Tributes to Mick Crotty as he is laid to rest in Kilkenny

Tributes have been paid to the former Kilkenny and James Stephens senior hurler, and local businessman, Michael (Mick) Crotty, who passed away on Friday.

His funeral took place yesterday (Monday), with the cortege passing down High Street. As a tribute for his service to club and county, a large gathering of club members and former team-mates formed a guard of honour for his funeral procession from his home to St Patrick’s church for Requiem Mass after which he was laid to rest in St Kieran’s cemetery.

A minute’s silence was observed before at a number of local GAA matches at the weekend, including the minor final in which his James Stephens were taking part.

Mr Crotty passed away peacefully on Friday night with his wife Evelyn and family by his bedside having bravely fought a long  illness.

Kilkenny GAA said it was saddened to hear of the passing of Mick Crotty.  Mick had an illustrious career with his club, James Stephens, and on the Kilkenny inter-county panel.

In 1969, Mick won two senior county titles – the first in Cork playing for UCC, where he was a student, and later the same year, Mick won the Kilkenny senior county final with James Stephens.  Mick went on to amass four Kilkenny titles, two Leinster titles and two All-Ireland titles with James Stephens.

When Mick retired from inter-county hurling, he had won six Leinster titles, one National Hurling League title and four All-Ireland titles.  He also won an All Star award in 1974.

Mick was also a huge supporter of Cumann na mBunscol for upwards of 50 years.

Kilkenny GAA would like to extend its sympathies to Mick’s wife Evelyn, children Paddy, Kathryn, Michael, Olivia and James, his brothers and sisters, grandchildren and extended family.

For decades, Mick ran a successful educational supply business and sponsored the Kilkenny primary school’s Cumann Na mBunscoil school league competitions. Never one to court publicity, nevertheless, fame came his way via his spirited match winning contributions to James Stephens and Kilkenny championship winning sides over a 20-year playing career.

Having joined the James Stephens club in the late 1960s, in 1969 he created his own snippet of hurling history when winning senior hurling championship medals with both UCC in Cork and his home club, James Stephens. In the club’s golden era of the 1970’s Mick was a vital contributor to the club’s Kilkenny County Championship victories in 1975, ’76 and ’81.

With his highly competitive spirit and ability to convert scoring opportunities Mick was a vital member of the club’s 1976 Leinster club championship winning team that went on to become the first Leinster club team to claim the All-Ireland club title with a memorable victory over Blackrock (Cork). Again, as a member of the 1981/82 Kilkenny championship winning side the club repeated the 1975/76 All Ireland title run with Mick to the fore in a thrilling victory over Mount Sion (Waterford).

After being selected for the Kilkenny senior hurling team in 1969 he had to wait until 1972 to collect his first All-Ireland senior hurling medal going on to add three more McCarthy cup medals in 1974, ’75 and ’79. Mick’s performance in the 1974 final earned him a GAA All-Star award for, as the citation reads, ‘the flair and earnestness he demonstrated in attack’. In a stellar sporting career Mick also won an Oireachtas medal in 1969, a National League in 1976 and a Railway Cup medal in 1975. A keen hurling fan sensibly commented: “every championship team needs a Mick Crotty”.

We extend our sympathies to his wife Evelyn, his family Paddy, Kathryn, Michael, Olivia and James, his siblings Patricia, Pat, Nuala, Bernard and Fr Jim and the extended Crotty families. On Monday morning, as a tribute for his service to club and county a large gathering of club members and former team-mates formed a guard of honour for his funeral procession from his home to St Patrick’s church for Requiem Mass after which he was laid to rest in St. Kieran’s cemetery. “