For a variety of reasons, it was resolved a long time ago that one could no longer be shocked by any revelations pertaining to Mickey Harte. From unhelpfully commenting on matters that had absolutely nothing to do with him (Same Sex Marriage and Abortion) to giving character references for a rapist who had pleaded guilty, the longer time has gone on, the more the story has been about Mickey himself rather than the sporting achievements he has inspired wherever he has gone.
Which is why it’s so unfortunate that he does poke his oar in elsewhere. Because on sporting success alone, he absolutely deserves his spot in the pantheon of great sporting managers. Not just GAA ones either. Up there with Mick O’Dwyer, Sean Boylan, Kevin Heffernan, Brian Cody, John Kiely, Alex Ferguson, Joe Schmidt and Pat Riley.
To each of his triumphs, there has been a unique subplot. Tragedy in his native Tyrone, owing to the deaths of Paul McGirr, Cormac McAnallen and his own daughter Michaela, liberation for Louth whom he took from footballing oblivion to – statistically speaking – the second best team in Leinster, and then on to filling one of the two blanks on the CV of a truly magnificent Derry team.
Mind you, his very association with the Oak Leaf County may be the greatest indicator of the changing of the narrative onto the septuagenarian manager himself rather than those in his charge.
As has been said ad nauseum in this space since his appointment to Derry this time last year, as a Tyrone man, it very much had the feel of a square peg in a round hole. Would you see Kieran McGeeney managing Tyrone? Or Jack O’Connor coaching Cork? Aye, and Jamie Bryson will be the next GAA President!
Furthermore, the Brains Trust in Derry could with plenty of merit be accused of talking out of both sides of the mouth. After all, they defenestrated Rory Gallagher – a man who was never charged with or convicted of any crime – yet have no problem enlisting the help of a man who gave a character reference in a court of law for a self confessed, convicted rapist. Make it make sense.
One suspects the latter point was a large part of the reason the normally abundantly positive Roy Curtis labelled the Ballygawley man’s shock appointment as Offaly joint manager (alongside Declan Kelly) “Wrong on so many levels”. After all, while the entire nation was undoubtedly repulsed and effected by heinous slaying of Ashling Murphy, but nowhere would the anger and heartache be felt greater than in the young teacher and camogie star’s native Faithful County.
What sort of message does that send to young camogie players and lady footballers in the county given the endorsements the central character in the latest plot twist has dispensed in the past?
It’s a question which merits asking. More so than giving airtime to Gary Coleman’s proclamation that he will boycott Derry matches if, as seems likely, Rory Gallagher is reappointed to Owenbeg, Celtic Park and their environs.
The former defender’s bone of contention being the message Gallagher’s reappointment would send to ladies involved in and/or supportive of GAA in the county. But if he’s honest, could it be any worse than appointing Harte given some of what has been outlined above?
However, to go at the matter from a completely different angle, Harte isn’t the story here – Michael Duignan is. Right, so the same caveats pertaining to the optics of recruiting the grummock Tyrone native apply – perhaps even more so being the home county of the late Ashling Murphy – but, if you keep analysis thereof solely to nuts and bolts football matters, it’s a masterful piece of head hunting by the brilliant Offaly County Board Chairman.
The latest phase in what can no longer be termed a quiet revolution led by the St Rynagh’s clubman because it’s becoming ever more audible. But, having already annexed an All Ireland U-20 HC (guided by an outside manager, another unique move) and Joe McDonagh Cup, getting hold of Harte’s services represents the first big development towards the betterment of football in the county.
And not only do Offaly need to be stronger in football for their own sake but in the grand scheme of things for the greater good of the game as a whole. Them and as many others as is possible. The same of course applies to hurling. In Leinster particularly. So many other counties must be look at what Michael has done for the Faithful Fields – literal and metaphoric – and lament that their own are not possessed of individuals of such vision and drive take things to the next level. Regrettably, one wouldn’t have to look for at all for exhibits in that department.
Though that is not aimed at Meath Co Board Chairman Jason Plunkett. I believe the Clonard clubman to be a modern, forward-thinking individual with earnest intentions of driving the county forward. In fact, his imprint is already on doing so courtesy of initiatives like having match programmes for club games and the recently announced partnership with clubber.ie streaming said matches in Our Ladies Hospital in Navan and also in local Nursing Homes.
Naturally enough, in the two aforementioned cases, the service is being provided free of charge, but there should be no reason why clubs in the county couldn’t subscribe to the service and allow members unable to attend matches watch them in their local clubhouses. Indeed, it’s my understanding that there are incentives for clubs who sign up to the service.
The problem for Plunkett, though, is that he seems to be surrounded by conservatism bordering on cowardice. Even if there was somebody Duignan-esque in the county to lead similarly – alas the only likely candidate is currently managing the county senior football team – it’s doubtful would there be anybody in the county ballsy enough to back somebody capable of delivering progress in a similar fashion to which the former dual player turned administrative leader has in the Faithful County.
We know Rome wasn’t built in a day. Nobody is expecting mountains to be moved. People just want – and deserve – to see tangible signs of meaningful progress. Procrastinating about the reappointment of the senior football manager – or the installation of a new one whilst at the same time there’s not a word about the senior hurling job – is not that.
Personally speaking, and I suspect I’m not alone in this, the “No money” storyline is getting tiresome. To look at how quickly Kildare turned around St Conleth’s Park to being ready for use again – not to mention the amount of club grounds up and down the country that aren’t that far off inter county standard – is to be frustrated and embarrassed.
It’s harder to keep the Faith in some places than others..
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