Trip to Croker a time to catch up with old friends
THE scribe attended the All-Ireland senior football finals in Croke Park and was delighted to witness the Kerry minors achieve a unique four-in-a-row of All-Ireland wins. Commiserations and sympathy must go to the Mayo management, team, players and supporters who once more came so close to victory but it was not to be.
Remarkably, Mayo have now lost nine All-Ireland finals on the trot, they being in the years 1989 (versus Cork), 1996 (v. Meath - a replay), 1997 (v. Kerry), 2004 (v. Kerry), 2006 (v. Kerry), 2012 (v. Donegal), 2013 (v. Dublin), 2016 (v. Mayo - a replay) and 2016 (Dublin).
Dublin have five All-Ireland victories since 2011. They contain four victories achieved by only a one point margin and one by three points. 2011(v. Kerry - 1 point), 2013 (v. Mayo - 1 point), 2015 (v. Kerry - 3 points), 2016 (v. Mayo - 1 point after a replay), 2017 (Mayo - 1 point).
This gives Dublin a total winning margin of seven points from five All-Irelands. That leaves them with an average of less than 1.5 points as a winning margin in each game. They are scraping over the line... but consistently.
Having attended All-Ireland finals since 1975, I have never experienced the eerie silence among both sets of supporters on leaving the hallowed ground. It was akin to a funeral. Crucifying disappointment among Mayo supporters on failing narrowly yet again and a certain respect among the Dubs of Mayo’s plight in not gloating.
But how gratifying it was to witness the Kerry minors achieve the four-in-a-row. Unique history was made and well done to the team, manager Peter Keane and his team of Tommy Griffin, James Foley, Chris Flannery and Padraig Murphy. It was great to sit in the Davin Stand and witness David Clifford‘s awesome display.
His father Dermot is originally of the Derrynane club and his uncles Seamus, Fergus and Barry (South Kerry Board PRO) all played with Derrynane. A proud day for that club.
We sat beside former Meath footballer and wing back on the ‘ Team of the Millennium’, Martin O’Connell. He marvelled at Clifford’s skills and was in the company of his son Barry who played wing forward on the Meath under 17 team defeated by Tyrone this year.
Well done to Peter Keane, son of Nuala and the late Tom Keane of the former Ringside Rest Hotel in the West End of Cahirsiveen, and nephew of well-established St Mary’s GAA Cahirsiveen men Junior and Peter Murphy.
Peter Murphy is a long time GAA administrator. Junior Murphy was a Kerry minor selector for a total of 10 years and was a selector with Charlie Nelligan when the Kerry minors defeated Galway in the All-Ireland Final of 1994. Peter Keane’s father, the late Tom, was a former Chairman of the South Kerry Board, referee and all things GAA at club and district board level.
Peter, manager of PK’S retail outlet in Killorglin, played an All-Ireland semi-final with the Kerry minors in 1989 and is the holder of four Under 21 County Championship medals with South Kerry. They were achieved in 1987, 1988, 1991 and as captain in 1992.
He also won an All-Ireland Vocational Colleges medal with his former Alma Mater, Coláiste Iosagáin of Ballyvourney. His training skills also incorporated guiding his home club St Marys of Cahirsiveen to an All-Ireland Junior club title, South Kerry championships and he almost guided Killarney Legion to County Championship success over his native South Kerry.
Congratulations also to Michael O’Leary of the Renard club who entered the fray as a substitute and Fiachra Clifford, son of Mary T O’Sullivan of Cahirsiveen and the late Killorglin Veterinary surgeon, Teddy Clifford.
Meanwhile, the St Judes club in Templeogue is the adopted club of GG O’Sullivan of Valentia, who is domiciled in Dublin since the seventies. It is also the club of the Dublin footballer Kevin McManamon
We called there on the Saturday previous to the All-Ireland to witness the club’s annual Junior Sevens Blitz. Beaufort lost the final to Ardagh of Mayo and GG was very busy with club comrades lining the various pitches for the occasion.
We socialised in the club bar with Michael Gallagher of Valentia, who is a Claddagh, County Galway-based national school principal. He was in the company of Sean and Padraig McGrath, sons of referee PJ McGrath of Mayo who officiated the famous 1982 Kerry five-in-arow loss to Offaly. We also met Renard woman Bernie O’Connor of Ohermong. She is married to Galway man Eamon Walsh and St Judes is also their club.
As the Kerry senior footballers did not compete, the Gresham Hotel in O’Connell Street was relatively quiet after the game. Very few South Kerry people were there but the affable retired Caherdaniel Postman John Joe O Leary dropped in, as well as Ian O’Connell of Portmagee Poat Office. Ian was team selector in his time with DCU and would be quite friendly with a number of the Dublin and Mayo senior football panel.
Footnote: Commiserations to Mayo natives Maura Stewart and Michael Egan, now living in Valentia. Commiserations also to Waterford native Robert Nolan on Waterford’s All-Ireland hurling loss.