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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Darragh Culhane

Pat Spillane final words as he says goodbye to RTE's the Sunday Game

Pat Spillane said goodbye to the Sunday Game after a 30 year career with the show.

And he left a happy man as his beloved Kerry climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand to win their first All-Ireland title since 2014.

Spillane is one of Kerry's true greats and will also go down as the game's best known pundit.

READ MORE: Adorable photo does the rounds of David and Paudie Clifford celebrating 2000 All-Ireland victory

And as the Kerry man sails off into the sunset he had a number of parting words.

In true Spillane fashion, he declared Kerry as the best team in the land, saying: "In Kerry's case, the cream has come to the top. We are reclaiming the game away slowly from some of the bluffers and spoofers and snake eye salesmen infiltrating some of the coaching."

Host Joanne Cantwell wouldn't let Spillane away that easily and paid tribute to her long time colleague, saying: "A big thank you to Pat Spillane, one of the greatest footballers in the history of the game brought punditry to new levels that it hasn't been to before and may never be to again.

"Drove us all a little crazy at time but he also made us laugh and entertained us and he was never, ever boring."

And in his last words on the show, Spillane said: "Go raibh mile".

Spillane had previously provided an emotional tribute to his father minutes after full time after he broke down in tears.

He said on air: "It's a lovely way to finish my time in the Sunday Game, I'm a passionate Kerry man and we knew there were a very talented bunch coming through but talent doesn't necessarily mean All-Irelands.

"Just from a personal point of view, in 1964 my father was a selector for Kerry against Galway and the night before the game he had a pain in the chest.

"He wouldn't go to the doctor, went to the game the following day as a selector and was dead on Tuesday.

"Kerry - Galway matches to me always bring back this memory and my father never saw us play, the three sons. And today the three sons have 19 All-Ireland medals and his two Grandsons today Killian and Adrian have two more and he would have been proud of 21 senior All-Ireland Football medals in his house.

"It's just a special day, a special day."

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