Prend Of An Era

Tributes as the last of Mayo’s 1951 All-Ireland heroes Paddy dies at 95

- Trevor Quinn

Tributes were paid to Mayo’s last surviving football All-Ireland winner Paddy Prendergast yesterday who has died aged 95.

The Green and Red legend won back-to-back All-Irelands in 1950 and 1951.

But Mayo have failed to win again since then, losing 11 finals.

Mayo GAA president Sean Feeney and a fellow Ballintubber club man said: “Paddy was hoping he’d see it [Mayo win the All-Ireland again] before he died.”

He added that Paddy would be remembered as a gentleman who laughed off talk of the fabled “curse”.

Paddy laughed at the curse .. it’s sad he didn’t see Mayo win another All-Ireland title

1951 legend Prendergast dead at 95

MAYO’S last surviving All-Ireland winner Paddy Prendergast – who has died aged 95 – was yesterday remembered as a gentleman who laughed off talk of the fabled “curse”.

The Ballintubber man – nicknamed Mayo’s Ballet Full-Back – was a former garda who later worked with Shell before being transferred to Co Kerry in the 1960s.

The Green and Red legend won back-to-back All-Irelands with his native county in 1950 and 1951.