Not everybody knows that Johnny Culloty’s first appearance for Kerry was as a hurler in fact, he was a tender 14 years of age when he donned the Kerry Jersey as a Minor goalkeeper.
He went on to play at inter-county level for four years in that grade.
He first played with Killarney Minors at the age of 13, and in a very successful era for hurling in the Killarney area he was one of five players to play in all three Minor County Championship successes with Killarney.
He was the first Killarney man to win an all Ireland Hurling medal with Kerry and in 1969, he added a county Hurling Championship medal to the football medal he had already won with East Kerry.
A look at his medal haul confirms his prowess as a hurler:
1 All – Ireland Junior Hurling medal 1961
4 National Hurling league div 2 medals
1 Senior County Championship medal with Killarney in 1969
4 County Intermediate Hurling medals with Killarney
3 County Minor Hurling medals with Killarney -1950, 1951, 1952
Mottos:
Johnny Culloty’s motto is simple:
“Never wallow in victory, never get too depressed in defeat. It’s still only a sport”
Wise words indeed from a man who has made a truly remarkable contribution to sport both in Kerry and further afield.