Brosnan, Cornelius (‘Con’) (1900–75), Gaelic footballer, was born 27 December 1900 in Newtownsandes (now Moyvane), Co. Kerry, son of Jeremiah Brosnan, shopkeeper and creamery manager, and Ellie Brosnan (née Nolan). Educated at Newtonsandes N.S. and St. Michael's College, Listowel, he joined the Irish Volunteers and Sinn Féin in 1917. He participated in a series of engagements in 1920-21 and was among the party that killed District Inspector Tobias O'Sullivan (19 December 1920). After the treaty he immediately joined the Free State army, winning the respect of all sides for his conduct during a civil war that was particularly bitter and brutal in Kerry. It was he who organised safe passage to the 1924 Munster final in Limerick for the republican John Joe Sheehy (qv), who was still on the run.
Brosnan played with Newtownsandes from 1917, but it was 1923 before he was selected for a Kerry senior team, which reached (but lost) the All-Ireland final. In the following year he won his first of six All-Ireland medals. Playing at mid-field, he dominated the game, scoring twice in Kerry's 0–4 to 0–3 victory over Dublin. A second medal followed (1926) after a replay against Kildare in which he played despite illness. In 1927 he was member of the Kerry panel that toured America and of the Munster team that triumphed in the inaugural Railway Cup competition. His remaining All-Ireland medals were won during Kerry's record-equalling four-in-a-row achievement (1929–32), being captain when again they defeated Kildare (1931). Renowned for his impressive physique, brilliant fielding, and ability to kick points, he won ten Munster titles in all and played in the Táilteann games before retiring (1934). He remained closely linked with Kerry football throughout his life, training Kerry to All-Ireland victories in 1939 and 1940 and holding the positions of chairman (1936–46) and president (1955–75) of the North Kerry board.
He resigned his army commission in 1933 when holding the rank of captain, and in the general election of the same year unsuccessfully ran as a Cumann na nGaedheal candidate for Kerry. Brosnan was for a time a member of the Army Comrades Association, becoming embroiled in a riot at Ballyduff polling station during which a Fianna Fáil supporter was shot in the leg. Disapproving of some of their tactics, he soon resigned and did not seek election to the dáil again. He was the prime mover behind changing the name of Newtownsandes to Moyvane, where he was a publican until his death (12 August 1975).
He married (1925) Catherine (Kattie), daughter of James Walsh, shopkeeper of Newtownsandes. They had three sons and a daughter. Their son Michael won an All-Ireland medal; another, Jim, won two and became chairman of the Kerry county board. In 1984 Moyvane GAA club named their new pitch Con Brosnan Memorial Park.