Benefit Night For Former Offaly Footballer
Thursday, 22 December 2011
A BENEFIT night has been arranged to offset the medical expenses of a former Offaly footballer who suffered a major stroke last year.
Tom Furlong, a member of a legendary Tullamore family, has been living in the USA, mainly in New York, since the 1960s, and he is recovering well since his illness but has massive medical expenses.
Committees have been set up in both Tullamore and New York to help defray those costs and they have organised big fundraising events.
In Tullamore, a big benefit night will take place in the Tullamore Court Hotel on Friday, February 24 while the New York Tom Furlong Benefit Committee are holding a benefit night in Yonkers on January 22.
Tom Furlong was one of the most highly rated prospects in Offaly before emigration took him to New York - He won a Leinster Minor Football Championship medal with Offaly in 1960 and was on the senior panel that reached the 1961 All-Ireland final, where they were beaten by Down.
People still speak fondly of Tom's talent to the current day but in 1964, a promising football career ended when he emigrated to New York.
His life took an other extraordinary twist there as he almost ground out a successful career in American football. He had a trial for the New York Giants before winning a contract with the Atlanta Falcons as a field goal kicker but unfortunately, injury ended his dream.
He played for the Offaly exiles team in New York and won a National Football League medal with New York in 1967 but retired all together at just 27 years of age.
He owned a pub in the Catskill Mountains for years and has visited home regularly down the years.
Tom was well enough to attend the recent Offaly Association in New York dinner dance and many of his friends from home and in the States have formed the committees to help him out as he battles back to full health.
Offaly football legend and All-Ireland winning captain, Willie Bryan is chairman of the local committee and it also includes Brian Cowen, Sean Maunsell, Alo Kelly, Jim Buckley, Carole Collins, Tony Maher, Fergal McKeown, Ray Digan, Pat Cleary, Liam Norris, Ricey Scully and Tony Flanagan.
The Furlong family have been synonymous with Tullamore and Offaly football since the 1950s. Oldest brother, the late Mickey was a legendary player in the 1950s while Martin Furlong is one of the greats of Offaly football, winning All-Ireland senior medals in goals in 1971, 1972 and 1982. Another brother, the late John was one of the great characters in town and the Furlong family home was situated on the site of the current Tullamore Court Hotel - The main bar in the hotel is called the Furlong Bar.
More details of the big benefit night will be announced in the coming weeks.
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