Football evangelists cast the Kerry way in Leinster
A DECADE ago they shared an AllIreland winning dressing-room but today, in the backwaters of Leinster football, three Kerry men will set off on separate journeys as new managers in the unlikely setting of an O’Byrne Cup first-round fixture programme.
In 2009, Jack O’Connor was Kerry manager, Paul Galvin was on a voyage of renewal that would lead him to a Footballer of the Year award while Mike Quirke was a regular impact substitute as the Kingdom claimed an All-Ireland title for a 36th time.
Now they take their first competitive steps in charge of Leinster teams. O’Connor has linked up with Kildare, who entertain Longford in Newbridge, Galvin is on the sideline for his first Wexford game with Westmeath in Enniscorthy, while Quirke’s appointment in Laois sees him in Portarlington for the visit of Offaly.
Kerry football evangelism, it seems, is as strong as ever. John Evans, John Sugrue and Liam Kearns may have departed Wicklow, Laois and Tipperary respectively but the Kerry quota still remains high.
Like missionaries, Kerry managers and coaches have been spreading the gospel far and wide in the modern game since Johnny Mulvihill, still a member of the Kerry squad, first took charge of Tipperary in 1985.
Origin
By our count, 12 counties in three provinces, outside Kerry, have had a manager from the Kingdom at some stage over the last three decades. In all, 15 managers of Green and Gold origin have taken charge of other counties.
Mick O’Dwyer was most travelled and, ultimately, most successful. His late 1990 switch to Kildare was transformative for management, accelerating a trend that became commonplace in the 29 years since.
His initial foray into Kildare sparked huge interest, but was fruitless in terms of titles as they struggled with a Dublin team who had their number from 1992 to ’94.
But O’Dwyer had the fortitude to return after taking two years out, landing a first Leinster title for the Lillywhites in 1998 and then following it up with a second two years later. They haven’t won one since.
Four years in Laois yielded a Leinster title, their first in 57 years, in his first year while the context of their qualifier run to the last 12 in 2009 should be set against what they’ve achieved before and since.
Páidi Ó Sé followed O’Dwyer into Leinster, winning the 2004 provincial title, Westmeath’s only success, before vacating a year later.
Ó Sé and John O’Keeffe were the primary members of O’Dwyer’s team of the 1970s and ’80s to go into management. Jack O’Shea had a two-year spell with Mayo that didn’t go well while Mickey ‘Ned’ O’Sullivan was five years with Limerick, where they played two Munster finals.
Quirke is the fourth Kerry man to manage the Laois senior football team in the last two decades, following on from John Sugrue.
No other county, except Dublin, comes close to such a reach. From Dublin, Tommy Carr has managed Cavan and Roscommon while Paul Bealin has taken reigns over Wexford, Carlow and Westmeath. Mickey Whelan was with Louth where Val Andrews managed (Andrews was also with Cavan).
Dave Foran and John O’Leary managed Wicklow, Dom Twomey oversaw Wexford, Jack Sheedy had a spell in Longford while Tommy Lyons and Brian Mullins were the only provincial championship winners ‘seconded’ from the capital, taking the 1997 Leinster and 1998 Ulster titles respectively with Offaly and Derry.