JAMES ANDREW KIERNAN died at Bon Secours Hospital, Cork on 6 January 2012 aged 80.
Educated at PBC Cork and UCC, and a civil engineer by profession Jim Kiernan was an outstanding all round sportsman.
One of the best batsmen in Munster of his era, possibly the best among those playing all their cricket in the province for most of the 1950s, he was a prolific scorer for Bohemians and Cork County with 990 runs in 1952 his season's best.
Also a useful, off spinner, he played for Munster both before and after the inception of the Guinness Cup, being the side's first captain in the latter competition. In this his highest score was 75 against South Leinster in 1972 when Munster almost pulled off a surprise victory.
He was selected for The Rest v Ireland in 1952 but had to cry off through injury. He also captained South v North in 1962 but his sole appearance for Ireland came at Rathmines against the Free Foresters when, coming low in the order at No 7 as Ireland chased runs for a declaration, he made 22 before being bowled by James Wolfe-Murray, a medium pacer who later became son-in law of Sir Alec Douglas-Home, the only UK Prime Minister to have played first class cricket.
Ireland won by an innings and Jim, somewhat unluckily, was never asked to play again.
He was also a fine rugby footballer winning Munster Senior Cup Medals with UCC and Cork Constitution at full back, before occupying the No 15 spot for Dolphin for the rest of his career.
He won five caps for Munster and was thought by many to be worthy of higher things but his way forward was blocked by his younger brother Tom, also a cricketer, who saw off all comers in the red and green No 15 jersey for almost a decade and a half, besides captaining both Ireland and the Lions.
Jim did, however, become both a Munster and Irish selector. In the latter role he helped select the Triple Crown and Five Nations side of 1984/85 in which his son Michael - winner of 42 caps - played a memorable role as centre, goal kicker and, perhaps most famously of all, potter of the winning drop goal against England at Lansdowne Road, after the England coach JRH Greenwood had made disparaging comments about Ireland's tactics.
Edward Liddle January 2012
