Paddy Prendergast, who played at full-back on Mayo’s All-Ireland winning teams of 1950 and 1951 died on Saturday at the age of 95. With his passing, the final link to the group of players who took part in the last two All-Ireland finals won by the county has now been severed.
In this special episode of the Mayo News football podcast, we pay tribute to the late Paddy Prendergast. Rob Murphy hosts the show and he’s joined by Edwin McGreal of the Mayo News who has written extensively about the legendary full-back from Ballintubber and who knows the family history well.
Rob and Ed reflect on the legacy of Paddy Prendergast, focusing on his background and in particular on Ballintubber’s ‘Golden Mile’. They discuss Paddy’s love of Mayo and how he continued to support the county team down the decades, yearning all the while for Mayo to make that final breakthrough.
They talk about Paddy’s decency and integrity as a person and the many positive impressions he left on those he encountered, so many of whom wanted to speak with him about the men of 1950/1. This was something Paddy often found hard to do, knowing they had all gone before him.
We then hear the voice of the late, great Paddy Prendergast himself, in conversation with Rob in 2018. In this never-before-broadcast piece, Paddy reminisces on the journey to those two famous All-Ireland wins in 1950 and 1951.
This episode of the Mayo News football podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Podomatic and Spotify. You can also listen to it directly on the Mayo News website as well as here on the blog using the SoundCloud player below or the one on the panel on the right.
The Mayo News football podcast is produced and edited by Ger Duffy Media.
Such a charismatic gent , I could listen all night . An awful shame it didnt happen but at the same token I doubt he’d be the type to want us to dwell on it in a pitiful manner. RIP true son of Maigheo .
That is a beautiful tribute and insight in to the great man.
As humble as you like even after all he accomplished.
We all have alot to learn in life, but I’ve always felt, if we could take a couple of lessons from those that have gone before us, we would be in a great place.
The older stock, in times when people said they had nothing. They had it all.
Nowadays we think we have it all, and in alot of ways, we have alot of catching up to do, to reach the richness of life that these past generations lived.
So here’s to Paddy and all his old team mates and to the people of their times. They left it a great place for us, and I hope we hold their ways and beliefs and their respect for each other in a way that would make them all proud.
Listened to the podcast you could feel his deep love for Mayo even though he left the county decades ago.
Powerful words about rural Mayo in a time long ago, even though we are from completely different generations I could connect with what he said, the importance and love of football in Mayo.
It really is more than a sport, pride in our amazing county and people.
I’m genuinely sad he didnt get to see Mayo win one since.
Such a lovely and well spoken man. Amazing his love of the red and green (as he said himself) after all those years living out of the county. It’s so easy to see how that team were so successful as they had this love of the game, love of their county and love of each other’s company. Amazing to think that they all stayed 2 weeks in the same house in Ballina to build up that friendship and team spirit. And this was Ireland in the late 40’s and early 50’s when the world was coming out of most savage war in history. As others have commented, it was really sad and heartbreaking that we couldn’t have won another since 51 to give these living legends an opportunity to enjoy and pass on the baton as winners to another band of brothers.
RIP Paddy Prendergast, one of the finest persons to ever come out of this great red and green county.
I saved listening to that podcast until this morning. It felt a little like waiting for Christmas when I was a child. Hearing him refer to Louisburgh twice in the interview brought a big smile to my face.
I spent a few hours with Paddy and Irene in 2017 on my Wild Atlantic Way cycle which I was doing in memory of my mother who died that year. Paddy took a keen interest in the cycle, though is main focus was speaking and asking questions non-stop about Mayo. I have a lovely picture with him in his conservatory that looks out over their beautiful garden.
His energy and obvious love for Mayo helped ease my sore legs and give me renewed energy the rest of the journey.
There aren’t many people who make such a profound impact in such a short space of time (a couple of hours) but Paddy’s fierce love of his home place reminded me of why we are all so lucky to come from Mayo.
I saw him play in a league game in Killarney .I was there with my late father and grandfather.I remember them talking about him and Tom Langan.We were in the sideline so though small I had a great view of them.We were on the fifty and I can still remember Eamon Mongeys boot’s and the way they were tied.They got a great reception coming on to the field.It made an impression on my young mind to see how wonderfully well they looked ..their gear was spotless….all very strong and composed ready for the action. Watch how they rise for the ball my father said. Their timing for the jump was splendid…particularly Paddy’s it was indeed a great treat to have seen them play. May God give them all a bed in heaven.
Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann.
Also good to see several more senior people, with personal memories of Paddy Prendergast’s playing days, posting here. I remember buying a copy of The Road to 51 a few years back and seeing my own grandfather joyously combing through the picture section, prompting some fascinating memories of players he actually knew personally.
A different breed, back then.
Paddy P as he was known to many was a proud Mayo man and was loved here in The Kingdom by all who were lucky to know him. He was a man who achieved greatness on the sporting field yet he was a gentle and infinitely humble man off it. I remember seeing him on Fenit beach a good few years ago and I pointed him out to my young lad and told him who he was. He was in his late eighties then and I remember thinking to myself if there is any truth in this curse thing it will be a good few years before they get over the line as he was even at that age a very powerful and fit man who moved like a man in his fifties.
He has run out of the tunnel now and rejoined his team mates much to their delight, RIP
Wonderful tribute to a truly great man. May he rest in peace. We will not see the like again.
Just listened to the Podcast with the interview with the late Paddy Prenderghast, he had such a harmonious speaking voice and lilt, he could easily have been a hypnotist.. Very easy to listen to.
Paddy was a great and friendly character and could converse with anyone. A great smile and a positive attitude wre hall marks of this great man.
Very sad when he said” we might never see it” right at the end.
Just had the chance to listen to it now and it was a great tribute and very interesting interview. Fully agreed Mayo 36 the sign off really gets to you
Really enjoyed that. So sharp. Would never guess his age. RIP Paddy Prendergast.