Retirement
In retirement from playing, Mackey came to be regarded as one of the true legends of the game and is frequently touted as one of the greatest players of all-time. In his later years he maintained a keen interest in the game. He officiated at games as a referee and as an umpire and he trained the Limerick side, known as “Mackey’s greyhounds,” that defeated warm favourites Clare in the 1955 Munster final. The Mackey Stand at the Limerick Gaelic Grounds is named in his honour.
Mick Mackey died on 13 September 1982. His funeral was one of the biggest-ever for a sportsperson in Ireland with thousands coming to Castleconnell, not alone from all parts of Limerick, but from the heartlands of his traditional rivals, Tipperary, Cork and Kilkenny. He was posthumously honoured on the GAA’s Hurling Team of the Century and on the Hurling Team of the Millennium.
A biography of Mick Mackey has been produced in advance of the 100th anniversary of his birth in 2012. This book will be released in August 2011.
Read more about this topic: Mick Mackey
Famous quotes containing the word retirement:
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914)
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—Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667)