Posted 3-Jun-2009 09:20
Joe Brolly
Gaelic Life
I MADE my debut for the Derry Masters on Saturday against the Dubs. It was like going back in a time machine. Opening the changing room door, I was hit by a wall of wintergreen, enough to burn my eyes.
I hadn’t smelt wintergreen for twenty years. Is it still legal? I assumed that John O’Leary, Paul Curran, Joe McNally and a host of legendary Dubs, against Henry Downey and his team would surely be a good natured affair. Until the first fight broke out after about five minutes.
I had forgotten the tackle, which involved bracing yourself for the punch to the body as you burst through. The first ball I got I weaved through and was duly busted. My man greeted me with “You RTE b**tard.” The Dublin right half back spent the whole game trying to get at me. There were three fist fights.
By half time, it was a battle to the death. We pushed through and won by twelve points to six. Afterwards, hands were shook in the time honoured fashion, and both teams went to the Glen club for pints and dinner. It felt good. It summed up the tribal spirit that makes the GAA great.
Moaning
Which is why all the hand-wringing and moaning after last Sunday’s game is so ridiculous. The RTE panellists obviously played a different game than me. Or did they?
Let’s start with Pat. The ferocious Jimmy Deenihan clung to Jimmy Barry Murphy’s privates for years, eventually forcing JB to abandon the big ball (pardon the pun). In a Munster final, the legendary Paidi O’Se was beating the ribs off Dinny Allen with both fists as Dinny took a pass. When the Cork man swung back with the elbow and hit him in the face, Paidi gave him, in his words ‘a right good belt’, i.e. knocked him senseless with a massive punch in the face. (Go to Youtube and enter in Paidi O’Se Dinny Allen.) The punch was later glorified in Paidi’s ‘Laochra Gael’. The ref was so shocked that he fell to the ground and struggled to get up.
On the subject of kicking (and I mean real kicking, not a flick) Paidi famously kicked Joe McNally so hard up the arse before the throw in for the 1984 final that he sent the big man two foot into the air. Watch Mickey Ned’s solo run through the Dublin defence in 1975 (Go to ‘Mickey Ned O’Sullivan Knock Out Youtube’.) I defy you not to shield your eyes at the grim finale.
Dishonesty
Fast forwarding two decades, look back no further than Kerry’s campaign of dishonour in 2008, when they disputed every decision, threw the ball away, jostled with opponents off the ball and worse.
Colm Cooper’s sending off in the league final was positive? Paul Galvin slapping the notebook out of the referee’s hand, then wrestling with his team mate Tomas O’Se wasn’t negative. Everything to do with Paul Galvin, from feigning injuries to sneaky punches is positive? Or what about Aidan O’Mahoney trash talking into Donnacha O’Connor’s face, then holding his face to get the Cork man sent off, an incident which summed up the bitterness of that game (go to ‘Youtube Cheating in Gaelic football’).
Or what about the league this year against Tyrone, when Jack O’Connor was straining to get at Ryan McMenamin after the final whistle. Was that a good example for the kiddies Jack?
Then there was Tony Davis, moaning sadly and wringing his hands in despair about the Ulster championship. But Niall Cahalane punched Enda Gormley in the face off the ball during the All-Ireland final in 1993, a deliberate knockout from behind, with the aim of doing as much damage as possible. We didn’t complain Tony, because these things sometimes happen.
What about the current Cork team’s bad tempered and poisonous battles with Kerry mouthing, late tackling, jostling, dragging, and pulling. Or Noel O’Leary’s off the ball fist fight with Graham Geraghty in the All-Ireland semi final in 2007 (Youtube ‘Noel O’Leary Geraghty.’)
Big Joe
Worst of all was Joe Kernan’s positively nauseating contribution. He once laughed at me, with the words, ‘sure you never fought on the field in your life’. What about the time Mickey Linden’s Mayobridge team mates were bending down to retrieve Mickey’s teeth from the Casement Park sod?
For Joe was instrumental in creating the legend of Francie Bellew, and still speaks of him as though he were some mythical heroic figure. I agree, even if he wasn’t much of a footballer. I think Francie was terrific, possessed of the Corinthian spirit, he just went over the line at times. The point is he wasn’t playing bowls.
