Dinny Long

Denis Long (born 1949) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer. At club level, he played with Cullen, Millstreet and Austin Stacks, and at inter-county level with the Cork senior football team.

Career

Long first played Gaelic football at club level with Cullen. He was still eligible for the minor grade when he won a Duhallow JFC medal with the club in 1967. Long subsequently transferred to the Millstreet club and won a Kelleher Shield title in 1971. He joined the Austin Stacks club after moving to Tralee in 1975. Long was part of the Stacks team that beat Ballerin by 1–13 to 2–07 to win the All-Ireland Club SFC title in 1977.

At inter-county level, Long first played for Cork as part of the minor team that beat Laois to win the All-Ireland MFC title in 1967. He progressed to the under-21 team and won consecutive Munster U21FC medals before winning an All-Ireland U21FC medal in 1970, in what was his last game in the grade.

By that stage, Long had already made his first appearance for the senior team. He won the first of three Munster SFC medals in four years in 1971. Long lined out as midfield partner to Denis Coughlan when Cork beat Galway by 3–17 to 2–13 in the 1973 All-Ireland SFC final. He ended the year by winning the first of two All Stars. During a carnival at Banteer in 1973, Long refereed a ladies' Gaelic football match between Kerry and Cork. This was one of the earliest ladies' Gaelic football inter-county games in Munster.

Long's performances at inter-county level resulted in his inclusion on the Munster inter-provincial team at various times between 1971 and 1977. He won three consecutive Railway Cup medals between 1975 and 1977, after respective defeats of Ulster, Leinster and Connacht.

Personal life

Long moved to Tralee in 1975 and ran a general electrical business until his retirement in 2007. His son, Darragh Long, played for and managed Austin Stacks, as well as playing minor and under-21 football with Kerry.

Honours

Cullen Duhallow Junior Football Championship (1): 1967

Millstreet Kelleher Shield (1): 1971

Austin Stacks All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship (1): 1977 Munster Senior Club Football Championship (1): 1976 Kerry Senior Football Championship (3): 1975, 1976, 1979

Cork All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (1): 1973 Munster Senior Football Championship (3): 1971, 1973, 1974; All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship (1) 1970 Munster Under-21 Football Championship (2) 1969, 1970 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship (1) 1967 Munster Minor Football Championship (1) 1967

Munster Railway Cup (3): 1975, 1976, 1977