Double All-Ireland winning Offaly legend Kevin Kilmurray (72) passes away

Kilmurray, aged 72, was one of their chief architects during a glorious spell for the county that also yielded three successive Leinster titles from 1971 to 1973. His death comes after a lengthy illness.

Renowned for his playmaking and force of personality from centre-forward, Kilmurray's career stretched from 1969, when he featured as a substitute in their All-Ireland defeat to Kerry, to 1982 when he played one final league game against Kerry before retiring.

He wasn't involved in the 1982 All-Ireland success, nor the All-Ireland final defeat to Kerry in 1981 but by then had won five provincial senior medals. He won All Stars in 1972 and '73 before adding an All-Ireland club title with UCD in 1974 when Eugene McGee was manager. UCD defended their title in 1975 but Kilmurray did not play in the final against Nemo Rangers that year.

His association with McGee in those years was an influence in bringing the Longford man to the county as manager as they enjoyed a second wave of success, dislodging Dublin in the 1980 Leinster Championship, a campaign that Kilmurray played an important role in.

He played his club football with Daingean in Offaly before moving to Civil Service in Dublin, In later years he was involved with St Brigid's in Blanchardstown where he was senior team manager for a spell.

He managed Offaly for a couple of seasons, after a turbulent spell that saw managers depart in successive years after just one year in charge, and took them to the 2006 Leinster final which they lost to Dublin.

Kilmurray is predeceased by four other members of the 1971-72 vintage, Larry Coughlan, Kieran Claffey, Mick O'Rourke and Paddy Fenning.