MAURICE COLLINS RIP; Family, friends and colleagues were shocked and saddened to learn yesterday evening of the sudden death of Maurice Collins – former Team Mentor and father of current Club Footballer, Mikey and former Club Footballers, Máiréad and Bríd.
For many years , with many teams, Maurice was a Club team Mentor, starting with the U11 team in 1992 who won the prestigious Dee O’Leary Tournament at Na Piarsaigh Club (Cork) and ending, 14 years later, when he was part of the 2006 SF Management team. Two of his co-selectors for most of that period included John Joe Sugrue (still a selector with today’s SF team) and Denny Long (former Club Football and Club Chairman). In the nineties and early noughties those Juvenile teams were some of the most successful teams in the Club’s history, winning almost every competition in which they participated. In 1999, at Minor level, they came within a whisker of winning the Co. Championship – going down to an eight Club Divisional side (South Kerry) by just one point. Three years later, when that team won the 2002 U21 Co. Championship, Maurice was still involved in the team’s management, along with John Joe and Denny and also Jackie Power). His final year, in a great career of mentoring Club teams, was with the Senior team during the 2006 season.
We extend sincere sympathy to Maurice’s wife Delia, his son Mikey, daughters Máiréad and Bríd and to all his extended family and friends.
Austin Stacks Club will provide a Guard of honour for the late Maurice Collins – remains leaving from Gleasures Funeral Home at 7.30pm tomorrow Thursday Oct 27th for St. Johns Church, Tralee. May he rest in peace.