A different kind of excitement

As I begin typing this, it’s 2:19am. Insomnia and a galloping mind rule the roost yet again. To completely extract the urine out of this writer, the song I can’t get out of my head is Lou Reed’s Perfect Day. Now read on…

It most certainly is not. The old man not being about for the Galway Races is hitting like a sledge. Though not as much as having to deal with certain aspects of his not being here. They may or may not become more obvious in this space in the weeks and months ahead.

You’d think, then, that the shock news which emerged earlier this week that Colm O’Rourke is, after all, the new Meath manager would have this corner extatic enough to not need the wheelchair!

And yes, it is a day I never thought I’d see. But there’s a different kind of excitement for me compared to, say, when Sean Boylan or Andy McEntee were in situ. Nothing will ever compare to having one of our own at the wheel. You can be sure similar sentiments currently abound in Skryne and Simonstown. Rightly so too.

Anyone who has been digesting my output for long enough will know of the privileged relationship I am blessed to have with Colm and, by extension, various branches of the O’Rourke family, for many years.

However, to get to where the story currently resides, we must first go back. Where does one begin? The first matches which can be properly recalled are those from 1987. Da and the rest of them would be gone to the matches and – much to my upset – I’d be left behind with ma listening to Micheal O’Muircheartagh on the radio. Back then, you see, it was only the All Ireland semi finals and finals which were shown live on television.

Regardless of whether it was on the wireless or the box, O’Rourke was the one name which kept coming up. To an awestruck kid, it appeared there was nothing he couldn’t do on a football field.

Something only confirmed when the highlights would be seen that evening. It didn’t seem to matter whether the ball went in high or low, whether he had space or not or whether his direct opponent was jockeying him around Croke Park better than Kevin Manning rides The Curragh.

The result was generally always the same, the ball launched about 700ft up in the air before dropping over the crossbar. April 14th, 1990 was the first time he was ever seen playing ‘in the flesh’. Though ironically not a whole lot was seen of him as a certain Cork defender – who should probably remain nameless for safety reasons – sent him hurtling into the Croke Park dugout wall.

Fast forward to the following September and what was probably the most disappointing display that magnificent Meath team ever put in. Against their greatest foes of the time, the Rebel County. From a personal perspective, that weekend carries forth a cacophony of mixed memories.

Meath had, of course, won the All Ireland Minor title earlier that same day, and the memory of Enda McManus and Graham Geraghty carrying the Tom Markham Cup through the streets of Dunboyne will forever be a standout in the annals of the place. As for why we lost the senior match, superstitious sportingly immature me was convinced that – as Colm was known for traditionally being last out of the dressing room – there was a jinx on us because he was Captain that season and therefore out first.

That theory couldn’t hold much water, of course, given that Sean Boylan’s side won both the National Football League and the Leinster Championship that same season. It had more to do with Cork’s Shea Fahy producing one of the great All Ireland Final display and a surprising inability on our side to make proper use of the extra man after Colm O’Neill had the temerity to test the toughness of Mick Lyons’s jawline!

Anyway, back to personal recollections of that tumultuous couple of days. Through the kindness of Johnny O’Connor and his sister Margaret, the wheels carrying yours truly at the time were parked right beside the door of the team bus. Meaning that hands were shaken with and autographs obtained from all of the players.

Well, all bar one actually. Yes, you’ve guessed it, El Capitaine. To his immense credit, though, when he was made aware of the situation however, not only did he disembark but the entourage were a bit late(r) getting to the County Club on the head of yours truly. Even that, though, didn’t top the positive side of that All Ireland story for me.

On the Wednesday thereafter, while up the village with ma, Brendan Reilly was encountered, at which point he said he had “An auld jersey at home in a box” that he wanted me to have. Suffice to say it wasn’t any auld jersey, just the one he had worn the previous Sunday!

As for Colm, our paths didn’t cross again until 1994. Which, if memory serves correctly was the first year of the GAA Summer Camps. At the Dunboyne incarnation of same, I presented him with a copy of a ‘book’ I’d written about him. Now, time has proven the document to be so error-strewn it borders on the embarrassing. To be fair to the man, though, he was most gracious about it.

