If you’ve ever been physically or emotionally invested in a sporting occasion, chances are the seminal moment in a given event may pass you by. Simply owing to being caught up in either joy or despair of whatever has just occurred.
The point was made to somebody only recently that in the chaos that was the end of the four match marathon between Meath and Dublin, David Beggy’s winning point wasn’t seen until the last second.
Fast forward six years, June 20th, 1997, Meath are in a serious hole against Kildare. Their Leinster and All Ireland hanging by an evaporating thread. But that was then. Meath didn’t conform to norms.
All of a sudden, really, points began to rain over the crossbar at the Canal End. Being in the old wheelchair section in front of the Nally Stand, at the time it was impossible to see who was shooting them goalward. But, with the greatest of respect, if one had been informed it was Jody Devine, chances are doubts would have been plentiful.
Yet it was indeed as was described. The speedy Ballinlough clubman produced arguably the greatest individual performance by a Meathman in Croke Park that day.
Mind you, ironically on that same day in GAA HQ, came the display that may, for now at least, go closest to usurping Jody’s brilliance that June evening. It came from Kevin Mallon in the commentary box on behalf of LMFM Sport.
When the super sub drive over his final score, Kevin declared “There is a God, and he’s a Meathman for sure! ” In that moment, he wrote himself and Jody into Meath sporting history. Sadly, on Saturday last, Kevin was called to the radio centre far away.
Had I known it at the time, it would undoubtedly have added a lair of poignance to what was already an emotional evening watching the All Ireland Club Finals on TG4. From a football perspective, reasons why were outlined during the previous production in this space. Add in the outcome of the hurling being determined in a similarly sensational scenario and it would take something remarkable to prevent a lump manifesting itself in one’s throat.
I cannot but wonder what the moulder of young minds in St Patrick’s Classical School and the former voice of Meath GAA would have made of it all. After all, he did get into national broadcasting after he moved on from local radio.
From a personal perspective, our paths crossed during my years as P. R. O. of St Peter’s GAA Club. His boundless passion and enthusiam for Meath GAA was absolutely infectious and he had knowledge to back it all up which would give Wikipedia a run for its money.
His ability to collate and retain statistics was absolutely astounding and completely rubbed off on the occupant of this seat. Being honest, when exactly LMFM Sport was encountered I haven’t a clue. The earliest memory retained from Sunday Sport is the show being presented Shay Savage with Kevin and Brendan Cummins on match commentary.
As the years went on, and the more time was spent in his company, it became obvious that there was so much more to Kevin than just commentary and statistics. Indeed, in the countless tributes to him that have flowed since the weekend, perhaps even more than sport, the common thread running through them all pertained to his excellence as an educator.
Some of you will know the following, more won’t, there was a time when yours truly had a bad experience within education and was looking for a different path in life. Part of me wanted the map for same to go straight to St Patrick’s Classical School in Navan.
Yes, the main attractions were football and the presence of a certain Mr O’Rourke on the staff roster were a huge part of that, but it went deeper than that. Several of the other staff were known to me also, like Gerry Lennon – who actually taught in Dunboyne for a while, Kevin and the late Ray Mooney, pillar of Skryne GFC.
Not that it should have been any surprise, but, Kevin was every bit as passionate about football in the school as was the case when it came to club and/or county football in Meath. This was witnessed first hand one day in Pairc Tailteann. I was actually meant to be in school myself but, knowing how mad I was about St Pat’s and that there were several lads on the team at the time who were and have remained good friends of mine years later, among them Dunboyne’s Niall McKenna, da reckoned more value could be got from me having a lie on and tipping down to Meath HQ and seeing Rourkey’s lads in action. How right he was.
Anyway, this particular day, the black and ambers – who also had the backing of Kepak at the time – were up against their closest rivals of that era – Dublin outfit Colaiste Eoin. They are a renowned feeder club for Kilmacud Crokes, and for every Meath minor the Navan school had in their in their lineup, the Stillorgan school had comparable if not greater representation of young Dubs hopefuls in the opposing ensemble.
There was understandably the bit of needle one would expect and be ready for in any Meath-Dublin encounter, but after a while it became obvious that at least one of the more prominent members of the Pat’s team was attracting particularly ‘close attention’. So noticeable was it, in fact, that it continued down the tunnel after full time.
To the extent that the opposing manager – a very well known individual with a colourful past in his own right – weighed in with his tuppence worth. At which point the normally mild mannered, placid, softly spoken Mr Mallon blew a gasket. Not so gently reminding the other party involved about the old maxim relating to glasshouses and stones.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Moatlands school didn’t complete the conquest of the Hogan Cup that season – eventually going under to a talented St Gerald’s Castlebar amalgam in Pearse Park, Longford. However, with the benefit of hindsight – and especially in light of Kevin’s death, thankfully they didn’t have to wait too long to scale that particular mountain peak.
Indeed, as often happens in these situations, once the most prized article in second level football found its way to the school beside the Shopping Centre once, it came back very quickly thereafter for a couple of vacations. After the exceptional but injury-plagued Shane McKeigue became the first man to hoist the Hogan Cup for the black and amber in 2000, a year later the ribbons remained the same on the silverware.
The follow up being a tailor made occasion for a Kevin special. In the opposite corner that day was a brilliant St Jarlath’s, Tuam side for whom Michael Meehan and and Conor Mortimer were the twin towers in attack.
Navan O’Mahony’s clubman Philip Treacy produced an outstanding display, scoring one mesmeric point in particular from out under the Cusack Stand, but, in true Meath fashion, the Navan lads had their backs well and truly to the wall only to pull off a monumental rescue effort thanks to goals from Joe Sheridan and Barry Regan.
Five years later, a St Pat’s team backboned by players such as Kevin Reilly, Brian Meade, Cian Ward, Shane O’Rourke and Cathal O’Dwyer garnered outright glory once again. It cannot honestly be recalled whether Kevin was still with LMFM at the time, but, how fitting it was, in so many ways, that his dulcet tones called the big breakthrough days for the famed Meath football nursery.
God was a Meathman alright, and we were blessed to have you convey so many Heavenly happenings to us. May you now take your place in the commentary box up above. Rest easy.
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