Close links between Gaelic games and political arena

Cavanman's Diary

The publication of new Cavan senior team manager Raymond Galligan’s full backroom team promoted much mirth online, with memes flying around depicting over-crowded double-decker buses and trains with passengers sitting on the roof.

Of course, the truth is that every serious county has a similar number of individuals involved nowadays; the difference is that rarely are all of the names listed.

It did prompt a couple of interesting comments, however. One suggested that Galligan’s time will be taken up as much with managing the management as the players; the other likened inter-county set-ups these days to government departments.

All of which got us thinking about the close links between politics and the GAA. While the association is, or claims to be, non-political, in practice, politics are rife. In an organisation where elevated positions are coveted, where there are democratic elections and where regional and tribal loyalties are deeply engrained, it can’t be any other way.

A trawl through the membership of the houses of the Oireachtas at present immediately throws up quite a few names, which will be instantly familiar to GAA followers, mostly but certainly not exclusively in the Fine Gael party. There is, to name just a few, two-time All-Star Alan Dillon, Louth county board chairman and former manager Peter Fitzpatrick and Kerry great Jimmy Deenihan (until recently); Tánaiste Micheál Martin’s son Micheál Aodh is the current Cork senior football goalkeeper.

Given its established network in every parish in the country and the standing of its leading figures in their communities, it’s no surprise that the political nation has regularly turned its lonely eyes to the GAA when it comes to selecting candidates.

Most constituencies have elected former GAA stars at one time or other. In Cavan, two All-Ireland senior medallists have taken seats, namely Big Tom O’Reilly and John Wilson.

Big Tom, one of the icons of Gaelic football in the 1930s and ’40s, threw his name into the hat as an Independent in 1944 at a time when the county was a four-seater with a quartet of strong sitting candidates in Paddy Smith (who had been a TD for 20 years, first on a Republican ticket and afterwards for Fianna Fáil), Michael Sheridan (Fianna Fáil), Paddy O’Reilly from Murmod near Virginia (County Cavan Farmers’ Party) and John James Cole (an Independent from Cloverhill and a member of the Orange Order).

Interestingly, Fianna Fáil also ran BC Fay, a very well-known GAA official and former county board chairman and Ulster Council President, in this election.

“Tom took to the election campaign with gusto,” noted author George Cartwright in The Gallant John Joe.

“He organised a large network of friends and supporters to canvass for him throughout the county. Although he was a very popular figure, party loyalty at the time was very strong and it was extremely difficult for an Independent candidate to get elected… Tom used his profile as a well-known footballer to strike a chord with the electorate and he often referred to the suspension he was serving from the GAA since the Roscommon game of the previous year in his speeches.”

Big Tom was elected on the fourth count, no mean feat in a hotly-contested constituency, with his overwhelming popularity in his home area borne out by the fact that he received 85% of the first preference vote in Killeshandra parish (Killeshandera, Arva and part of Cornafean”.)

In truth, the links between Gaelic games and politics should come as no surprise given that some of the characteristics which help to attain public office – leadership, charisma, diligence, resilience, shrewdness, ambition and, crucially, attachment to a successful brand/team – are transferable to the sporting arena, be it on the field or in the boardroom.

Kerry legend Páidí Ó Sé was famously very close with Charlie Haughey and when he was going for the role of Kerry senior team manager, he sought Haughey’s counsel. The book Dublin v Kerry relayed the story.

“At the time, he was running neck and neck for the job with Seamus Mac Gearailt. If anyone was ahead, it was Mac Gearailt. Haughey advised Páidí to offer Mac Gearailt everything but the title of manager. It worked.

“By the time Páidí’s first term as Kerry manager had expired, he had brought the 1997 All-Ireland title back to Kerry, the first since the O’Dwyer era. Páidí opted to stay on in the job and when he submitted his name to the county board for ratification, he was a shoo-in.

“‘I got something like 112 votes out of 116 for the re-appointment. Charlie asked me did I get the names of the four who didn’t vote for me. I said that I did. He said, ‘Make one a selector and make sure you go to the dinner dances in the clubs of the other three.’”

Of course, Haughey himself had been an outstanding footballer in his youth with St Joseph’s school in Fairview and later the Parnells club before, according to Gary Murphy’s biography, he got a year’s suspension for striking a linesman in 1946 and subsequently hung up his boots.

Incidentally, Murphy notes that Haughey “was known for wearing black boots with white laces, which would have been a very uncommon combination at the time”.

An urban myth that Haughey played against fellow future Taoiseach Jack Lynch was debunked by the author; while their teams met (Lynch was playing for the Civil Service side), Lynch was injured.

The Corkman was the most famous GAA figure turned politician of them all, famously winning six successive All-Irelands; his decision to sack Haughey from his cabinet over the 1970 arms trial would cause divisions in the party.

The 2010 book Dáil Stars by Conor McMorrow charted some of the successful GAA names – incidentally, football seemed to be a more fertile electoral breeding grounds than hurling – who subsequently went into politics, including All-Ireland winners such as John Donnellan, Des Foley, Sean Flanagan, Martin Ferris and Dan Spring.

An entertaining chapter is devoted to Wilson, who won Celtic Crosses in 1947 and ’48.

The author mentions that Wilson was “reportedly a 100/1 outsider with the bookmakers” when he was elected in 1973 – and he was immediately promoted to the front bench by Lynch, against whom he had played in the 1945 All-Ireland final.

Wilson, born in Mullahoran 100 years ago last July, and educated at St Mel’s College, had been on the Fianna Fáil national executive and narrowly missed out on a seat in the Seanad in the 1960s before being elected to Dáil Eireann in 1973; he was elected on six subsequent occasions, topping the poll several times.

Current Cavan-Monaghan TD Brendan Smith worked under Wilson and recalled in the book that his status as an All-Ireland-winning footballer did him no harm in his political career.

“John was extremely well respected by people and well known. A lot of times on a canvass, committed GAA people would quiz him about such a day in a county final or an Ulster final. There were always people reminiscing with him, particularly on the doorsteps at election time.

“And I would often say at times that you wouldn’t get as many houses canvassed as you would like when the GAA chat started. He would keep delaying and enjoying the chat.”

Wilson spent time teaching in St Eunan’s College in Letterkenny, where he played a major role in revolutionising underage football in the county and became a very popular figure.

Once, canvassing in the county, Haughey, with whom he was not close, is said to have asked aloud, “Is there anyone in Donegal whom John Wilson did not teach?”.

Ireland may have changed hugely over the last couple of decades but given the GAA’s deep roots in most corners of the island, a trend which has pertained since the foundation of the state is unlikely to be altered any time soon.