So close but yet so far for Tinahely
CLOSE to 5 p.m. on September 16, 1984, is the time and a day that will live long in the memory of all the Tinahely people who were in Aughrim, and those that were not. It was at that moment after years of heartbreak and a few near misses that they finally reached the promised land.
As ‘Butcher’ waited anxiously to accept the Miley Cup from county chairman Peter Keogh it was obvious from the emotion in his face that years of frustration were about to be exorcised.
Rather than snatching the silver, he reluctantly bided his time and eventually got the chance to realise a dream. He pumped it high in to the Aughrim sky to the cheers of red and white clad army gathered below. His speech was filled with relief and acknowledgement. He spoke of those who got them there both past and present. A man so passionate for his club he was tailor made for the role of captain at that moment.
Little did he or anyone present that their year would not end until December 9 in Newbridge and an appearance in a Leinster final. He would sneak away from the after-match celebrations along with man of the match in the final Patrick Murphy to give lifelong supporter Anthony Farrell his own moment of celebration with the Miley Cup after missing the final through illness. A classy gesture.
Jim ‘Butcher’ Darcy along with Jimmy Hogan had won a Junior championship in 1969 but unlike more than two thirds of the starting team he did not win a Minor or under-21 medal with the club. Tinahely had three Minors and three under-21 titles in the bag since 1978. Throw in a loss to Baltinglass in the Senior final of ’82 and two agonising semi-final defeats to Dunlavin in ’81 and Baltinglass again in ’83 and you can see that they were hammering hard at the door for success.
It was in their achievements at the underage grades that Tinahely built a squad capable of challenging for top honours. Selector Tony Moran feels the work at underage level in the early 1970s was the catalyst for the success to come.
Moulded together by the indomitable Vincent Harvey, another of the ’69 Junior winning team, Pat Hedderman, a fierce competitor and motivator, Tony Byrne, who had an astute football brain, and a man who had measured success with Éire Óg in Carlow, Tony Moran, it was a perfect managerial balance. Bobby Miller, the late Laois football great, had started the year in the role of trainer but had left due to work commitments.
Secretary and player at the time Tom Kenny remembers Miller’s influence early in that year as a big plus. ‘He simplified things to the point where we had to win four games to win a championship.’ Tom says. ‘He had watched us beat the champions from Carlow, Kildare, Laois and other counties in tournaments all around Leinster but was amazed at our failure to string four wins together in Wicklow.’
When Miller departed the appointment of Vincent Harvey was a ‘great bit of business by the club,’ Kenny said. ‘He had been here before and pulled it all together again.’
Harvey’s record speaks for itself. He was always one of the busiest men anywhere in Ireland on the training field. In 1984 he also guided Carlow to the Leinster under-21 final where they lost by a point to Dublin. He could motivate players like nobody I have ever seen and could summon a performance from a player on his worst day.
The championship campaign in Wicklow started with a hardearned win over Carnew. It would be no other way any time these two meet. Carnew led 1-3 to 0-1, assisted by the strong breeze and it looked bad for an out-of-sorts Tinahely.
It was a 36th minute goal by Jimmy Hogan now playing at full-forward that turned the tide. It may well go down as the most important score of their entire campaign. Late points by the late Seamus Morris and Patrick Murphy got them through 1-6 to 1-4 but improvement was needed.
The Carnew game marked the senior debut for 16-year-old Niall O’Dare. He recalls it not lasting long as he was withdrawn before half time. Not to be put off he came back stronger and would play a pivotal role all through the campaign with some vital scores. In today’s world of age restrictions, he would have missed out on it all, makes you wonder are some players having their progress stifled.
In the last eight it was Kilcoole. Once again, the performance did not draw much praise from the journalists. Kilcoole dominated the first quarter and it took two goals late in the first half from Paul Tyrrell and Niall O’Dare to help Tinahely to a 2-1 to 0-4 lead at the break. A John John Doyle goal early in the second half eased them to a 3-7 to 0-7 victory.
