 Tom Spillane (first from left) with Fossa chairman Dermot Clifford, former GAA presidentSeán Kelly,David Clifford and Fossa secretary Merry Talbot, in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Half-back | ||
| Born | 1962 (age 62–63) Templenoe,County Kerry | ||
| Occupation | Auctioneer | ||
| Club | |||
| Years | Club | ||
| Templenoe | |||
| Inter-county | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
1981–1991 | Kerry | 27 (1–13) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 5 | ||
| All-Irelands | 4 | ||
| All Stars | 3 | ||
Tom Spillane (born 1962) is an Irish formerGaelic footballer who played for Templenoe and theKerry county team[1] in the 1980s.
Maura[2] Spillane gave birth to Tom inTemplenoe, nearKenmare,County Kerry in 1962. He was — along with his brothersPat andMick — destined to become a key member of the successful KerryGaelic football teams of the 1980s.
Spillane won anAll-Ireland Minor Football Championship (MFC) medal in 1980 before first breaking into the county panel in 1981. He played with Kerry for the next eleven seasons, winning fourAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) medals, fiveMunster SFC medals, oneKerry SFC and threeAll Stars.
Himself andGer Lynch — assigned to markTommy Conroy andBarney Rock during the1984 All-Ireland SFC final — began their efforts during the national anthem, which they sang with aplomb.[3] Spillane, quoted in the bookPrinces of Pigskin, said of this tactic later: "There was no belting but the plot was to sing the National Anthem as loud as we could into their ears to put thefear of God into them. Neither of us were great singers but they must have thought we were wired to the moon".[3]
Together with his brothersMick andPat, the Spillanes hold a record 19 All-Ireland SFC medals between them.[2] However, he won a mere four All-Ireland medals besides Mick's seven and Pat's eight.[citation needed]
Tom Spillane works as an auctioneer and runs his business from Killarney. He specialises in dealing with property in the Killarney and Kenmare areas.[citation needed]
Spillane's brotherPat took over their mother's bar, renaming it Pat Spillane's Bar, and ran it before leasing it.[2] Tom Spillane bought the pub from Pat Spillane in the late 2010s, with the intention of running it alongside his sonsKillian andAdrian (also Kerry footballers).[2]
And just as it was in 1983, when Cork won the Munster title, the Rebels are the most likely pretenders to their All-Ireland crown; Kerry great Tom Spillane can see similarities.
It was once owned and run by Maura Spillane, mother of the Spillane brothers Pat, Tom and Mick, who between them hold a record 19 All-Ireland football medals. It then became Pat Spillane's Bar, and ran successfully for some time before he leased it out and then rural decline set in... Tom recently purchased the pub from his brother and the plan is for Killian and Adrian to help run it when it reopens next summer...