| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Éamonn de Siún | ||
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Midfield | ||
| Born | (1921-08-07)7 August 1921 Dunmanway,County Cork,Ireland | ||
| Died | 3 August 2007(2007-08-03) (aged 85) Bishopstown,Cork, Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Occupation | Army officer and teacher | ||
| Club | |||
| Years | Club | ||
| Dohenys Glen Rovers Collins | |||
| Club titles | |||
| Football | Hurling | ||
| Cork titles | 3 | 1 | |
| Inter-county | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
1942–1953 | Cork | 25 (4–16) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 4 | ||
| All-Irelands | 1 | ||
| NFL | 1 | ||
Edward D. Young (7 August 1921 – 3 August 2007), known asÉamonn Young, was an IrishGaelic football player, trainer and selector. Throughout a club career that spanned over 25 years, he played for several clubs inCork and experienced championship success in different grades withDohenys,Glen Rovers andCollins. At inter-county level, he was midfield partner toFachtna O'Donovan on theCork senior football team that won the1945 All-Ireland Championship; he had earlier won the first of fourMunster Championship medals and ended his career with aNational League title asteam captain. As well as club and county successes, Young was a regular forMunster for the best part of a decade and won threeRailway Cup medals. His inter-county career was followed by several periods as a team trainer and selector.
Young is widely considered one of the best players of his generation, and among the greatest of all time, as well as being regarded by many in the sport as Cork's greatest ever player.[1][2][3] AnIrish Examiner obituary described him as "an icon of Cork sport" and "theChristy Ring of football." Young was named at midfield on the Cork Team of the Century in 1984 and at left wing-forward on the Cork Team of the Millennium in 2000.
Young joined theDohenys club at a young age, while simultaneously coming to public notice in the primary schools shield competition with Dunmanway National School. A move toCork saw him join theGlen Rovers club, with whom he won aCounty Hurling Championship medal in 1940 after coming on as a substitute in thefinal againstSarsfields.
Young's military career saw him line out withCollins Barracks during agolden age for the barracks' football club. He won threeCounty Football Championship titles from four final appearances between 1949 and 1953 following defeats ofMacroom,St. Nicholas' andUniversity College Cork.
The twilight of his club career saw Young return to the Dohenys club almost 20 years after leaving. His return saw him help the club to threeSouth West Junior Championship titles before winning aCounty Junior Championship title after a replay defeat ofGrange in 1966.
Young, ironically, first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of theCork minorhurling team. He won a Munster medal at this level in 1938, and subsequently collected anAll-Ireland. In 1939, the success continued and Young was adual medal winner in Munster. He later won a second All-Ireland minor hurling medal in the company of the legendaryChristy Ring. Young graduated onto the Cork junior football team in 1940 and won a Munster medal before joining the county senior team in 1943. He won a seniorMunster title that year, however, Cork were later beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final. Two years later, in 1945, Young won a second Munster medal before lining out inCroke Park for the All-Ireland final. On that day, he won his only seniorAll-Ireland medal as Cork defeatedCavan. It was the Leesiders first championship title since 1911. Young won a third provincial title in 1949, however, Cork failed in the All-Ireland semi-final. Three years later, in 1952, Young was captain of the Cork senior football team. That year, he won aNational Football League medal before collecting a fourth Munster title. Once again, however, Cork failed in the All-Ireland semi-final. Young retired from inter-county football in 1953.
Young also wonRailway Cup medals withMunster in 1941, 1946 and 1949.
Young was born into a prominent family inDunmanway,County Cork. His father,Jack Young, won anAll-Ireland medal withCork in 1911.[4][5] His uncle, Ned Young, was the last-surviving participant of theKilmichael Ambush during theWar of Independence.[6] His brother,Jim Young, won fiveAll-Ireland medals with theCork senior hurling team, includingfour-in-a-row, and is regarded as one of the county's all-time greats.[7]
Young was educated at Dunmanway National School and laterboarded atGood Counsel College inNew Ross. He subsequently had a very successful career with theIrish Army. He did atour of duty with the 38th Battalion in theCongo in 1963. He did a second tour in 1967, this time with the B Company 8th Infantry inCyprus. When he returned from Cyprus, Young completed aBachelor of Arts inUniversity College Cork in 1970. He subsequently retired from the army with the rank ofcommandant and took up a teaching post inColáiste an Spioraid Naoimh inBishopstown. He was conferred with aMaster of Arts in 1978.
Young married Monica McNamee in July 1946. She was a well-knownWagnerian soprano who sang on several occasions in the Capitol inDublin and later trained many singers. Young's wife predeceased him in September 1994.
On 3 August 2007, Young died at his home inBishopstown aged 85.[8] He was the last-surviving member of Cork's1945 All-Ireland Championship-winning team.