Paddy Prendergast: Last starter from victorious Mayo side in 1951 dies aged 95

Paddy Prendergast, who was the last surviving starter from Mayo's 1951 All-Ireland Football winning side, has died at the age of 95.

Earlier this month, Prendergast was described by his former county team-mate Dr Mick Loftus as the "best footballer I ever saw".

Loftus was a substitute during the 1951 All-Ireland Final win over Meath but did not feature in the game.

Full-back Prendergast also helped Mayo win the 1950 All-Ireland title.

The Ballintubber native also played for Donegal for a time after his work as a Garda took him to the Ulster county for a time.

In the build-up to this year's All-Ireland Final, 92-year-old Loftus dismissed the tale of a curse put on the county's football team following their 1951 triumph.

The story went that a priest put a curse on Mayo football after the lorry transporting the victorious players following their win over Meath failed to pay proper respects to a funeral cortege in the town of Foxford.

Supposedly the priest had decreed Mayo would not win another All-Ireland until all members of the team had gone to their eternal rest.

"There was no funeral. I don't remember any one….let it go boy," said Dr Mick as he only recalled roadside celebrations which began in the county Roscommon towns of Elphin and Strokestown.

"I often think that's a bit of hullabaloo.

"When we arrived in Ballaghaderreen that's when the celebrations really started. They got a lorry someplace and put us in the back of it and from there down to Ballina, we were in the back of that truck.

"Every town we went through there was cheering and roaring and it was great."