Kevin Dillon

Kevin Dillon was born in 1941 in Duagh, County Kerry, where he played his early football with the local club. At about the age of twenty he moved to Clonakilty in west Cork to work in agriculture. He later said that Clonakilty had a very good team at the time and that being able to play football made a newcomer to the town very welcome. He remained proud of his Kerry roots throughout his life while embracing Cork as his adopted county.

Dillon played Gaelic football with Clonakilty for around fifteen years, generally as a half-back but also at midfield. In 1965 he was picked for the Cork junior team by selector Eamonn Young, lining out against his native Kerry, and he was soon promoted to the senior side. A left wing-back who stood five foot eight, he was known for his stamina and close marking of some of the leading forwards of the era.

He was part of the Cork teams that beat Kerry in consecutive Munster senior finals in 1966 and 1967, winning two Munster medals, and he played in the 1967 All-Ireland final against Meath, which Cork lost. In 1968 he both trained and captained the Clonakilty team that reached the county senior final, losing to Carbery after a replay. He later won a South West junior medal with the club in 1977. The purchase of a small farm in 1968 limited the time he could give to county football.

Outside sport he worked as an agricultural adviser and became a leading figure in Irish dairy breeding. He was chief executive of the Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) from 1991 to 2008. During his tenure the organisation changed its name from the Irish Friesian Breeders Association in 1994, became an independent herdbook in 2001 and opened a new office in 2002. An Irish team of cows won the European Championships for the first time in 2004, and the association was chosen to host the World Holstein Friesian Federation conference in 2008. For many years he also gave the commentary during the judging of the champion cow at the Virginia Show.

Dillon lived at Ballymacowen, Clonakilty. He was married to Maria, and they had five sons, Terry, Barry, Derek, Brian and Paul, and ten grandchildren. He was survived by his brother, Pat, and his sister, Celia. The IHFA described him as a warm and engaging personality and a talented sportsman who was always great company.

Kevin Dillon died peacefully at Cork University Hospital on 12 November 2026, in the presence of his family, aged 85. The cause of death was not made public. The Irish Holstein Friesian Association paid tribute and closed its office early the following day as a mark of respect. He reposed at O'Sullivan's Funeral Home, Clonakilty, on 13 November, and his Requiem Mass was held at 1.30pm on 14 November 2026 in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Clonakilty, followed by burial in Darrara Cemetery.

Dillon is remembered in Cork football as one of the defenders on the Cork teams of 1966 and 1967 that became the first to beat Kerry in two Munster finals in a row in that era, and as the man who trained and captained Clonakilty's last county senior final side of the period. In Irish farming he is remembered for 17 years at the head of the Irish Holstein Friesian Association, which said he had helped to elevate the development, progress and popularity of the Holstein Friesian breed in Ireland.