Frank Stockwell

Frank Stockwell (7 December 1928 – 9 March 2009) was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for his local club Tuam Stars and at senior level for the Galway, Louth and London county teams at various periods between 1949 and 1960.

He is regarded as Galway's greatest-ever full forward.

Playing career Stockwell began his inter-county career in 1949, at the age of 19. He continued to play for Galway until 1950, when he moved to Louth to play club football with. This led to Stockwell playing for the Louth seniors in 1950 and 1951. He returned to Galway for the 1952 Championship and revived a devastating attacking partnership with his Tuam Stars teammate and friend, Seán Purcell. Lining out at full forward, his ability to finish the chances created by Purcell brought considerable success to Galway in their overall consistency during the 1950s. In 1956, he won an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, beating Cork in the final by 2–13 to 3–07. The final was most notable for Stockwell scoring a then-record 2-05. He was unlucky not to add to that tally, having a goal disallowed. Although this scoring tally was surpassed in later years, his achievement was more remarkable given that it occurred during a 60-minute final, a record that seems unlikely to ever be broken. He retired from inter-county football in 1960, having won every major honour possible. A large crowd turned out in Tuam for the funeral, similar as it was for Purcell who predeceased Stockwell in 2005. John Joe Holleran, Galway football board chairmen said, "He was an iconic figure during what turned out to be a glorious period for Galway football. Generations have grown up in Galway hearing about their exploits and it was an privilege for us to see them in action."