Kevin grew up in a family and townland steeped in the GAA, and in his childhood many a match was played in the fields amongst brothers, sisters and neighbours.

From the fields of Knockaculleen he progressed onto the big pitch on the Moy Road in Kinvara. Kevin caught the eye from an early age and very soon he was the key player in every team he played.

Success quickly followed when he was full back on the Kinvara U21 South Board championship winning sides in both 1973 and 1974. In the latter year he also added another U21 title, this time in gaelic football.

By this stage Kevin was also fullback on our adult hurling and football teams, bringing big performances each day he togged.

He was again instrumental when we won the South Board and County Junior Hurling title in 1975. Kevin was full back as Kinvara moved up a grade to intermediate.

Then in 1979 we reached the county senior hurling final, only four years after being a junior club. Unfortunately we lost to Castlegar, but as captain, Kevin led the line and gave inspirational performances from fullback as Kinvara shocked all teams they met on route to that final. The Huban clan had all goalmouths ticked that year with Kevin at full back and his late brother John RIP tearing up the script at full-forward.

There is no doubting how pivotal Kevin was from bringing Kinvara to being a junior club to a well-established senior team over the following decades.

He continued his hurling all the way up to the late 1990s, including being on the panel when Kinvara narrowly lost the county senior semi-final to Athenry in 1994. At this stage Kevin had progressed from hurling alongside his many brothers. He was now hurling alongside many nephews, and then eventually his son David. He had over 25 years of adult hurling done at this stage, and in each year he was a colossus to every young hurler coming into the senior set-up. He set the standard on the pitch and backed that up with every performance.

Going over old Connacht Tribune match reports describe him as:

“absolute master in clashes near the goal”

“the big full back, established himself as a force to be reckoned with, made full use of his towering strength to bring relief on numerous occasions”

“from a ruck in the square Kevin Huban emerged to clear his lines without ceremony”

and once when an opponent was moved out of full-forward and “the tender mercies of barn-door fullback Kevin Huban”.

On the intercounty scene, Kevin played U21 hurling with Galway in 1974, and also wore the senior jersey in a few matches in the late 70s’. Later in the 1990s Kevin wore the maroon and white again with the Galway Masters, joining his friend and local teammate Frank Quinn in a couple of All-Ireland finals.

When he retired from hurling, Kevin was kept well busy following his own three children on the GAA and Camogie fields. He was proud of the exploits of Helena, David and Karen, not only in the purple and gold, but also the maroon and white of Galway. In more recent years his grandchildren are continuing the legacy, be it locally or in Australia.

Kevin also coached and managed many of our club’s teams. From player/manager to our seniors in 1992, to minor and junior teams in the mid to late 90s, and again senior manager in 2003 and 2004. He was a very popular manager, and all players enjoyed their time under him.

Kevin came from a hardworking farming background, and he continued that up to recently, where he farmed back home in Knockaculleen. He will also be remembered for driving his lorry in the olden days. Seaweed haulage also kept him busy, aswell as some agri contracting.

For us in the GAA he was always there to give a hand. When we started our new pitch development in 2014, Kevin’s was the first machine on site to break the ground. Incidentally he was also the last machine to leave as he completed the walkway around the pitch in 2019. That was Kevin – first in, last out.

Kevin was also a great supporter of our social events. He loved attending team re-unions, going on our social tours, playing our annual road-hurling and horseshoe throwing. As recent as last year Kevin proudly attended a reunion for the 1979 senior team. His health wasn’t the best, but there was no stopping him from leading his former teammates out onto the pitch.

At these various events, the first question we would always be asked from the older brigade as they arrive was “is Huban here?”. His former teammates loved to meet him, and really enjoyed his company. Even after his hurling retirement Kevin was still their spiritual leader. And then the craic would start. Kevin could take it, and Kevin would give it! It was never the same without him, and it never will be.

Like each opponent, Kevin faced his illness head on. He drove it out, he batted it away, and he had his best teammates around him – his wife Rita and their family. However, this time unfortunately, he wasn’t on the winning team.

If Kevin was born around the time of Setanta, there is no doubt that young hero of Irish mythology would have ended up being named Kevin Huban, and we would never have heard of Cuchulainn. Either that or if Kevin was marking him, we would never have even heard of any Setanta or Cuchulainn, as Kevin wouldn’t have given him a sniff of the ball.

RIP Kevin. The legend sleeps.

Kinvara GAA would like to extend our sympathies to Kevin’s wife Rita and their children Helena, David and Karen, to their families, to his brothers and sisters and the extended Huban family, to all his neighbours and many friends, and to all his GAA comrades, both in Kinvara and throughout the land.