When Valleymount came so very close
Proud and capable side faced Tinahely in Senior final
A question that some have asked over the years, was Valleymount reaching the county senior football final in 1984 the greatest achievement of any team who have done so in the past 100 years plus in Wicklow?
Peter Keogh said in his county final preview that odds of 200/1 were offered on Valleymount at the start of the championship. He predicted not many would have taken the chance.
The last thing you can do when recalling 1984 is be disingenuous to the Valleymount players of that time. They got there on merit and while the result went against them they enjoyed every minute and still enjoy a chat about it now.
When Valleymount are mentioned in the modern day there are few more synonymous with the club than Mick ‘Badger’ Nolan. Rain or shine, if Valleymount are playing, no matter the grade, he is there. Valleymount reaching the final in Centenary year was by no means a shock to Mick or Chairman and player at the time Peter Behan.
Mick rightly recalls just how strong club football was in Wicklow in the 1980s and is very proud of the fact that Valleymount were dining at that table. The GAA in general was strong in Wicklow. Large numbers playing with clubs regularly getting two or three teams out. Minor and under-21 championships across both hurling and football ran off in summer months offered even more to keep the masses satisfied.
After enlisting the services of former Dublin footballer Gerry Fitzgerald in 1983, Peter Behan recalls a somewhat different approach to training and games developing afterwards.
‘He brought a different sort of discipline to things,’ Peter recalls and even though Fitzgerald didn’t commit in 1984 Valleymount had benefited.
The GAA was the heart of the area back in 1984 as it was in almost every town in Ireland. A well-attended AGM chaired by Peter Behan had heard how they hoped to have their pitch secured at some stage during 1984 to coincide with the centenary celebrations.
Tommy Tipper returned as secretary and would serve in this role in Valleymount for somewhere in the region of 40 years. It’s thought he may have been the longest serving secretary in the history of the GAA. The AGM also rubberstamped three football teams and a hurling team to compete in centenary year. In the midst of a recession this was a marvelous achievement for any club.
The pitch acquisition would happen in late July with a presentation of deeds. They were handed over in the school by Maurice Fives of the ESB. A celebration match afterwards between the team of 1984 and the Intermediate championship winning team of 1965 kept the large attendance entertained.
Peter said the Valleymount community were ‘incredibly generous and determined’ in their efforts to see the project through and immensely ‘proud’ thereafter. These were the days before club lottos and big fundraisers and every punt was precious. There would have been less than 400 hundred people in the community with emigration taking its toll here too.
For 1984 Brendan Hennessy as trainer and assisted by Con Behan would take over team affairs and numbers were good. They had two fine panels of players and plenty of games with the West competitions in full flow. Peter was full of praise for the efforts of those in the west to facilitate clubs with games every weekend.
‘Peter Keogh and Jack Boothman would often finalise games on a Saturday night and clubs would play the next day,’ he recollected. Valleymount had plenty of youngsters and anybody who could play and wanted to wear the red shirt was welcome.
They were doing well in Division 2 of the football league and were always close to the top of the table. This was a position they would hold right through the campaign culminating with a win in the Timmins Cup final late in November.
It’s all about the championship though and Valleymount were ready. The fact that they had drawn Hollywood helped. Both clubs’ players were playing together in the very successful St Kevin’s arrangement along with Lacken. They were regulars in under-21 finals in the early 1980s.
Peter Keogh in his column the week previous tipped them to surprise Hollywood in the first round. On Sunday, May 13, in Blessington, the championship kicked off with this meeting of the near neighbours. There was to be no separating them in a draw 2-6 each.
Valleymount could not have gotten off to a worse start. They conceded a goal in the opening minutes following a defensive mix up. Seamus Miley forced an error in the Hollywood full-back line minutes later and it was all square. Hollywood were to lead by a point at half-time 2-4 to 1-6 with two late first half points by Pat Mahon closing the gap.
Midway through the half Miley was at it again as his goal edged Valleymount ahead for the first time. Hollywood equalised in the 20th minute and ten hectic scoreless minutes passed and a replay was to be needed.
Peter described this as a ‘hell for leather encounter where everybody put everything they had in to every tackle and challenge’. A large crowd has gathered on the bank in Blessington to watch and would return for the replay as plenty of sore bodies left the field at the end of the game.
Some three weeks later the replay arrived. An understrength Hollywood were stubborn and refused to lie down. They had been shorn of a few of their squad with injuries but still led at half-time and with six minutes to play they were