan and future Galway goalkeeper Gay Mitchell.

Leydon retired from inter-county football in 1972 when his job with Cantrell and Cochrane required him to move to Cork. He joined Nemo Rangers and once again enjoyed success winning Cork Senior Football Championship and Munster titles in 1974 and 1975.

Death

Leydon died in County Kildare on 31 October 2023, at the age of 81.[6][7]

Honours

Team

St Jarlath's College
Dunmore
Nemo Rangers
Galway
Conancht

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Leydon, Seamus - HoganStand".
  2. ↑ "Golden Jubilee reflections on one of Galway's greatest ever Minor football teams". The Tuam Herald. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "Connacht GAA Honour the Galway All Ireland Winning three in a row team". Connacht GAA website. 21 July 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  4. ↑ "All-Ireland Winning Teams". Galway GAA website. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  5. ↑ "Galway GAA: The-Three-In-A-Row". Galway Cuty Museum. 11 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  6. ↑ McCarron, Jamie (1 November 2023). "Galway football legend Seamus Leydon dies aged 81". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Galway three-in-a-row star Seamus Leydon dies aged 81". RTÉ. 1 November 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
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