Former Glentoran player and international, Con Martin passed away on 24th February and was laid to rest in his home city of Dublin today. Born on 20th March 1923, Cornelius Joseph Martin began a very successful football career with Drumcondra where he played for 5 years before joining Glentoran in 1946. Glentoran FC paid £100 to gain Con’s release from the Air Corps. Con received a £200 signing on fee and a contract worth £6 per week.
He played 22 games for Glentoran, scoring once (a penalty v Cliftonville) before being transferred
to Leeds United for £8000. After a season with the Yorkshire side, Con Martin moved to Aston Villa, where he played until 1956 before returning home to be player-manager at Waterford and then Dundalk.
Whilst at the Glens Con won international caps with both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. He won 6 caps for Northern Ireland and 30 for the Republic. Most of these came at centre-half however he also played in goals for the Republic of Ireland (keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win in Spain).
Con Martin was married to his wife Vera for over 60 years and everyone at Glentoran FC extends their sympathy to her, Con’s sons Mick, Con Junior, Edward and Phillip and daughters Mary, Elizabeth and Susan and the whole family circle.
Con Martin with Bertie Wright