Lar Foley
Encyclopedia
Liam 'Lar' Foley was a hurling
and Gaelic football
player from Dublin, Ireland
, who played inter county for Dublin
and for the Dublin-based club St Vincents
. He won two All-Ireland medals for Dublin in 1958 and 1963, and was named as Texaco Footballer of the Year in 1963.
in North County Dublin. He and his Brother Des
were cereal farmers and the sons of Patrick Foley of PK Foley Ltd - an early transportation Company well known in Dublin.
In the later part of Lar's life he developed a heart condition and died at home in Kinsealy of a heart attack during May 2003.
clubman enjoyed a successful career at club, county and provincial levels in both codes, in the process guaranteeing himself a permanent place in GAA folklore
. A GAA immortal in every sense of the term, the brilliant dual player was at his prime in the ’60s but his extraordinary career also stretched well into the preceding and succeeding decades. He was awarded Texaco Footballer of the Year
for performances in 1963.
in the 1973 final. It went to a replay before the Cork kingpins came out on top, Foley appearing as a substitute in both games. He had retired by the time St Vincent’s won their first All-Ireland title three years later.
, winning four Dublin Senior Hurling Championships, in 1957, 1960, 1962 and 1964.
, in which Dublin defeated Tipperary
and Leitrim
respectively, and came in as a substitute for the 1963 and 1964 Railway Cup final defeats at the hands of Ulster
.
He first came to national attention on the senior team in 1958, when he featured at corner back on the Dublin side that pipped Derry
in the All-Ireland senior football final
. By the time he collected his second senior All-Ireland medal five years later, Foley had made the No.3 shirt his own and had established a reputation for himself as one of the most formidable full backs in the business. He was never known to become embroiled in rough play and did his utmost to quell any such outbreaks in games that he played. His calming presence often helped referees during difficult and tense encounters.
Lar had his fair share of success at national league level. He had entered the fray as a substitute as Kildare
were ousted in the 1957/58 decider and played against Down in the 1961/62 National Football league
final. He was also on the Dublin team which defeated Down
to win the 'home' final of 1963/64.
when Dublin came agonisingly close to toppling a star-studded Tipperary
side, losing by a single point, on a scoreline of 0-16 to 1-12.
Lar met with more luck at interprovincial level in the hurling code, however. He wore the No.4 jersey in three successive Railway Cup hurling finals, 1962–64, collecting winners medals in 1962 and 1964 but losing narrowly to Munster after a replay in the intervening year’s showpiece.
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
player from Dublin, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, who played inter county for Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
and for the Dublin-based club St Vincents
St Vincents GAA
St Vincents is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Marino, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland. The club was founded in 1931, originally in Raheny, but it moved to its home in Marino in 1987. St Vincents merged with Marino Camogie Club in 1997 to form the St Vincents Hurling, Football and...
. He won two All-Ireland medals for Dublin in 1958 and 1963, and was named as Texaco Footballer of the Year in 1963.
Biographical Information
Foley lived in KinsealyKinsealy
Kinsealy is an outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland, about 7km from the city centre, in the administration of Fingal County Council, within County Dublin....
in North County Dublin. He and his Brother Des
Desmond Foley
Desmond 'Des' Foley was an Irish sports star in the 1960s, specialising in the Gaelic games of Gaelic football and hurling. He was also an Irish parliamentarian and represented Fianna Fáil in Dáil Éireann....
were cereal farmers and the sons of Patrick Foley of PK Foley Ltd - an early transportation Company well known in Dublin.
In the later part of Lar's life he developed a heart condition and died at home in Kinsealy of a heart attack during May 2003.
