It's 30 years this Christmas Day since appalling misfortune befell one of the most gifted forwards of all time. On 25 December 1984, Matt Connor was involved in a car crash which left him paralysed from the waist down. He was 24 at the time and had already won one All-Ireland, three Leinster titles and three All-stars.
His greatest performance was the All-Ireland semi-final of 1980 against Kerry, when he scored an astonishing 2-9, only to see Kerry win a high scoring game by five points.
Two years later, he was Offaly's chief marksman and free-taker when they won the big one - in circumstances no one needs reminding of. In a wheelchair since the accident, he has worked as a selector with the Offaly seniors in the past and was involved in the Irish international rules setup when old sparring partner John O'Keefe became manager.
This terrific tribute video has been put together by Owen Dunne and does full justice to one of the all-time greats.
This is a quote Offaly football mentor Fr. Sean Heaney gave to Michael Foley in Kings of September.
