Family ties at the heart of Gaelic games
There is a rich tradition of sons following in their fathers’ inter-county footsteps
GIVEN the nature of Gaelic Games, it is only natural that there are households all over the island with multiple family members who have worn their county colours with great distinction.
None more famously than the Ó Sés of Kerry, who have seen brothers Marc, Darragh and Tomás represent the green and gold with the same distinction as their uncle Páidí did during the 1970s and ’80s.
However, the romance of seeing a son follow his father by donning the county jersey is something to behold.
Limerick goalkeeper Nickie Quaid was a prime example of this in 2018. He was involved in one of the stand-out moments of the summer when he dived in to nip the ball away from Cork’s Séamus Harnedy in the dying moments of their All-Ireland semi-final.
The name Quaid is synonymous with Limerick goalkeeping. Nickie’s father, Tommy – who died in a work accident in 1998 – stood between the posts for the Treaty County from 1976 to 1993. Naturally, he was at the forefront of Nickie’s mind for much of the week leading in to their All-Ireland final defeat of Galway.
Of course, being the son of a famous father can be a burden. The last thing a young player wants to hear is suggestions that they will never be the player their father was.
It is safe to say that Dean Rock has successfully negotiated that rocky road in Dublin, and is now held in much higher regard than simply ‘Barney’s son’, which was the weight around his neck when he made his debut for Dublin in 2013.
In an inter-county career that lasted over a decade, Barney, landed every major honour in the game, with his most famous contribution coming in the 1983 All-Ireland final defeat of Galway when he netted a crucial goal. Dublin won 1-10 to 1-8 in what was later dubbed the ‘Game of Shame’ due to the four red cards shown, while Rock went on to win the first of three consecutive All-Star awards.
With 28-year-old Dean firmly established in Jim Gavin’s winning Dublin machine, it is a father and son legacy that will be hard to top in the capital.
In the south, few names carry the same weight as that of the O’Learys in Cork.
Seánie O’Leary is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers to represent the county. In 13 years with the Rebels, the gifted forward crammed in nine Munster titles, four All-Irelands, four National Leagues and three AllStar awards – a haul that would leave any son green with envy.
Tomás appeared on the right path to follow his father’s lead during a promising underage career, captaining Cork to an All-Ireland minor title in 2001. A gifted sportsman, the opportunity of a lifetime soon came knocking and Tomás decided to show off his talents on the international stage, representing Munster and Ireland in a golden era for Irish rugby.
The scrum-half started four of Ireland’s five Six Nations games on the road to Grand Slam glory in 2009, while also tasting European Cup success twice with Munster in 2006 and 2008.
Not that the GAA strayed too far from his mind and a few months after hanging up his rugby boots in 2017, O’Leary lined out for Erins Own in the Cork junior football championship.
When Tim Kennelly was winning All-Irelands with Kerry between 1974-84 (five in total, along with two All Stars), the world of Australian Rules Football must have seemed as foreign as life on Mars.
And yet he saw his son Tadhg become the first Irish player to win an AFL Premiership medal, playing all 26 games of the Sydney Swans successful campaign in 2005. Tim was in Australia to see his son achieve his remarkable feat before passing away, aged just 51, later that year.
His death prompted Tadhg to return home and devote himself to the game his father loved, helping the Kingdom to All-Ireland success in 2009, scoring two points in the 016 to 0-9 final win over Cork.
While his Aussie adventure was major news at the time, Kennelly was not the first to give up his native game to pursue a life as a professional sportsman overseas.
Niall Quinn first raised his head as a promising sportsman while swinging a hurl in Dublin during the early 1980s. His talent was no real surprise, as his father, Billy, held the rather novel distinction of representing two counties in two different provinces.
It was in Tipperary where Billy Quinn made his name, captaining the minor hurlers in 1953 and winning a second successive AllIreland medal at the grade before making the step up to senior level.
He won a League medal the following season before falling out of favour with management in 1956. The midfielder spent a few years in London before returning to Ireland and joining the Dublin hurling squad.
However, a change of rules soon meant Billy was again packing his bags as all non-Dublin players were dropped from the Metropolitan’s panel.
Niall played underage for Dublin in both codes, including the 1983 All-Ireland MHC final, before turning down an offer to play in the AFL in order to make it as a professional footballer in England.
Spells at Arsenal and Manchester City established him as reliable forward in the English game, before a long love affair started with Sunderland, where Quinn would make a living as a player, manager and chairman.
He represented the Republic of Ireland on 92 occasions between 1986 and 2002.
After his retirement from soccer, Quinn won a Junior C county medal with Kildare club Eadestown in 2008.
Like Kennelly and O’Leary, Quinn’s first real love was Gaelic games; a passion, no doubt, instilled in him thanks to his father’s own sporting career.