Garry McMahon
Encyclopedia
Garry McMahon was an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 sportsperson. He played Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

 with his local club Listowel Emmets and was a member of the Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...

 senior inter-county team from the 1958 until 1962. McMahon holds the record for scoring the fastest goal ever in an All-Ireland final.

Playing career

McMahon started playing Gaelic football at a young age. In 1954, he helped St. Michael's College to win the Dunloe Cup for the first time, which brought him to the attention of the Kerry Minor team. He played for them in 1955, where they were beaten in the Munster Minor Football Championship
Munster Minor Football Championship
The Munster Minor Football Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council. The current Munster Minor football champions are Tipperary. Clare won the inaugural...

 final by Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...

.

While attending college in Dublin, where he played for the Clan na nGael club in Raheny for two years, working his way up from the club's junior team to the senior team. Later, while training as a solicitor with his uncle in Cashel
Cashel, County Tipperary
Cashel is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 2936 at the 2006 census. The town gives its name to the ecclesiastical province of Cashel. Additionally, the cathedra of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly was originally in the town prior to the English Reformation....

, Co. Tipperary, McMahon offered to play for Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...

, but was denied, allegedly on the grounds of being part of the McDonagh family from Fethard, who were not renowned Gaelic footballers.

McMahon played with the Kerry Senior football team between 1959 and 1962, winning 2 All-Ireland medals in that time. His debut was against Cork in the 1959 Munster final, where he scored 2-2 in the first half, leading match commentator Michael O'Hehir
Michael O'Hehir
Michael James Hehir was an Irish hurling, football and horse racing commentator and journalist. Between 1938 and 1985 his enthusiasm and a memorable turn of phrase endeared him to many...

 to say: "This morning, Garry McMahon was a son of a famous father, this evening Bryan McMahon is the father of a famous son". He is attributed with scoring the fastest goal ever in an All-Ireland final - a fisted goal after 34 seconds against Roscommon
Roscommon GAA
For more details of Roscommon GAA see Roscommon Senior Club Football Championship or Roscommon Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Roscommon County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Roscommon GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games...

, in what was the first live televised All Ireland final in 1962.
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