RIP: All-Ireland winning Galway GAA star dies
He was a key figure in delivering his club’s first back-to-back senior titles
Kiltormer hurler Andy Fenton, who won an All-Ireland hurling title with the Under-21s in 1972 and also started for the seniors in the All-Ireland hurling final in 1979, died on Wednesday after a battle with illness.
Playing corner back in that losing ‘79 final against Kilkenny, he was also a key figure in his club’s back-to-back senior club titles in 1976 and ‘77 - two of three club and one Connacht titles he would win with Kiltormer.
Such was his presence on the Galway hurling scene in the 70s, he was placed in his favourite corner back position on Galway Bay FM’s all-time club hurling team of the decade.
Speaking about his All-Ireland success with the Under-21s, Andy said that he still has the jersey he wore on that famous day.
He said: “After the final whistle it didn’t take us long to realise how special that win actually was because we were the first team to bring back an All-Ireland hurling title to Galway in nearly 50 years. There was hardly any swapping of jerseys after a final those times either. I know I still have my jersey at home, even if it is gone a shade of pink now after all the years.”
Andy will repose at Kiltormer Complex on Friday from 4pm to 7pm, with funeral mass on Saturday in St Patrick’s Church, Kiltormer followed by burial in the adjoining cemetry.
His RIP.ie notice reads: “Deeply loved by his heartbroken wife Anne, his children Deirdre, Cathal, Aoife and Enda, his adored grandchildren Eoghan, Laoise, Aoibh, Sarah, Grace, Jack, Hugh, George, Oscar, Shay, Thady and Connie, sons-in-law Declan and James, daughter-in-law Ciara, his siblings Ann, Felicity and Tomas, his brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, extended Fenton and Monahan families, neighbours and huge circle of friends.”