Image source: RIP.ie
Fossa GAA Club has led the tributes to Cian Long, a gifted footballer and a hugely popular local, who has passed away following an illness.
Club members said they were deeply saddened to learn of his passing on Monday morning.
“Cian is one of the finest and most powerful footballers to come from the parish. With little academy type football at the time, it was at 10 years of age when Cian appeared at the pitch and quickly made an impression,” officials said.
Often playing above his own age group, such was the impact he made, Cian played a much his juvenile football at wing back but with his strength and balance, he was soon moved to a forward position and when he set off on a solo run, he was unstoppable.
His skill and prowess was hardly surprising given that Cian was a son of the Kerry GAA legend Tom Long who won two All-Ireland medals, seven Munster Championships and three National League titles with the green and gold.
A Kerry minor in 1985, Cian played in the right full forward position but they were beaten in the Munster final. The same year he played at right half forward when winning an All-Ireland B Secondary Schools medal with Carraig na bhFearr in Cork.
Cian played a key role in the successful County Novice Championship Fossa team of 1988 and that same year he came on as a substitute when the Kerry under 21s won the Munster final and then started for the semi-final but they were beaten.
“Unfortunately, like many of his era, Cian had to leave the parish to find employment and played with St Finbarrs in Cork, losing two county finals to Duhallow.
A senior official with AIB, he returned to Fossa in 1993 and played on for a further three years and he was on the East Kerry team beaten by Laune Rangers in the 1995 Kerry County Championship final.
The Fossa club noted that Cian fought his illness with the same power and positivity as his approach to football and said he will be missed by his many friends within the club and parish.
Dr Crokes GAA Club also paid tribute to Cian who spent many years involved in coaching underage teams.
“His dedication to all teams he worked with was second to none,” Dr Crokes said.
Cian, who lived at Coolcorcoran, Killarney, is survived by his wife Finola (née Donovan) and sons Éamon and Marc.
The much loved son of Bríd and the late Tom, he is further survived by his siblings Rónán, Colm, Neasa, Caitríona, Cormac and Eoin, brothers-in-law Paul, Gerry, Ger and Edmund, sisters-in-law Martina, Sinead and Eunice, nephews and nieces Diarmuid, Dara, Lorcan, Katie, Ella, Michael, Matthew, Conal, Aoibhe, Sarah, Caoimhe, Cillian, Ailbhe, Claire, Aidan and Katherina,other relatives and many friends.
Reposing at O’Shea’s Funeral Home, Killarney this Tuesday from 4.30pm to 7.30pm, the funeral will arrive at the Prince of Peace Church, Fossa on Wednesday morning at 10.30am for Requiem Mass at 11.00am. Burial will take place afterwards in Aghadoe Lawn Cemetery.
KillarneyToday.com: Reaching thousands of readers every day. Call 087-2229761 or email news@killarneytoday.com
