MA O’NEILL MY FAVOURITE 15
Avondale’s Ray Nolan picks his top team of hurlers
AFTER last week’s maiden voyage by Tinahely manager Alan Costello with his favourite 15 footballers he ever played with outside his own club, we turn this week to the small ball game and get the thoughts and selection of Avondale legend Ray Nolan, a man regarded by many as being one of the silkiest and skillful hurlers to ever play the game in the Garden County.
Ray is currently the manager of the St Patrick’s Senior team and he has selected a team of men on his Favourite 15 that would take some beating on their day. Enjoy the read.
TED KENNEDY
(Carnew Emmets)
A commanding figure on the edge of the square, Ted took care of this role with the heart of a lion. He had his back six organised and you’d hear him roar in Ballinaclash from Aughrim. Great man to find his players with puckouts and made the dreaded goalie job look easy.
Not known for making sprints of his line but very few got past him with his frame. Great leader on a team and in a dressing room. Performed the thankless job of goalkeeper with ease.
JIM CONNORS
(St. Patrick’s)
A man taken far too soon. Jim is looking down on us now, most definitely with a deck of cards and playing poker.
A gentleman off the field but when that jersey went on him it was like a switch. Tight, tigerish and he made you earn everything you got.
I remember him giving an exhibition of defending in Leixlip one day in the Christy Ring Cup.
Jim was dedicated, committed and is sorely missed. Possible Pat’s missing link to winning a county title. (Glenealy)
Toughest defender I ever played on. An artist in defending but made sure everyone around him did their job.
Endless amount of medals, and will be recognised for what he’s done for club and county for years to come.
MA could mix it with you in any shape or form. His discipline was excellent. Can’t say I’ve ever seen him sent off (others may differ). He’s a hero in Glenealy and he wore the county jersey with distinction.
GRAHAM KEOGH
(Carnew Emmets)
Probably known more for commanding the full-back position, I don’t think Graham would mind Michael Anthony O’Neill taking the number three jersey.
I couldn’t leave Graham Keogh out of this team of players. He was brought up in the art of defending in Carnew and he made his job look so easy. You earned everything you got off him. He was a tight, solid defender who never let his team down.
Very few would pick a team without Graham Keogh there; another great servant to club and county.
JEFFREY BERMINGHAM
(Kiltegan)
‘Ber’ as he was known, was without doubt one of the best I’ve ever seen. Would go through a wall, come back, rebuild it, then go back through it again and win the ball. That’s exactly what he would do in every game.
He was a manager’s dream player and he had it in every way.
For a small man his ability under the high ball was phenomenal – the Tommy Walsh of Wicklow.
Gave forwards a torrid time with his energy. I was on the wrong side of his ability a good few times. Jeffrey Bermingham is a gentleman.
STEPHEN KELLY
(Éire Óg Greystones)
When you think of a nightmare then this man was just that on the field of play.
Known for both codes,
‘Chester’ was a master at pulling the strings.
His hurling ability was second to none: organised, disciplined, agile, an abundance of pace and a joy to watch in full flight.
A forward’s worst day is when this man steps in beside you. You cannot find any flaws in this man’s game.
Stephen ‘Chester’ Kelly would have made it on a lot of teams in Ireland.
Absolute machine.
LIAM KENNEDY (Carnew Emmets)
Tough as nails, this one. Seen him in Meath, getting a dead leg, couldn’t walk and still wanted to play on.
Another great man under a high ball and his side steps were fantastic for a big man.
He gave everything he could and more when on the field of play. Hampered with injuries over the years, he still managed to put in phenom- enal performances for Carnew and Wicklow. Unbelievable player.
JONATHAN ‘BOSCO’ O’NEILL
(Glenealy)
The name says it all. Won everything possible for Glenealy and Wicklow. His ability to read the game was second to none. Took teams and players apart single handedly and was honoured with copious man of the match awards for his performances.
‘Bosco’ will definitely go down as possibly the best Glenealy and Wicklow hurler of all time. He would have made it on any team in the country.
A player you’d pay to watch. His legacy will be talked about for years to come.
The artist.
SEAN ‘BONES’ KINSELLA
(Carnew Emmets)
Probably not known for his skill side of the game, what this man gave you in heart was even better.
Tough and strong in so many ways, I felt this man had to be in my team.
Every team has a few nut jobs and
‘Bones’ was all that. But what he would do for his team when that jersey was pulled on – he would die with his boots on for you.
