Just a week after his parish hosted a major function in his honour, the legendary Galway footballer Noel Tierney passed away unexpectedly at the weekend.

The Milltown clubman was described as one of the county’s best full backs in living memory during the ‘sixties. He was part of the Galway three-in-a-row team.

Recently, the club paid tribute to the footballer at which newly crowned Footballer of the Year Paul Conroy attended. He was following in the illustrious footsteps of Noel Tierney himself, who was named Footballer of the Year in 1964.

Milltown journalist and broadcaster Jim Carney described him as “a dynamic footballer” and his passing came as a shock to the whole community.

When the recent event was held to honour his playing career, it was attended by many of his former footballing colleagues who were vocal in their praise of his talents and achievements.

Present were eleven other members of the Galway three-in-a-row squad – Bosco McDermott (who spoke to the audience on behalf of Noel’s county team-mates), Colie McDonagh, Mick Garrett, Jimmy Duggan, Christy Tyrrell, Sean Cleary, John and Tommie Keenan, and Tom Sands.

A dynamic, at times invincible full-back in the legendary Galway three-in-a-row football team of the 1960s, the powerfully-built Tierney – flanked by Enda Colleran and Bosco McDermott, with brilliant goalkeeper Johnny Geraghty behind them – were highly influential in the Sam Maguire Cup victories of 1964, ’65 and ’66.

This year marked the Golden Jubilee (60th) anniversary of the 1964 triumph.

There was a very large attendance at Milltown Community Centre last Sunday week, November 3, when the local GAA club and the community marked the diamond jubilee of Noel Tierney’s selection as 1964 national Footballer of the Year.

It was extra special for the delighted audience that they were then treated to a surprise visit by the recently crowned 2024 Footballer of the Year, Paul Conroy.

If ’64 was a memorable year for the 22-year-old Milltown farmer from the townland of Carrownageeha, it got better in ’65 and ’66 as Galway went on to clinch the three-in-a-row with another All-Ireland final victory over Kerry (as in ’64) and a surprisingly easy win over Meath in ’66.

Most members of that great Galway team had also won four Connacht SFC medals by then (the first in 1963), and they made it five in 1968.

For his club Milltown, Noel Tierney won a North Board minor championship medal in 1960; county junior and divisional medals in 1961, and the Frank Fox Cup for the 1971 county senior championship.

He won Connacht minor championship medals in 1959 and 1960, an All-Ireland minor championship in 1960 and Connacht senior championship medals in 1964, 1965 and 1966.

Apart from winning the Footballer of the Year in 1964, Noel was also a Hall of Fame inductee in 1992.

Noel Tierney died peacefully at UHG on Sunday. He was 82. His Funeral Mass takes place today (Thursday) at 12 noon at St Joseph’s Church, Milltown, with burial afterwards in Kilgevrin Cemetery.

Predeceased by his son Fergal, brothers James, Fr Peter and Michael and sister Sr Margaret, he is survived by his wife Peggy, son Martin, daughters Aoife and Mairead, daughter-in-law Olivia, sons-in-law Sean and Paul, grandchildren Alana, Ciara, Sorcha, Cathal, James, Faye, Keela, Oisin and Culann, brother Sean, sisters Bridie, Kathleen, Nora, Teresa and Ann and the extended family.

Pictured: The late Noel Tierney, Footballer of the Year in 1964, welcomes this year’s recipient Paul Conroy at the celebration to mark Noel’s long sporting career with Milltown and Galway, held just over a week ago. Also pictured are Michael Rhatigan of the organising committee and another Galway hero Mick Garrett. Photo: Jacinta Fahy Photography