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.The whole of Kerry
knew him as 'Small Jer' O'Leary from Killarney. Born in Main
Street in 1885 he lived in the same house for all of his 89
years. An only child he became a footballer of merit as he
entered his teens, a 'brainy and elusive' forward was how he was
described in the early 1900's. He was also Secretary and player
with Killarney Hurling club. A selector of Dr Croke winning
teams of 1912,13 and 14. He was instrumental in being involved
in the GAA buying Croke Park in 1913. He was a Kerry Minor
selectorin the early 1930's and Chairman of the Kerry Senior
selectors of 1936,'37, '38 and 1939 and Delegate to the Munster
Council on a number of occasions. All through his life he was an
active member of Dr Crokes Club. He was President of the club
when he died in 1974. He was also one of the prime movers in
getting Fitzgerald's Stadium off the ground and he was Chairman
of the stadium Committee for many years. Jer
married Ellen Kelliher of College Street in February 1918. They
had a family of four girls and two boys. An intellectual and
historian Jer could recall events with remarkable lucidity. This
wonderful memory made him such a valuable mine of information on
GAA affairs down through the years. Nobody ever questioned his
facts as he was always right! It is said that he could
give the full lineouts of every Kerry team that went to Croke
Park in his lifetime.
( Taken from Donie Sheahan's
article in Dr Crokes Gaelic Century)
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