Martin Valentine Gannon (2 April 1919[1] – 6 August 1986) was an Irish Gaelic footballer and coach who played for club side Mullahoran and at senior level for the Cavan county team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Vail Mag Fhionnáin | ||
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Born |
2 April 1919 Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland | ||
| Died |
6 August 1986 (aged 67) Lisdarn, Cavan, Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Occupation | Lorry driver | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
| Mullahoran | |||
| Club titles | |||
| Cavan titles | 6 | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | ||
1947–1948 | Cavan | ||
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Ulster titles | 2 | ||
| All-Irelands | 2 | ||
| NFL | 1 | ||
Career
editGannon was described in his obituary a goalkeeper of "exceptional ability".[2] He first played with the Mullahoran club, winning a Cavan JFC title in 1940. He later won six Cavan SFC titles between 1942 and 1950. Gannon made his first appearance for the Cavan senior football team in the 1947 Ulster Championship. He ended the season by winning an All-Ireland Championship title after playing in goal in the 1947 All-Ireland final defeat of Kerry.[3] Gannon won a second All-Ireland medal, albeit as a non-playing substitute, after a defeat of Mayo in the 1948 All-Ireland final.[4] His other honours include two Ulster Championship medals and a National League title.
Personal life and death
editBorn in Ballina, County Mayo, Gannon was just four-years-old when his family moved to Mullahoran, County Cavan where his father worked as a railway stationmaster. Gannon later worked with CIÉ but left to work as a lorry driver.
Gannon died at St Joseph's Hospital in Cavan on 8 August 1986.
Honours
edit- Mullahoran
- Cavan Senior Football Championship: 1942, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1950
- Cavan Junior Football Championship: 1940
- Cavan
References
edit- ^ "Martin Gannon". Irish Genealogy. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ "Obituary: Mr. Val Gannon". The Anglo-Celt. 14 August 1986. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ Archer, Kenny (14 September 2017). "Seventy years on Cavan's Polo Grounds Final victory over Kerry is still recalled with pride". The Irish News. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ "60 years on. Remembering 1948, game by game". Hogan Stand. 1 April 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2021.