Larry Stanley

{{Short description|Gaelic footballer and athlete}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox GAA player | code= Football | sport = Gaelic football | image = | name = Larry Stanley | irish = Labhrás de Stainléigh | birth_date = 19 May 1896 | birth_place=Blacktrench, Caragh, Naas, County Kildare | death_date = 21 September 1987 (aged 91) | death_place = Dublin, Ireland | feet = 6 | inches = 1 | occupation = Garda Síochána | county = Kildare | province = Leinster | club = Caragh O'Tooles Garda | cposition = | clubs = | clyears = | clapps(points) = | clcounty = 2 | clprovince= | clallireland = | counties = Kildare Dublin Kildare | icposition = Centre-forward | icyears = 1916-1919 1920-1925 1926-1930 | icapps(points) = | icprovince = 3 | icallireland = 2 | nfl = 0 | allstars = 1 | clupdate = | icupdate = }} '''Larry Stanley''' (19 May 1896 – 21 September 1987)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/71595 |title=Larry Stanley |work=Olympedia |access-date=29 September 2021}}</ref> was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played at senior level for the Kildare and Dublin county teams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kildare.ie/library/ehistory/2008/12/death_of_legendary_footballer.asp|title=Adieu to Kildare giant of sport|publisher=Leinster Leader|date=|accessdate=27 December 2012}}</ref>

== Biography == Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Stanley made his first appearance on the inter-county scene during the 1916 championship and was a regular member of the starting fifteen for both Kildare and Dublin until his retirement after the 1930 championship. During that time he won two All-Ireland medals and three Leinster medals. Stanley captained Kildare to the All-Ireland title in 1919.

At club level Stanley enjoyed a hugely successful career with Caragh, winning two county club championship. He also played with O'Tooles and the Garda club in Dublin.

Stanley was also a successful high jumper, winning the British AAA Championships title in the high jump event at the 1924 AAA Championships.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000320/19240621/189/0006 |title=To-day's Athletics|work=Gloucestershire Echo |date=21 June 1924 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=3 January 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19240623/112/0004 |title=Athletic Championships |work=Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer |date=23 June 1924 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=3 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/AAA400H.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=3 January 2025 }}</ref> Shortly afterwards he was selected for the Irish team at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kildare.ie/library/ehistory/2009/12/famous_kildare_athlete_retires.asp|title=Famous Kildare athlete retires|publisher=Leinster Leader|date=|accessdate=27 December 2012}}</ref><ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/larry-stanley-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418115505/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/larry-stanley-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Larry Stanley Olympic Results |accessdate=26 December 2017}}</ref>

In retirement from sport Stanley came to be recognised as one of the greats of Gaelic football. In 1980 he was the inaugural recipient of the All-Time All Star Award. He was posthumously included on a special selection of the greatest Garda football team ever.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kerryman.ie/sport/gaelic-football/five-kerry-players-selected-on-greatest-garda-football-team-542120.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130217190604/http://www.kerryman.ie/sport/gaelic-football/five-kerry-players-selected-on-greatest-garda-football-team-542120.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 February 2013|title=Five Kerry players selected on greatest Garda football team|publisher=The Kerryman|date=10 March 2005|accessdate=27 December 2012}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-sports}} {{succession box| before=| title=Kildare Senior Football Captain| years=1919| after=Mick Buckley }} {{s-ach|ach}} {{succession box| after=Jerry Shelly (Tipperary)| title=All-Ireland Senior Football Final winning captain| years=1919| before=Jim Byrne (Wexford) }} {{s-ach|aw}} {{succession box | after=Tommy Murphy (Laois) | title=All-Time All Star Award | years=1980 | before=''Newly created award'' }} {{s-end}}

{{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Stanley, Larry}} Category:1896 births Category:1987 deaths Category:All-Ireland–winning captains (football) Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1924 Summer Olympics Category:Caragh Gaelic footballers Category:Dublin inter-county Gaelic footballers Category:Gaelic football goalkeepers Category:Garda Gaelic footballers Category:Garda Síochána officers Category:Irish men high jumpers Category:Kildare inter-county Gaelic footballers Category:Olympic athletes for Ireland Category:Winners of two All-Ireland medals (Gaelic football) Category:Athletes from County Kildare Category:People from Prosperous, County Kildare Category:Police officers from County Kildare Category:Irish Free State sportsmen