200 games for MEATH ... and counting
Burke is thrilled to reach milestone appearance across both codes for beloved county at home club
“I used to love Denis Irwin... Mr Consistency”
TUESDAY evening at DCU Sports Campus and Mickey Burke parks a hot shower to pull up a chair and talk through a career that is set to reach another landmark. The Meath senior hurlers have just played a challenge against the college’s Fitzgibbon Cup team in freezing temperatures but for this player, this is no ordinary week. That it’s 20 years since he made his senior debut with the county lends a neat bit of symmetry. Back in the winter of 2004, a remarkable dual career started with the county footballers and an O’Byrne Cup match.
Tomorrow, the 38-year-old is set to line out in his 200th competitive game for Meath when his football and hurling appearances are totted together. The senior hurlers’ opening fixture in the Keogh Cup against Down will take place at his home club Longwood to mark the achievement.
‘The God’s honest truth? It was my dream to just play one game with Meath, to represent Meath,’ he says. ‘Especially growing up in a hurling area. Longwood were Junior B football when I was starting off. Senior hurling.
‘Loads of ups and downs — it hasn’t been all plain sailing, that’s for sure. But I’m still hanging on in there.’
And more. His last appearance — number 199 — saw him in the middle of the field for the throw-in for the Christy Ring Cup against Derry at Croke Park, trusted with a man-marking role on Cormac O’Doherty.
He’s typically self-effacing about how that went.
‘It went fairly well — he didn’t score from play. Again, I didn’t hurl any ball at all but he didn’t really either, bar the frees. That was my kind of niche in the market, throughout my career. It wasn’t a very attractive job but it was one I was happy to do.
‘I took great pride in it. I used to love players like Mark O’Reilly, Enda McNulty — Denis Irwin in soccer. I don’t know why but I graduated towards those players.’
Not the preening superstars such as David Beckham?
‘Don’t get me wrong, I love a good player. But Irwin was Mr Consistent — “eight out of 10 Dennis” as Alex Ferguson used to call him. So that was my job. I was happy to do my bit for the team.’
The milestone of 200 competitive appearances is a landmark achievement by any standard. He is now the longest-serving inter-county player following Derek McNicholas’ retirement from Westmeath duty last year — at least in consecutive years. Stephen Cluxton’s involvement with Dublin dates back to 2001 but he did take the guts of two years out.
Burke actually played minor against McNicholas who was the longest serving inter-county hurler and Offaly’s Niall McNamee, the latter another incredible servant for the guts of two decades.
Burke pays tribute to Meath manager Seoirse Bulfin for giving him the opportunity for the season ahead. ‘I’m very thankful to Meath and Seoirse — when he asked me back into the squad, he knew that I was sitting on 199. He then said, “Would you think about playing this game in Longwood”? ‘I said, “Brilliant. Fantastic”. ‘All roads seem to be leading to
Longwood, so it will be brilliant. I think the club are doing a few bits and bobs. ‘Me being me, I want to try and play well in the game first and foremost, try and perform. But it will be a lovely thing looking back. For my family, for my wife — I had a baby at Christmas. I hope that it will kickstart another bunch of boys or girls in Longwood to play with Meath.’ It’s so easy to see why a manager would want him part of a set-up. He’s all about team. All about Meath. Seán Boylan was the first to give him his senior chance, recognising the qualities that he long held dear in the jersey and Burke epitomises: that undiluted passion for his county. A sense of place, a sense of identity, all rooted in family and the GAA. He quickly became a cult figure whose fearless competitive nature coined ‘the Honey Badger’ nickname and makes him such a popular figure with supporters. Instantly recognisable on the field, he insists the outward persona — the tattoos, the beard, plus the long hair (since shorn) — belies someone who was ‘very shy’ growing up. The Popeye biceps and bull strong physique he says he inherited from growing up on the family farm.
Then there’s the tattoos, that tell his own life story.