Someone once said that you should never meet your heroes, but this corner would have to call complete bull dung on that train of thought. Numerous examples could blessedly be rolled out here to dispel it. With nobody more so than Colm. Gloriously, he who was once a faraway hero has become a cherished friend.

Not only that, but the friendship has gone on to the next generation, as Shane and I have become equally as close as is the case with the main man. Shared interests outside of football certainly help that, but the common thread binds the tighest.

On several occasions over the years, mention has been made in this space of the impact – which stretched beyond the realms of a football field – Dunboyne’s defeat by Simonstown Gaels in the 2017 Meath SFC had on yours truly.

One of the very few factors that, eventually, softened the blow a bit was the fact the Gaels went on to lift the Keegan Cup. Firstly because it was within the North Navan club that first friendships outside of Dunboyne were formed.

With people like Shane O’Brien and Colm Brady, Seamus Kenny, Wayne McCarthy and Jim Lane, among many others, including some great ambassadors of Gaeldom sadly no longer with us such as Seamus Heaney, Mickey Clarke, Colum Cromwell and Dessie Gorman. Lord rest them all.

However, there was also the fact that C. O’R was back in the dugout. Having been in charge previously when the blue and navy part of Navan lost consecutive County Finals. Mind you, there was one other factor usurping all others in hoping Simonstown would win.

From the first time Shane O’Rourke was seen on a football pitch – as a languid 12-year-old playing FULL BACK for Simonstown, it was clear he had inherited the exceptional football genes. On that, though, being the son of a famous father brought its own pressure.

The “Will he be as good as his father” line. Apart from the fact that no youngster should be subjected to such dross, sadly we never got to see the full potential blossom as the now 34-year-old’s playing career has been absolutely ravaged by injury.

Of course, that was something he at least partially inherited from the auld man as well. I say partially because, even though Colm suffered an ACL injury before anybody really knew what they were, he did return and enjoy a glorious career.

***

It will be readily admitted here that from the time Sean Boylan stepped down in 2005, Colm was the one it was always hoped would assume the mantle one day. Even though, similar to his playing career, his various tenures along the sideline have been punctuated by as many tough days as triumphant ones.

Alongside the pair of Keegan Cup triumphs with Simonstown, two International Rules Series wins and three Hogan Cup titles with St Pat’s, there were the two county final reversals, barren spells with Meath Minor and U-21 teams and plenty of disappointment at schools level also.

Given that he had said his current stewardship of Simonstown would be his final managerial role, it was assumed – in more places than this seat – that the ship had sailed regarding the likelihood of him managing Meath.

But here’s the thing, I’ve been around and observing the great man for long enough to know that some of his utterances in his now former television role were delivered with tongue firmly in cheek.

If you go back and watch the Laochra Gael episode on the legendary forward – and it was in one of the early seasons of TG4’s magnificent programme, that long ago, Colm’s wife Patricia said she would “Love to get him to stop looking after so many teams”. Though a noble and understandable idea, it didn’t exactly go to plan!

Thus, his televised assertion that “My beautiful wife Patricia has a very dim view of me managing the county team” required a serious dollop of salt. For all that, as stated earlier, with me at least, it was felt the bird had flown regarding the job.

So, if he did change his mind, what prompted the rethink? Well, it is probable there was an element of ‘It’s now or never about it’. But to pin his taking of the role solely on that would, in my opinion, drop short of going over the bar. It is my belief that there may have been off-field factors at play. If such is the case, it may well become clear in due course.

More fundamentally, though he said the following wasn’t a factor, in a revealing interview with Gerry Kelly on LMFM, the upturn in the county’s fortunes at underage level has to be a boon for whomever is guiding operations at the highest level.

Similar sentiments can also be declared in relation to the new structures which will prevail at inter county level in 2023. With similar competition renovation also mooted locally.

There’s plenty of reason for excited optmism, albeit heavily garnished with realism. The only pity is that, due to the GAA’s asinine seasonal meddling, we’ll have to wait nearly six months to see how it all pans out.