Ex-Down team-mates surprise Kielty in Late Late GAA special

Ex-Down team-mates surprise Kielty in Late Late GAA special

10 April 2024

PATRICK Kielty was, for once, briefly lost for words during Friday night’s Late Late Show on RTE.

The Dundrum man was taken aback when he was joined by his former Down team-mates during a  GAA special.

Kielty, who was a substitute goalkeeper for the team which won the All-Ireland minor football final in 1987, was caught unaware when the Sam Maguire Cup was brought in by his former teammates at the end of the show.

The 53 year-old admitted that he had no idea of what was happening.

“I’ve been told there is a change of plans, this is not in the ,” a clearly shocked and emotional Kielty said as the players joined him in the studio.

“I knew something was up and didn’t know what was up. This is a surprise, it says read the autocue Paddy, that’s what they are telling me to do.

“You may have heard me mention at least five times tonight, I do have an All-Ireland medal, yes I was a sub-goalie on the glorious All-Ireland Football Championship-winning Down minor team of 1987 and some of that team are here tonight.”

Among the players was Kielty’s brother, John, who was also a member of the team. “That’s our John,” he said.

Dundrum team-mate Martin Carey spoke about how proud Kielty’s late father Jack was the year they won the All-Ireland title.

“We were all talking earlier and we remembered the first person all of us saw when we came off the pitch that day in the tunnel was big Jack from a seat in the Hogan Stand,” he said.

“Tears of joy tripping him, he was the happiest man in Ireland and he told each and every one of us how proud he was of all of us, not just you two boys but the whole lot.

“So we’ll have a brandy for Jack later on tonight.”

Kielty was just 16 when his father, who was 45, was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries in 1988.

Closing the show, he said: “I have to say, he [Jack] might have been the proudest man in Ireland, but I’m the proudest man in Ireland to be here tonight on this stage with you guys.”