The ink, where did that start? ‘I always had a love of the All Blacks and New Zealand and the Maori,’ he explains. ‘The Maori people, the tattoos and sleeves tell stories of their lives. They mean a lot of things. I’d say 90% of the tattoos on me do the same.
‘My mother and father’s name, I have oak leaves for Longwood — “Maigh Dearmhaí” is “plain of the oak”, I have Meath on my elbow [the outline map shape of the county], my date of birth in roman numerals.
‘That little stick man there, he is one of my best friends. He looks like Ed Sheeran. He’s in Canada — I visited him in Toronto. He says, “Don’t get a tattoo of me you feckin’ eejit” — and I came out with that and he started laughing.’
It’s of a stick man with a little red head of hair.
And he’s not done, either. ‘That’s one I got done recently,’ he says, pointing to an image of a gem — to symbolise wife Gemma after they got married in December of 2022.
Their first child — daughter Elsie — only born last month, is sure to feature.
‘Oh, I’ll add her. I understand that they’re not for everyone. When I first came home, my father kind of grunted. He’s 82 or so now, as hard as that [he says banging the table]. He looked at me with the tattoo and says, “Sailors and convicts are the only lads with tattoos”.’
His father ‘Stoney’ is a wellknown character himself and the face of the family pub in Longwood.
The GAA can be very traditional. Was he conscious of his appearance sparking ‘who does he think he is?’ kind of conversations?
“I’m trying to carry on traits I like to see in the jersey”
‘I would have been but I like to think that I performed a lot of the time. You put a lot of pressure on yourself if you come out with peroxide blonde hair and white boots and don’t perform well. They’re just part of me. I was being me at the end of the day; I wasn’t doing it for everyone to look at me. I’d still have long hair now only I’m not allowed!’ he adds, laughing.
So how was Christmas as a new father? ‘It’s been different alright, a shock to the system! But a good one. Seoirse and the management have been very good to me. I’ve never looked for time off but the lads granted me plenty of time off around the baby’s arrival.
‘I was off doing my own bits at home. Training wise, they trusted me. I’ve been on the go long enough.
‘The sleep has been broken though — and anyone who knows me knows I love my sleep. Like Damien Duff, I love my bed!’
He turned 38 last September, so did no part of him consider retiring after the Christy Ring Cup success?
‘Did I think of retiring? It wouldn’t have been a bad way to go, winning an All-Ireland in Croker with a great bunch of lads. I was listening to James Milner on a podcast. He said, “If you have a good game at my age, you’re the best thing since sliced bread; if you have a bad game, ‘his legs are gone… he can’t do it anymore… he’s gone slow’”. ‘My GPS stats are still pretty good. They’re showing them at training every night after games. My speed hasn’t diminished that much or my athleticism. So while I was wanted and able — and the main thing was feeling wanted. With the Joe McDonagh Cup, I want to test myself at a higher level.’
While you get the sense that wearing the jersey is all the motivation he needs, he took inspiration too from other sports and other players, one in particular being an All Black. ‘I would always have looked for one percenters, how could I improve or around recovery or diet. I would have looked at Brad Thorn, Peter Stringer, Donncha O’Callaghan, all of these guys. How they played to such a high level. Brad Thorn when he came to Leinster — I’d always be Googling who is the oldest All Black? But at the same time, I’m keen to stress that I’m genuinely not doing this for ego. I still have to go back training next Tuesday night after the 200 game.
‘I’ll still be getting pushed at training next Tuesday come hell or high water. I’ll have to keep going. The main reason is that I feel I can contribute and that I’m still wanted.’
He’s asked would he have taken his career given the way it went? There were a lot of tough days in
Leinster, particularly at the hands of Dublin.
‘Oh absolutely,’ he says without hesitation. ‘I was lucky enough to play with my heroes — Graham Geraghty, Darren Fay, Mark O’Reilly. These were my idols. I feel very lucky.
‘I’m just trying to carry on good Meath traits that I like to see in the jersey: honesty, being tough, fighting for every ball. I wasn’t the best player but I’d like to think I was one of the most competitive.’
200 not out. It’s a figure that deserves its own ink.