No joy on the road for Wicklow’s Oscar Traynor
Towering performance delivered by a classy captain
HE led by example in the final and the replay, he led off the front foot, he drove relentlessly, he battled for dirty ball. Casey O’Brien believes that you couldn’t ask for anything more from a captain than what he gets from Dean Healy. There are very few who would disagree.
Whether it be the St Pat’s jersey or the Wicklow jersey you always know what you’re going to get from Dean Healy: absolutely everything. In many ways it’s the same in a post-match interview with the Pat’s captain: no nonsense, honesty, emotion, and pure passion.
‘Over the years we were bet in three county finals in a row, that was tough for the town. It’s good to finally get back to the pinnacle of Wicklow football,’ began Dean on the pitch in Joule Park Aughrim moments after he lifted the Miley Cup.
‘I mentioned it earlier on in the year that this was definitely a different panel that Casey has built. To be honest with you, I heard stories about Casey O’Brien when he was the Wicklow hurling manager, I imagine with the characters he had in that dressing room that it was a difficult job to keep them all in check, and listen, he got the best out of them, he was unfortunate not to win a Christy Ring.
‘I started in 2010, when he was beaten in 08 and 09, so between him and Gary Duffy, especially Gary Duffy, actually, they have had a big say on my Senior career in club and inter-county level.
‘This is all the more sweeter given the opposition, but every day we went out this year we worried about ourselves.
‘We quietly went about our business. It was Rathnew’s championship to lose from what we were reading and what we were hearing throughout the course of the year, and credit where credit is due, they’re serious champions, they showed that the first day and we coming back to get a point to level it.
‘And there today there wouldn’t have been many people in Aughrim who would have thought that we would have come back into that three points down midway through the second half, but that’s a testament to this team, and it’s an honour and a privilege to be the leader of this group.
‘From day one since I started playing club football with Pat’s all I’ve wanted to do is to captain this team and Casey trusted that to me and I’ll be forever grateful,’ he added.
Dean Healy admitted that St Pat’s were unusually slow to get to the pace of the game today but that knowing the team as he does, he never doubted that they would come through once they got to half-time just two points down.
‘Coming out there was a breeze blowing down into the bottom corner and myself and Casey had a debate, I’m one for always going against it because I firmly believe that our lads will always get up to the pace of the game quicker. That probably wasn’t the case today. In fairness to Rathnew they came out flying, absolutely flying, we were very, very fortunate to be two points down at half-time and I just knew that in the second half we would push on and thankfully we did,’ he said.
Stephen Duffy collected the Man of the Match award for his overall play and his contribution to the scoreboard.
But defensively, St Pat’s were outstanding and Healy paid tribute to his defenders and says that St Pat’s have the best full-back line in the county.
‘I think you saw throughout the course of that, Wayne Doyle, the entire full-back, I think it’s the best full-back line in Wicklow,’ he said. ‘I’d be highly surprised, it’s unfortunate that John Evans hasn’t been here over the course of the two days, because, on the balance of things, I think this is the strongest panel in Wicklow, and if there is going to be a bulk contingent (picked for the county from a particular club) it’s definitely our own.
‘Obviously, that would have a negative effect on our club next year, but I think between the fullback line, absolutely excellent, Conor Ffrench, listen, I probably spend more time with ‘Ffrenchy’ than a lot of my own family, him and ‘Crowey’ (John Crowe) being involved with the county panel, but the year that he (Ffrench) has had with the county this year, it’s a testament to the man’s resilience and character, because from the club football I’ve watched this year and the club matches I’ve been involved in I think Conor Ffrench has been the best footballer in Wicklow.
‘I hope that he does get the recognition for what he has done. This year, I don’t tend to watch a lot of other teams throughout the course of the year, but from what I’ve seen in the Senior championship and from playing beside him he has been the best footballer in Wicklow, hands down.
‘He’s a very intelligent man. If a lot of people saw the way he was treated throughout his county career this year, it’s a testament to the man’s character that he came back to the club, because I was a little bit worried that he would come back down in the dumps, but from day one, listen, I’m captain of the team but that’s only a title, but that lad drives us on. It’s unfortunate that he won’t be committing to the county next year,’ he said.
A perfectionist in terms of his own performances, Healy battled hard with one of the finest midfielders this county has ever produced in James Stafford. The Pat’s captain was critical of himself for a few catches the Rathnew stalwart made against him, but he paid tribute to the Village midfielder as well.
‘I’m a little bit disappointed with myself today. In fairness to Stafford, I’ve never seen a man step up to the occasion at inter-county or club level before (like him). You’re guaranteed that he will rise to the occasion.
‘He caught a few balls over my head that I’m very disappointed with, but I thought on the ground, listen, I don’t know what goes through my head half the time, but, honestly, I only know one way, and that’s forward, and that’s how I play football,’ he said.
It’s easy to see that football is a massive part of Dean Healy’s life. He gives to his chosen sport his all whether that be at club or inter-county. It is a sport that has also helped him in many ways as he explained in Joule Park Aughrim.
‘As I said, I have a lot of good women in my life. When I was 16, 17 and 18 I wasn’t a good person. Football sort of came along, it was never a big thing for me. I was 17 or 18 and mixed up in a lot of things I shouldn’t have been mixed up in and my mother said, ‘please give the football a bit of a whack’. I played Minor that year. We were unfortunate, Rathnew came from behind and beat us in that. Gerry Farrell brought me in the next year and it has sort of snowballed since then,’ he said.
Before we parted ways to allow Dean to return to a raucous dressing room from which was emanating a crescendo of joyous roaring and singing, the St Pat’s captain issued a rallying call to footballers across the county.
‘There’s a lot of negative things said about Wicklow football, but I firmly believe that Wicklow football is in a good place. Last year at inter-county level, I just wish that everyone would commit. It’s just tough trying to compete when you don’t have the best footballers out on the field.
‘At club level nowadays, it’s the same commitment as inter-county level.
‘Obviously, the same attraction is not there for a lot of lads, but I do have a bit of a rallying cry here now, I just hope that anyone out there who wants to play football for Wicklow will play football for Wicklow, because there’s nothing stopping them.
‘There’s no reason why we can’t compete,’ he said.
From day one since I started playing club football with Pat’s all I’ve wanted to do is to captain this team. I think Conor Ffrench has been the best footballer in Wicklow, hands down. That lad drives us on.