Playing career
Lar Foley is known as one of Dublin GAA’s true great players. The St Vincent’sSt Vincents GAA
St Vincents is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Marino, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland. The club was founded in 1931, originally in Raheny, but it moved to its home in Marino in 1987. St Vincents merged with Marino Camogie Club in 1997 to form the St Vincents Hurling, Football and...
clubman enjoyed a successful career at club, county and provincial levels in both codes, in the process guaranteeing himself a permanent place in GAA folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
. A GAA immortal in every sense of the term, the brilliant dual player was at his prime in the ’60s but his extraordinary career also stretched well into the preceding and succeeding decades. He was awarded Texaco Footballer of the Year
Texaco Footballer of the Year
The Texaco Footballer of the Year is a Gaelic football award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a footballer of outstanding excellence...
for performances in 1963.
Football
Foley never experienced the glory of All-Ireland club final day success - not because the team wasn’t good enough but because the competition didn’t even exist until the tail end of his career. The St Vincent’s side of the 1960s would undoubtedly have been a dominant force at national level but the All-Ireland club championship was only inaugurated in 1970. Having featured on the team beaten by Erin's Hope in the 1956 county final, Lar went on to win a total of twelve Dublin Senior Football Championship, with six wins between 1957 and 1962 and again in 1964, 1966 and 1967 the three in a row between 1970 and 1972. Vincents took on Nemo RangersNemo Rangers GAA
Nemo Rangers Hurling and Football Club is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club on the southside of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1922 and is primarily concerned with the game of Gaelic football, though interest in hurling has escalated in recent years.-History:Nemo Rangers...
in the 1973 final. It went to a replay before the Cork kingpins came out on top, Foley appearing as a substitute in both games. He had retired by the time St Vincent’s won their first All-Ireland title three years later.
Hurling
He also had an successful hurling career with St VincentsSt Vincents GAA
St Vincents is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Marino, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland. The club was founded in 1931, originally in Raheny, but it moved to its home in Marino in 1987. St Vincents merged with Marino Camogie Club in 1997 to form the St Vincents Hurling, Football and...
, winning four Dublin Senior Hurling Championships, in 1957, 1960, 1962 and 1964.
Football
Foley's first taste of inter-county success came when he lined out at midfield for the 1955 and 1956 All-Ireland minor football finalsAll-Ireland Minor Football Championship
The All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for under-18 competitors of the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
, in which Dublin defeated Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
and Leitrim
Leitrim GAA
The Leitrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Leitrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Leitrim. The county board is also responsible for the Leitrim inter-county teams.-Gaelic football:In the 1924 Connacht...
respectively, and came in as a substitute for the 1963 and 1964 Railway Cup final defeats at the hands of Ulster
Ulster GAA
The Ulster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, and handball in the province of Ulster. The headquarters of the Ulster GAA is based in Armagh City....
.
He first came to national attention on the senior team in 1958, when he featured at corner back on the Dublin side that pipped Derry
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
in the All-Ireland senior football final
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
. By the time he collected his second senior All-Ireland medal five years later, Foley had made the No.3 shirt his own and had established a reputation for himself as one of the most formidable full backs in the business. He was never known to become embroiled in rough play and did his utmost to quell any such outbreaks in games that he played. His calming presence often helped referees during difficult and tense encounters.
Lar had his fair share of success at national league level. He had entered the fray as a substitute as Kildare
Kildare GAA
For more information see Kildare Senior Club Football Championship or Kildare Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Kildare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Kildare GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kildare...
were ousted in the 1957/58 decider and played against Down in the 1961/62 National Football league
National Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
final. He was also on the Dublin team which defeated Down
Down GAA
The Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Down GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Down...
to win the 'home' final of 1963/64.
Hurling
Like his brother Des and many other St Vincent’s players of that era, he was also already widely acclaimed as a dual-coder of exceptional ability. Both brothers featured (Lar at left corner back) in the 1961 All-Ireland FinalAll-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1961
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1961 was the 75th series of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition...
when Dublin came agonisingly close to toppling a star-studded Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
side, losing by a single point, on a scoreline of 0-16 to 1-12.
Lar met with more luck at interprovincial level in the hurling code, however. He wore the No.4 jersey in three successive Railway Cup hurling finals, 1962–64, collecting winners medals in 1962 and 1964 but losing narrowly to Munster after a replay in the intervening year’s showpiece.