There was the end of an era this week in Galway football and in the town of Tuam itself with the death of the great Frank Stockwell at the age of 80 after a long battle with illness.
Frankie was the second member of a footballing double act, which was almost as famous and successful as Laurel and Hardy in their prime.
The famed “Terrible Twins” – Stockwell and Purcell -inspired their beloved Tuam Stars to a record seven Galway SFC titles in a row from 1954 to '60, and Galway to the 1956 All-Ireland final where Stockwell, lining out at full-forward, scored 2-5 in their glorious win over Cork.
Indeed such was the high regard that they were held in Tuam, that two new roads in Tuam were named after them over the past decade. Those two men cast a long and glorious shadow on Galway football over the past 40 years with their famed skill, success and humility.
Hopefully they are back reunited and selling a few dummies and hitting a few scores again up in headquarters this week.