Played in the backs, midfield and the forwards; another one of Carnew’s finest.
LEIGHTON GLYNN (Glenealy)
This man’s brain should be donated to Croke Park.
Pound for pound on his day, he was untouchable.
His field presence and awareness of space on a field was just sick to say the least.
An unbe- lievable athlete with a cabinet full of medals to show for it.
When you talk about stars, Leighton Glynn has it all.
Defenders everywhere will be glad to see the back of this man. I still maintain that he’s a better hurler than a footballer (Rathnew will debate that one).
Ambassador.
DON HYLAND
My favourite hurler to ever grace a field in Wicklow. This man did it all.
Most wristy hurler I’ve ever seen, could make a ball talk. Destroyed defences over the years with his excellence.
Not many hurlers could do it off both sides but this man made it look effortless. His determination to constantly keep ahead of everyone was nothing short of professional. Another player you’d gladly pay to watch.
Defenders suffered many a sleepless night after this man.
They will probably erect a statue in Carnew for this man.
The professional.
TIMMY COLLINS
(Carnew Emmets)
If you ever wanted to line out with any man it was this man. Another legend of the Wicklow hurling scene. A team without a Collins just doesn’t happen.
Dies with the jersey on every time he takes to the field. He’ll be 44 in August (sorry Timmy!) and he’s still managing to keep himself in good shape. That’s atestament to the man and how a person can look after themselves.
A total legend of Wicklow hurling and a master in chief of hurling skill.
A team without Timmy just doesn’t happen.
ENAN GLYNN (Glenealy)
Probably lived in the shadow of his brother but on his day this man could tear defenders apart single handedly.
When Enan was on form he was untouchable, he was just unplayable.
More commonly known as ‘Engine’, he could have his team out of sight in 30 minutes. He had an abundance of speed, pace and skill and, again, has countless number of medals in the trophy cabinet.
As Tommy Glynn Snr. would say, ‘Made in Carraigview’.
ANDY ‘BIG A’ O’BRIEN
(St. Patrick’s)
In the past 10 years this man has been pound for pound the most lethal forward Wicklow has seen. His ability to win ball in tight spaces is an art in itself and then throw in everything else this man can do and it’s easy to see why the ‘Big A’ has players sweating before games.
He can turn on a sixpence and the back of the net is this man’s God. A fair few quid has been won over the years on Andy O’Brien being first goalscorer on the day.
On his day, no defender in Ireland would hold him.
WAYNE O’GORMAN
(Glenealy)
Another goal machine. Over the years this man made hurling look easy with his hurling brain. Struggled with injury at times but on the big occasion this man loved it.
Excellent burst of speed, he could make a defender look average on any given day.
A player you could depend on to deliver the goods. Like his Glenealy colleagues, he has a cabinet of medals for both club and county. Another player who on his day was unplayable.
Quite a few players have missed out here, including my own club, Avondale. But for me these were the best 15 I lined out with over the years. Mayne not everyone will agree, but like polotics, not everyone thinks on the same lines.
If you just look at what these players have won with not just county, but club medals as well with Glenealy and Carnew, they’re the reason those clubs have been so successful over the years.
I hope I’m wrong but it could be a few years before we see the likes of Don Hyland, ‘Bosco’ O’Neill, Leighton Glynn and ‘Ber’ again on Wicklow sides.
A few players from Bray would be in the mix here but I didn’t get the chance to share a dressing room with them.
Let’s hope for all in the GAA community across the country that we can get back to the fields this year. I’d be hopeful of club activity, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
My Favourite 15: Ted Kennedy,
2. Jim Connors (St. Patrick’s), 3. Michael Anthony O’Neill (Glenealy), 4. Graham Keogh (Carnew Emmets); 5. Jeffrey Bermingham (Kiltegan), 6. Stephen ‘Chester’ Kelly (Éire Óg Greystones), 7. Liam Kennedy (Carnew Emmets);
8. Jonathan ‘Bosco’ O’Neill (Glenealy), 9. Seanie Kinsella (Carnew Emmets); 10. Leighton Glynn (Glenealy), 11. Don Hyland (Carnew Emmets), 12. Timmy Collins (Carnew Emmets); 13. Enan Glynn (Glenealy), 14. Andy O’Brien (St. Patrick’s), 15. Wayne O’Gorman (Glenealy).