Honouring past heroes a highlight of the big day

Cavanman's Diary

Moving through the fair on the way into the stadium last Sunday, snatches of conversation drifted here and there on the air. I found myself thinking of the Copacabana scene in my favourite movie of all time, Goodfellas, where Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco’s characters enter the restaurant via the kitchen, with New York accents replaced by our lovely Cavan twang, of course.

“Well, who’s your money on?” asked the first person I met. “Back the draw,” I said (no, really, I did). There were nervous supporters from Ramor and Gowna and curious observers from all over, while the Killygarry and Knockbride people were there in numbers too for the curtain-raiser.

The county final is the biggest day on the club calendar and it brings people together.

On the stairs, the great Aidan Connolly chatting to Martin McHugh; at the shop, I encountered Noel Corcoran, a loyal Cavan follower based in Dublin; in the press box, Stephen King, Cavan’s Ulster-winning captain, shooting the breeze.

Before all that and the customary stop to buy a ticket for the Youth Board draw from Anne Fortune, I thought I’d have a look at the pitch close-up before making my way to the press room, which is when I overheard the two men talking.

They were holding something in their hands, examining it. As I drew closer, the glint caught my eye. Puzzlingly to me, I saw they were medals of some kind.

“Jaysus,” said the first man, “they even have our names on the back. Nice touch that.”

“They’re nicer than we got in ’95!” joked his comrade.

And it was then it dawned on me that they were members of the Bailieborough Shamrocks team who won the county final that year and were being honoured on the day. Whoever came up with the idea of bringing together a championship-winning team from 25 years earlier should get a medal themselves; it’s a beautiful thing.

The Shamrocks actually won the title 26 years ago but, due to restrictions, the county board could not have a jubilee team at last year’s final. Instead, they brought in Bailieborough this year; Gowna won in 1996 and 1997 so they will be honoured next year, which works out nicely.

Between the minor and senior finals, the Bailieborough men lined up in front of the stand. Paddy Sheanon, a fount of knowledge and a former Bailieborough player, had the mic and introduced each of the players with a humorous and informative few lines, before the players individually took a step forward and waved to the crowd.

There was a poignant moment when he came to Glen Crossan, the captain of the 1995 team who died in May, 1996. Paddy spoke of the void left in the club and community.

Afterwards, the players were treated to a meal and, we presume, had a few drinks and traded war stories after the match.

All in all, it is a wonderful initiative, to give something back to players who provided such entertainment for supporters back in the day.

Then came the senior final and another thought struck as Mark McKeever came up from defence to knock over a point for Gowna just before half-time. Mark is the same age as me, 37, and won his first SFC medal in 1999 when he was 15. Unlike me, he is playing great football.

In three years’ time, that Gowna team will be honoured and there is every chance that McKeever, who will be 40, will still be lining out. Gowna might even be in the county final again on the day itself, which would surely set a record – a player on the jubilee team also playing in the senior final.

A few years ago, that would have seemed totally outlandish but it is probably only a matter of time now before some footballer achieves it. Players are staying on longer now, and not just out of necessity.

It is an unmistakeable trend at this stage, around the country; in Kildare the winning Naas captain was Eamon Callaghan, soon to be 39 and at it since he was 17 in senior football.

Of course, particularly in country clubs, there was always a tradition of players being re-treaded like a tyre and put back on the road to make up the numbers, possibly with the reserves, but these days, lads in their late 30s and even into their 40s are still capable of making big impacts even in senior ranks. It is no longer an unusual sight.

Sports science has moved on and players know how to look after themselves and stay in top shape for longer. If the doomsday stuff about the fun having gone out of the game were true, it would be very rare to see players go on into a third decade of adult club football but the opposite is the case.

We saw it on Sunday at first hand. Gowna have not won the championship in 19 years; it is extraordinary and frankly absurd that they have four senior medallists on the panel – McKeever, Raymond Keogh, Ronan Bannon and Gerald Pearson – but it speaks to the longevity of footballers these days.

In the intermediate semi-final, Stephen Smith (39, according to the county final programme), scored 0-8. Paul Brady, at 42, started for Mullahoran through the Senior Championship, 23 years after lining out in the Ulster Club Championship against Crossmaglen. There are many more examples; in fact, it is getting to the stage where most clubs have one or two veterans still fit enough and good enough to hang with the young boys.

Paddy McNamee of Ramor, having spent a decade in Australia where he terrorised corner-backs in the Victorian championship, broke back into the senior team with his home club this year and played as if he had never been away. James Reilly, at 40, had an excellent campaign for Drung in their run to the Junior Championship final. There are many more whom we won’t name for fear of causing offence (some people are touchy about their age!) but we all know them and appreciate how good they are and have been over such a sustained period.

As for the Shamrocks, they were a great team who possibly could have won more than they did but, at least, got over the line that year for a never-to-be-forgotten success, a success which binds the group tightly all these years on.

And they have the medals to show for it – in fact, they now have two.

Main pic: The 1995 Bailieborough Shamrocks team who were honoured at Kingspan Breffni last Sunday. Back (from left): Paul Coleman, Roy Brennan, Hughie Clarke, Charlie Clarke, Paul Cooney Sr, Michale Kearney, Philip Clarke, Vincent Kelly, Ned Larkin (representing son Adrian), Finbar Clarke, Paul O’Dowd, John Maguire, Joe O’Reilly, Gavin Mackey (representing Paddy Kelly, 1995 chairman), Enda Sheridan, Michael Murtagh, Martin Carolan, Gerry Sheridan, Simon McCabe (representing Glen Crossan, RIP), Aidan Connolly.

Front: Jack McGuinness (representing Ciaran Clarke), Shane Lynch, Adrian Lambe, Sean O’Reilly, Sean O’Sullivan, Francis Clarke, Cathy Bonner (representing husband Seamus Bonner, RIP), Paddy McDonald (1995 treasurer), John Donnellan, Brian O’Callaghan, Sean Clarke (1995 secretary), Mark Gilsenan (representing Philip Dunne). Photo: Adrian Donohoe