Seamus Leydon

1960 started with success for Leydon in the Hogan Cup All-Ireland Schools Football Championship with a 3-10 to 3-7 victory for St Jarlath's College over St Finian's College. Among Seamus' teammates on the Jarleth's team were future Galway teammates Johnny Geraghty, Enda Colleran and Pat Donnellan.[2]

The success continued in 1960 as a star studded Galway Minor team won Connacht and All-Ireland honours beating Cork 4-9 to 1-5 in a one sided All-Ireland final.

In 1961 Leydon made his inter-county Galway debut at Senior level and quickly established himself on the team. Backboned by the 1959 and 1960 minor teams (eight of whom made it through to Senior level), Galway were a coming force.

They were defeated by Dublin in the 1963 All-Ireland final however the Corrib-siders were not to be denied. Between 1964 and 1966 they famously achieved the three-in-a-row beating Kerry in 1964 All-Ireland final and 1965 All-Ireland final and then Meath in 1966 All-Ireland final.[3][4][5]

Leydon enjoyed further success with Galway winning Connacht titles in 1968, 1970 and 1971 and making it back to the 1971 All-Ireland final losing out to Offaly.

At the time when the Railway Cup was a popular competition, Leydon was a regular on the Connacht team from 1964 to 1972. He played on both of Connacht's wins in 1967 and 1969.

At club level, Leydon was a central figure in the Dunmore MacHales team that emerged to dominate Galway football during the 1960s. Dubbed the Kings of the Sixties, Dunmore won five Galway Senior Football Championship titles in 1961, 63, 66, 68 (captained by Leydon) and 69. Among Seamus' teammates on the Dunmore team were Galway teammates John Keenan, Tommy Keenan, Bosco McDermott, John Donnellan, Pat Donnellan and future Galway goalkeeper Gay Mitchell.

Leydon retired from inter-county football in 1972 when his job with Cantrell and Cochrane required him to move to Cork. He joined Nemo Rangers and once again enjoyed success winning Cork Senior Football Championship and Munster titles in 1974 and 1975.

Leydon was selected on the Cu Chullain teams of 1965 and 1966. When the first All-Star team was picked in 1971, Leydon was selected in the corner-forward position.

In 1999, Leydon was voted onto the Galway Team of the Millennium, a fitting reflection on one of the finest forwards ever to wear the maroon jersey.

• Hogan Cup:
  • Winner (1):1960

• Galway Senior Football Championship:
  • Winner (5):1961, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1969
• Connacht Senior Club Football Championship:
  • Winner (1):1966

• Cork Senior Football Championship:
  • Winner (2):1974, 1975
• Munster Senior Club Football Championship:
  • Winner (2):1974, 1975

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship:
  • Winner (3): 1964, 1965, 1966
  • Runner-up (2): 1963, 1971
• Connacht Senior Football Championship:
  • Winner (7): 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1971
  • Runner-up (2): 1961, 1962
• National Football League:
  • Winner (1): 1964–65
  • Runner-up (1): 1965-66
• All-Ireland Minor Football Championship:
  • Winner (1): 1960

• Railway Cup:
  • Winner (2): 1967, 1969

• All Star (1): 1971