Mayo’s All-Ireland winning full back Paddy Prendergast dies aged 95

Ballintubber native was on the team who claimed back to back wins in 1950 and 1951

Paddy Prendergast was the final surviving member of the last Mayo team to win the All-Ireland senior football title on 1951. Photograph: Twitter
Paddy Prendergast was the final surviving member of the last Mayo team to win the All-Ireland senior football title on 1951. Photograph: Twitter

Paddy Prendergast, the final surviving member of the last Mayo team to win the All-Ireland senior football title has died aged 95.

The Ballintubber native was full back on the Mayo team who claimed back to back All-Ireland triumphs in 1950 and 1951.

Prendergast had also lined out at the edge of the square in the 1948 final - a defeat to Cavan. But made amends with victory over Louth in 1950 and again against Meath the following year.

A former Garda, he had previously played for the Donegal senior team after being stationed in the county. Despite spending most of his adult life in Tralee, after being transferred to Kerry in the 1960s, he remained a loyal follower of the Mayo footballers, who fell short in their latest attempt to end a 70 year wait for Sam Maguire in this month’s final defeat to Tyrone.

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While Prendergast was the remaining member of the 1951 Mayo team, former GAA president Dr Mick Loftus is now the last surviving member of the squad.

Eamon Donoghue

Eamon Donoghue

Eamon Donoghue is a former Irish Times journalist