Éamonn Young

Edward D. "Éamonn" Young (7 August 1921 – 3 August 2007) was an Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with the Doheny’s, Collins and Army clubs and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1942 until 1953.Young is regarded as Cork’s greatest-ever player.

Club

Young joined his local club Doheny's just as the club joined the senior ranks in 1939. Four years later, in 1943, he joined the Collin's club and enjoyed much success. Here, he won senior county titles in 1949, 1951, and 1953. Young continued playing with Collins’ throughout the 1950s but returned to his native club, Doheny’s, in the 1960s, with whom he finished his club career.

Inter-county

Young, ironically, first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork minor hurling team. He won a Munster medal at this level in 1938, and subsequently collected an All-Ireland. In 1939, the success continued and Young was a dual medal winner in Munster. He later won a second All-Ireland minor hurling medal in the company of the legendary Christy Ring. Young graduated onto the Cork junior football team in 1940 and won a Munster medal before joining the county senior team in 1943. He won a senior Munster title that year, however, Cork were later beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final. Two years later, in 1945, Young won a second Munster medal before lining out in Croke Park for the All-Ireland final. On that day, he won his only senior All-Ireland medal as Cork defeated Cavan. It was the Leesiders first championship title since 1911. Young won a third provincial title in 1949, however, Cork failed in the All-Ireland semi-final. Three years later, in 1952, Young was captain of the Cork senior football team. That year, he won a National Football League medal before collecting a fourth Munster title. Once again, however, Cork failed in the All-Ireland semi-final. Young retired from inter-county football in 1953.

Young also won Railway Cup medals with Munster in 1941, 1946 and 1949.

Retirement

In retirement from playing, Young served as a selector on various Cork football teams in the late 1950s. He died on August 3, 2007. Young was an English and history teacher at Colaiste an Spioraid Naoimh in Bishopstown, Cork City for many years after he left the Irish army.