Researching Paddy Dunne

He played for many years on the Laois senior football team in the centre half back position and was widely regarded as one of the outstanding players in Ireland of the 1950s.

With his club Park, he was captain as they won two Laois Senior Football Championship titles in 1952 and 1953.

Called up the Laois team in 1949 following outstanding performances for his Club Park, Paddy was centre back on the Laois team who were narrowly beaten by Meath in the 1951 Leinster Football Final. He would still be there in his famous no 6 jersey when Laois suffered another agonising defeat in the 1959 Leinster Football Final.

He also played for his province Leinster, winning three consecutive Railway Cup medals in 1952, 1953 and 1954, all on the field of play. Only one other Laois player, Colm Browne, has managed to emulate this feat.

Dunne played for the Rest Of Ireland XV in 1953 and 1954. He retired from all football following the 59 Leinster final due to a recurring back problem.

A lasting tribute to Dunne's greatness in the famous blue & white jersey was his selection at centre half back on the Laois team of the millennium which was selected a few years back.

In 2008 Dunne was selected to be inducted into the Laois GAA Hall of Fame.

A long-serving member of Dublin Corporation, Dunne stood unsuccessfully as a Labour candidate for Dáil Éireann at six successive general elections, but never won a seat. He contested Dublin North-East in 1965, 1969, and 1973, Dublin Artane in 1977, and Dublin North-West in the 1981 and February 1982 general elections.

After his 1981 defeat, he was nominated by the Taoiseach, Garret FitzGerald to the 15th Seanad Éireann, where he served until the election of the 16th Seanad in 1982. Dunne was one of three Labour nominees who were nominated with the intention that, supported by their senate salaries, they would devote their energies to strengthening the organisation and finances of the Labour Party. The choice of Dunne was seen as a settling of old scores with the party; Dunne was an ally of the Labour leader Michael O'Leary, and his senate seat was expected to strengthen Dunne's position against Brendan Halligan, his running-mate in Dublin North-West and an opponent of O'Leary's strategy of entering coalition with Fine Gael. Halligan did not stand in February 1982, but Dunne was beaten to the 4th seat in Dublin North-West by Proinsias De Rossa of Sinn Féin the Workers Party.

He died on 20 July 2006.