DERMOT THE DEFINITE BROTHER SUPERIOR IN ROSCOMMON’S RANKS
SOME names just ooze a sense of greatness, a feeling that they were not only special talents on the pitch, but classy off it too. They don’t always win All-Ireland titles, but that in no way diminishes their status.
Dermot Earley is in that category. His prolonged quest for an All-Ireland medal didn’t produce the fairytale ending his skills deserved, but he will always be remembered as an exceptional performer throughout a 20-year senior inter-county career (1965-85).
It yielded Connacht (five), National League (one), interprovincial (two) titles and two All Star awards and while the All-Ireland pursuit took Roscommon to a final in
1980, they lost to
Kerry in a game they had enough chances to win.
Few will dispute our rating of Earley as Roscommon’s
No 1 over the past
50 years and, in a second tribute to the family’s contribution to the county, his younger brother, Paul also features in the top ten.
We rank Tony McManus (below) at No 2 and still can’t quite figure out how he had to wait until 1989 for his only All Star award. Really, were there 72 better forwards over the previous 12 years? His omission for so long remains a stain on the All Star scheme, especially when you examine some of the selections during that period.
Tony’s colleague, Harry Keegan, fared much better, winning three All Stars awards in 1978-80-86. All three were at right corner-back, proving how accomplished he was in a position not noted for producing multiple All Stars, especially from counties that don’t win All-Ireland titles. Keegan was tough, tenacious and, equally importantly, had an instinctive ability to read the game ahead of most opposition. Full-back, Pat Lindsay was smart in that area too during a long career in a position which Meath’s Mick Lyons once described as being akin to life in the mafia (“Kill or be killed”). Both survived quite comfortably!