DOWN will bid farewell to another of its history-making heroes following the passing of Eddie McKay.
The Dundrum stalwart – goalkeeper on the groundbreaking All-Ireland winning teams of 1960 and ‘61 – died on Wednesday, and will be laid to rest following funeral mass in the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Newcastle at 10am on Friday.
Another icon of those great sides, George Lavery, passed away in May, two months after the legendary Dan McCartan, who was part of the 1960, ‘61 and ‘68 All-Ireland winning Down teams.
McKay made his Down debut against Donegal in 1957, and would provide a solid base as the Mournemen became the first Ulster county to bring the Sam Maguire Cup across the border in 1960, before successfully defending that crown 12 months later.
Once his playing days were done, he would go on to manage Dundrum, leading the club from Division Four to Division Two at one point and helping hone the skills of future generations.
Indeed, Late Late Show presenter Paddy Kielty – a fellow native of Dundrum – credited McKay with kickstarting his career between the posts, which saw Kielty on the Down panel that won the 1987 All-Ireland minor title.
“Eddie McKay was the goalkeeper on the Down team in 60-61 and he was from Dundrum, and he was the guy who got me into being the goalkeeper,” Kielty told GAA.ie last year.
“He gave me my senior start and I played senior football for Dundrum whenever I was 15, and then the late, great Pat O’Hare would have been my games teacher at St Pat’s Grammar School in Downpatrick. He coached and was the trainer alongside Pete McGrath for Down’s win in 1994.
“Looking back on it now, there were so many amazing people.”
Eddie McKay is survived by wife Edna and children Karen, Steven, Shirley and Edwin.