Baltinglass their nemesis on so many occasions were waiting in the semi-final. It was around this time Tinahely started playing in a tournament in Roundwood organised by An Tóchar.
Teams from Dublin and neighbouring counties benefitted hugely from these games with Tony Moran feeling it was here that Tinahely finally got their form on track.
Eventually losing out by a point to Ballyboden St Endas in the final but all the flaws in their play early in the summer were ironed out and hopes were raised for the semi-final and their latest joust with Baltinglass.
By now Jim Darcy was well settled in to his new role at centre back and Paudge Morris was rock solid at full back.
Both sets of players by now were so accustomed to playing against each other that it would inevitably come down to fine margins on the day against Baltinglass.
A tense hour’s football was played out on a boiling August day. It was a stop start game with both teams were determined not to let the other get any sort of a foothold in the game.
In the end it was a tour de force performance from the late Seamus Morris at midfield that probably was the difference.
Dickie Doran was lethal from placed balls and most of the time he benefitted from fouls on Paul Tyrrell who was flying.
A well prepared Tinahely team were in no mood to let Valleymount deprive them in the final. They settled fast and played some superb football. They led at half-time 1-7 to 0-2 with the goal coming from Niall O’Dare. His brother Paul had a goal disallowed during the second half but it mattered little as they were well on their way to their first title in 65 years. Declan Cleary gave a brilliant swashbuckling display from wing back and caused all sorts of problems for Valleymount all through. It was months of hard work coming together and at last they had delivered.
Celebrations were intense and no place for the faint hearted. Some made it home on Thursday and some the following Monday or maybe after training Tuesday night.
Closing times were staggered and unsanctioned (safe to say that now) and the schools got their visit too. As Niall O’Dare says, ‘it was more a feeling of relief mixed with jubilation at the time,’ which few would disagree with.
A trip to Drogheda was their next test. St Fechins from Termonfeckin had pulled off something of a shock the previous week when they defeated Clane from Kildare. After a cagey opening half, the sides were level 0-3 each at the break.
Brendan Furlong had the honour of the first ever Tinahely score in Leinster action and Dickie Doran and Paul Tyrrell also pointed in the opening thirty minutes. Tinahely would kick 13 wides in the hour and this added to the loss of a defender made their task harder.
Niall O’Dare scored the all-important goal in the 36th minute after a Seamus Morris run through the Termonfeckin rear-guard. Roared on by a big home following the Louth team levelled again. It took points by John John Doyle and Paul Tyrrell to grab a fine win.
The Drogheda Independent remarked on the fitness levels Tinahely displayed and that they had their homework done with their dangerman Johnny McDonnell kept under wraps by the outstanding Jim Darcy and his brother by Buddy Byrne at different stages of the game. It was speculated that the Tinahely management had gotten a copy of the St Fechins v Clane game to study which if true deserves a tip of the hat.
‘Butcher’ Darcy feels that this win is probably the highlight of the year for him apart from lifting the cup. ‘We knew what we were about in Wicklow but to travel to Drogheda and give such a committed display against all the odds was really satisfying. I felt we grew as a team that day and a new kind of determination and pride was now evident in the jersey, that’s what winning does,’ he remarked.
Sarsfields of Wexford provided the semi-final opposition and like the previous round they were not the expected opponent. They had beaten Éire Óg from Carlow after a replay and also had a win over Glenmore (Kilkenny) under their belts.
The two games with the Carlow champions had given the management ample opportunity to run the rule over Sarsfields and it showed in Dr Cullen Park. Tinahely played some of their best football of the campaign that day and goals from Jim Darcy and Jimmy Hogan sealed a fine 2-10 to 1-5 win. Dominating around the middle thanks to Patrick Murphy, JJ Doyle and Seamus Morris a constant supply could have yielded more than the two goals they got.
Interest was high for the final. The phone was ringing constantly