Weeshie Fogarty Explained

Aloysius Weeshie Fogarty
Native Name:Alabhaois Ó Fógartaigh
Other Names:Weeshie
Birth Date:March 1941
Birth Place:Cork, Ireland
Death Place:Kerry, Ireland
Nationality:Irish
Occupation:Broadcaster・Psychiatric Nurse・Referee
Embed:yes
County:Kerry
Sport:Gaelic football
Code:Football
Province:Munster
Club:Killarney Legion
Clubs:Killarney Legion
East Kerry
Cleast Kerry:1
Clcounty:4
Clprovince:2
Clallireland:1
Counties:Kerry
Icposition:Goalkeeper
Icyears:1969–1971
Icapps(Points):0 (0-00)
Icallirekand Junior:1
Icprovince:1
Icallireland:1

Aloysius "Weeshie" Fogarty (March 1941 – 18 November 2018) was an Irish Gaelic footballer, referee and sports broadcaster. His league and championship career with the Kerry senior team lasted three seasons from 1969 to 1971.

Biography

"Weeshie" Fogarty was born in Cork in March 1941 to parents Richard and Kathleen Fogarty.[1] He joined the Killarney Legion GAA club in February 1955 at the age of fourteen and went on to win several divisional senior championship medals with the club.[2]

Fogarty made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he was selected for the Kerry minor team in 1959. He enjoyed one championship season with the minor team, however, he was a Munster runner-up. Fogarty subsequently joined the Kerry under-21 team, winning a Munster medal in 1962. In 1965, Fogarty qualified as a psychiatric nurse and found employment in St. Finan's Psychiatric Hospital, working there for 38 years until 2003.[3] The death of his father Richard at the age of 62 following a heart attack, stroke and prostate cancer deeply affected Fogarty, who stated in his autobiography that "the memory of his suffering remains vivid to me".

As a member of the Kerry junior team, Fogarty won an All-Ireland medal in 1967. He later joined the Kerry senior team when he was added to the panel for the 1969 championship. Over the course of the next few seasons, he won one All-Ireland medal as a non-playing substitute in 1969.[4] He also won one Munster medal. Fogarty played his last game for Kerry in October 1970 after a serious eye injury ended his inter-county career. With the divisional East Kerry team he won an All-Ireland medal as a non-playing substitute in 1971. Fogarty also won two Munster medals and four county senior championship medals.

Following his retirement from football, Fogarty served as a referee. He oversaw All-Ireland football semi-finals from 1981 to 1983, and was the first referee in the history of the GAA to deploy a yellow card.[5]

From 1998, Fogarty worked as a sports broadcaster. He worked for Radio Kerry[6] where he hosted his own show called Terrace Talk on Monday evenings, while he also wrote for The Kerryman newspaper.[7] Fogarty's autobiography, My Beautiful Obession: Chasing the Kerry Dream, was published in November 2012.[8] [9]

In 2015, he was involved in the documentary All Ireland Day.[10]

On 18 November 2018, Fogarty died at the age of 77.[11]

On 28 April 2022, a roundabout at the junction between Dalton's Avenue and Marian Terrace in Killarney was named after Fogarty.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Fogarty, Weeshie . My Beautiful Obsession: Chasing the Kerry Dream . . 2012 . 9781848891562 . 16–20 . en.
  2. Web site: 'The voice of Kerry football' Weeshie Fogarty honoured forever . 2022-10-07 . independent . 29 April 2022 . en.
  3. Web site: Weeshie: 'Don't let St Finan's fall into disrepair' . 2022-10-07 . independent . 21 November 2012 . en.
  4. Web site: Tributes flow for late Weeshie Fogarty . 2022-10-07 . www.gaa.ie . en.
  5. Web site: RTÉ . 2018-11-18 . Legendary Kerry GAA commentator Weeshie Fogarty dies . en.
  6. Web site: Sports Award for Radio Kerry. Hoganstand.com. 23 May 2001. 29 May 2021.
  7. Web site: O'Brien . Kevin . Legendary Kerry broadcaster Weeshie Fogarty passes away aged 77 . 2022-10-07 . The42 . 18 November 2018 . en.
  8. Web site: Weeshie . Fogarty . Official Launch of 'My Beautiful Obsession' . 2022-10-09 . Terrace Talk . en.
  9. Web site: Moynihan . Michael . 2012-11-16 . Fogarty has spent life as man in the middle . 2022-10-09 . Irish Examiner . en.
  10. Web site: All Ireland Day. Loosehorse. 29 May 2021.
  11. News: Legendary Kerry Broadcaster Weeshie Fogarty Dies Aged 77. Browne. PJ. 18 November 2018. Balls.ie. 18 November 2018.
  12. Web site: 2022-04-28 . Much missed Weeshie Fogarty remembered on his home patch – Killarney Advertiser . 2022-10-07 . killarneyadvertiser.ie . en-GB.