The former Offaly manager and Longford native Eugene McGee has sadly passed away.

McGee, who was in his late 70s, led Offaly to the 1982 All Ireland senior football championship, as they denied Kerry 5 in a row in one of the most famous finals in history.

He was also a distinguished journalist and served as the chair of the Football Review Committee.

Personally, I got to know Eugene when he regularly contributed to Today FM's Championship Sunday GAA magazine show.

He was a natural journalist, inquisitive, forthright and challenging, and was both the MD and Editor of the Longford Leader newspaper.  He also was a regular contributor to the Irish Independent.

Behind the straight talk was a kind man with a dry sense of humour, who was accommodating and always had something original to contribute.

When we think of revolutionary gaelic football managers, we perhaps think of Jim Gavin or Jim McGuinness.  Eugene McGee was one of the first of that breed, initially by guiding UCD to All Ireland club football championship titles in 1974 and 1975 and then with the Faithful County.

With Offaly, McGee helped end Dublin's dominance in Leinster, as Kevin Heffernan's men had won six successive provincial titles in the East.

Offaly, who were All Ireland champions in 1971 and 1972, broke through again in Leinster in 1980 and would claim three provincial crowns in a row.

Matt Connor, Sean Lowry, Richie Connor and goalkeeper Martin Furlong were the mainstays of that great team, but it was Seamus Darby that made Offaly and McGee part of folklore.

In the dying moments of the 1982 final, Darby, who had come off the bench, crashed a shot into the net and Kerry were beaten by a point, 1-15 to 17 points.

McGee was the mastermind of that success, and things were never the same on the pitch for Offaly after that.  How could they be?

He was a successful businessman and an evangelist of good football.  He was a key advocate for a more free flowing game.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

May he rest in peace.