Joe’s Armagh team systematically fouled their opponents to prevent them building attacks, body checking, swamping the defensive area, and trade-marking the new trick of dropping onto fallen opponents with their knees.
What of the poisonous rivalry between Armagh v Tyrone, so vividly written about by Oisin McConville? The hitting off the ball, the trash talking, the attempts to injure? (see Youtube ‘The Crying Game Armagh Tyrone’) Or Armagh v Kerry in 2006, when John Toal, the Armagh water carrier, came onto the field and threw a flurry of punches at Paul Galvin, with Big Joe in the middle of it pushing, shouting and roaring at the official to take action against Galvin (See it at ‘Paul Galvin v Armagh’ youtube)
Or the incessant bad mouthing of the Armagh goalie at Kieran Donaghy in the same game. Big Kieran later apologised for his reaction. Or Armagh v Fermanagh in 2004, and Armagh’s reaction to the Fermanagh challenge, including Enda McNulty’s red card for attempted decapitation, and Stephen McDonnell lashing out with his elbow, striking Ryan McCluskey?
Take Tyrone v Dublin in the league in 2007 (see Youtube ‘Wot a match’). Watch Dublin’s Alan Brogan (I assume he’s not from the North) threatening the Tyrone water carrier, and throwing punches. Or Ciaran ‘Red Card’ Whelan (Northern mother don’t you know) dragging a Tyrone player to his feet, setting the ball rolling on a mass brawl.
O’Rourke
Then there’s Colm O’Rourke. I remember the All-Ireland final in 1990, when Mick Lyons targeted Colm O’Neill from the off, punching him again and again in the back of the head. Eventually, Colm could take no more and lashed back with his elbow, only to be red carded.
Or Mickey Linden getting taken out early on in the 1991 final, blood running out of his mouth (though teeth ok). Against us in a league game in 1991, Liam Harnan and Kevin Foley deliberately set me up for serious injury, I ducked at the last minute, and Liam knocked out his own man with an elbow. Kevin was stretchered from the field. Did I complain?
Watch Meath in the replayed final against Mayo in 1996 (Youtube ‘Meath Mayo replay’). After the throw in, there was a mass brawl involving everyone, which went on for a full three minutes. Or watch the Dubs v Meath fighting in the league last year. Jarlath Burns was apparantly even worse than Joe on the BBC, but that’s not important since no one watches it anyway. The hypocrisy is astounding.
My point
The point is that all of the above were, and are, very fine teams and players. Eamonn Coleman used to say - rightly - that ‘nice boys wins nothing’. Winners in hard, competitive sport, must be tough and ruthless.
Mick Lyons, Kevin Foley, Liam Harnan, Colm O’Rourke were indispensable members of a great side. The same goes for Ryan McMenamin, Conor Gormley, Paul Galvin, Aidan O’Mahoney et al.
Monaghan have built their success on good organisation and massive team spirit. They have set out to reduce the gap between themselves and the top teams. What should they be doing? Accept they can never beat the Kerrys and go out as lambs to the slaughter?
In our games, from time to time these flare ups are going to happen. Massive intensity is required. Players must stand up to whatever challenge is presented. If the officials will not (when they see it) or cannot (when they don’t see it) then you must look after yourself.
For what it’s worth, I watched last Sunday’s game again just now, and the antics have been hyped out of all proportion. In a way it is no one else’s business, but Derry and Monaghan. Our tribe against theirs.
An even greater analyst than Colm O’Rourke said once, and I quote, “Let he that is without sin cast the first stone.” You know, when I think of it, if anyone fits that bill, it’s me. But I don’t complain. These things happen from time to time when young men gather to chase a ball around the pitch. If they didn’t have the passion for it, then we wouldn’t have a game at all.
Like life, football is about the rough and the smooth. I had my nose broken twice off the ball. I was fouled and nipped, and on one occasion spat on. I would say that very few players took the abuse that I did. But I also played on great days with great lads, and the truth is I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. Even the fractures…
Doire abu! Down with the Free-Staters, political correctness and hypocrites! And bring back the wintergreen!
