Looney feels Dr Crokes’ dominance was shaped by defeats to South Kerry

BRIAN Looney is one of the most decorated club players in the history of Kerry football. Seven county senior championships, six Munster club titles, and the All-Ireland Club title in 2017. In his beloved black and amber Dr Crokes jersey, the 33-year-old has done it all.

Does it ever dawn on him what he and his team mates have achieved over the last ten years and more?

“It’s funny, really. When you are playing, you don’t tend to reflect on games from the past. But I am certainly proud of being part of what we have achieved as a unit,” he said.

“There is a cohort of us that have been there since we were about 18 years of age. The most satisfying thing is that we lost so many finals building up to our own glory spell. We lost three county finals to South Kerry before we finally won one in 2010. We lost three All-Ireland club semi-finals and a final before we got over the line in 2017.

“That character, to keep going after all those setbacks, is what stands out for me. Definitely 2017 would have to be the highlight. In my first full year with the team in 2006, we lost the county final to South Kerry, but went all the way to the All-Ireland Final and it was a fantastic experience to play Crossmaglen Rangers on two occasions.

“After those games, even though we lost the replay, I wanted another crack at it straight away. Little did I know that we would have to wait ten years to get back to another Croke Park final. That was one sweet day against Slaughtneil, one that I will never forget.”

And the epic rivalry with South Kerry? “When I was starting off on the panel in 2005, they beat us in the final (0-12 to 1-6). In my first year on the team in 2006, they beat us in the final (0-12 to 1-8). And it was the same in the 2009 final (1-8 to 0-10).

“They were the kingpins of Kerry football at that time – Declan O’Sullivan, Bryan Sheehan, Maurice Fitzgerald, before he finished up, Killian Young, and all the others. They were a very, very strong side. They pipped us in several county finals, but we kept learning, kept getting closer and closer, and we beat them on the way to winning the title in 2010.

“That was a huge monkey off our backs. Getting the better of them at last. It was the changing of the guard in some ways I suppose. There were some crackers between the two teams down through the years. We were on the losing side in a few of them, but we used those hurtful experiences to good effect in clinching a couple of titles from 2010 onwards.”

Looney makes no bones about admitting the influence of two particular individuals on his Dr Crokes success story – Colm Cooper and Pat O’Shea.

“To be fair, it was a dream to play with Colm for so many years. He was somebody

I looked up to, and then to be able to share a dressing room with him was very special.

“By just watching him play, he would be teaching you. He kept such a high standard himself, and he totally brought up the standards of everybody around him. That was the most important thing about him.

“If you made the runs, nine times out of ten he was always going to be able to get the ball to you with that tremendous vision that he had. He was a huge benefit to my career, he brought the absolute best out of me. As well as that, he was always huge craic, and great fun to be around.

“As for Pat, it’s hard to even put it into words. He was there when I first joined, and he was a manager that really brought out the best in me. He put me on the right track when it came to football. He is hugely passionate, has an infectious spirit, he has a huge knowledge of the game, a joy to work under. He’s a man you would go to war with!

“Then you look at his overall commitment to the club, training the Under-6s on a Saturday morning up in Lewis Road, he never looks for the limelight in any way. We are so fortunate to have him in the Dr Crokes club.”

Even in the absence of group training right now, Looney has always been a man to keep his fitness levels up. That is clearly evident in his buccaneering end-to-end style of play that has been his hallmark in the black and amber.

At 33 now, though, what does the potential loss of months and months of competitive football mean for Looney, and those in his age bracket? According to Ger Loughnane in a recent Irish Daily Star column, the outlook is not good.

“For the over 30s there is the added uncertainty of what effect this will have on their bodies. The fear that, once the engine is shut down, it may be difficult to start it up again,” he wrote.

“I know that there are those who believe that the break will do the older players good and that, with modern training methods and support, they’ll get a new lease of life.

“I even hope that the players themselves believe this as we all want them back and at their best, but, unless you believe in the tale of Oisin and Tir na nOg, this will not be happening.”

What does the Dr Crokes forward make of that doomsday prediction?

“That is a very interesting point. Logically, you would say that a break is great. With our success as a club we haven’t had too many breaks over the years. This winter, however, we were away from football for two months, and I have to say that I found it a bit tougher coming back.

“There is a bit of mileage on the clock, so the break could be a good thing. Then, if there turns out to be no football at all for the rest of the year, hopefully the hunger to get back out there next year would overcome the difficulty of getting that match sharpness back.” alright! She was born at the start of February, so she’s three months old now, she’s beautiful,” said the proud dad.

“Obviously, it’s been a big change for us, but it’s certainly all for the better. We are totally smitten! Iris is good fun, great craic, it’s all very enjoyable. Having our first child certainly gives you a different perspective on life. It’s a new chapter for me and Gina. It just shows you what is really important in life. We are so looking forward to watching her growing up. It’s all very exciting.”

Why the name Iris?

“We were originally thinking of having it as a possible middle name for her. It’s not very common but, as soon as she arrived, the name just felt right, it suited her. We thought about it for a few hours, and it’s perfect for her little personality.”

Like everybody else, being in lockdown has caused suffering for the Looneys, especially Iris’s grandparents Tom and Anne, and Brian’s older brothers, David and Ian. They have been prevented over the last two months from getting to know the new member of the family as much as they would like.

“My parents live quite near, but we couldn’t go and visit them or ask them over to us because of the restrictions. We’ve done the Zoom calls, and the video calls, with the young one, but it’s not the same. That has been the most difficult aspect of the whole thing for us.

“My parents want to see their grandchild. But, hopefully from Monday, as the restrictions start to ease, it would be great to even meet at a distance, in the garden or wherever. We will look forward to that. That will be a little step back to a little piece of normality.

“But it’s very important to say that we are very fortunate that Covid-19 has not come knocking on our doors. That is the main thing. Please God, we have an exciting couple of months ahead as all the family get to know Iris,” stressed the retail manager with AIB in Tralee.

“In AIB, we have been fully open throughout the whole Covid situation and they have done a fantastic job of keeping the show on the road in difficult times. They’re a great team and a pleasure to work with.”

AS regards getting back on the playing fields, Looney and his team mates haven’t kicked a competitive ball in anger since their opening County League game against Dingle on March 8. And, as of now, there have been mixed messages from the Government and the GAA as to when club football might even make a tentative comeback.

When Taoiseach Leo Varadkar publicly announced the five-phase roadmap to the potential opening up of the country, June 8 was pin-pointed as the day when small groups from team sports could start training again, with social distancing protocols. And, even more encouragingly, that GAA matches (at least on a club level) could be back on July 20.

A few days later, that was all shot down by GAA President John Horan,