From as far back as when I was in Primary school, my powers of recall were often a topic of discussion. Especially if the subject matter was either sport or farming related. Even though to some of the assembled audience, mention of either would constitute fountains of useless information.
Be that as it may, I think it was in second class that at least one footballer and hurler from every county in Ireland. This was circa 1992 and the football list was as follows: Antrim – Sean McGreevey; Armagh – John Grimley; Carlow – Garvan Ware; Cavan – Stephen King; Clare – Seamus Clancy; Cork – Larry Tompkins; Derry – Joe Brolly; Donegal – Manus Boyle; Down – Mickey Linden; Dublin – John O’Leary; Kildare – Martin Lynch; Kerry – Connie Murphy; Fermanagh – Collie Curran; Galway – Val Daly; Laois – Colm Maher (RIP); Leitrim – Mickey Quinn; Limerick – John Quane; Longford – Dessie Barry; Louth – Stephen Melia (RIP); Mayo – Willie Joe Padden; Meath – Colm O’Rourke; Monaghan – Ray McCarron; Offaly – Peter Brady; Roscommon – Tony McManus; Tipperary – Peter Lambert; Tyrone – Plunkett Donaghy; Waterford – Gary Hurney; Wexford – Billy Dodds; Westmeath – Tom Ormsby; Wicklow – Pat O’Byrne.
Fast forward a couple of years and we arrive at that oft recalled winter of 1994 following the exploits of Seneschalstown in the Leinster Club Championship. When, after he was ‘done’ against Sarsfields of Kildare in an earlier round, it meant the Yellow Furze outfit were without Graham Geraghty for a two game epic semi final against St Joseph’s of Laois and the Leinster Club SFC Final against Kilmacud Crokes. Which they would lose by a point.
Not surprisingly, even then it was a stacked Crokes side which contained the Mick Pender, Mick Dillon, John Costello and several others with fairly glossy CVs. Whether or not a young R. Brennan was among the subs that day or not I can’t recall.
But he was definitely at full forward four years later when my own St Peter’s, Dunboyne took on another star studded Crokes crew. And, just as was the case with Seneschalstown a few years beforehand, our lads performed utterly heroically only to be beaten a short head at the line.
From the viewpoint of a supporter, that day remains one of the toughest days endured near a football field. Particularly as it was one that got away. Especially in the context of how our two meetings with the Stillorgan club which followed.
Back in ’98, though, Robbie Brennan was just another name on an opposition team list. However, like a lot of things in my life, that changed one night in Brady’s of Dunboyne. Very much for the better.
It was the early summer of 2001 and I was just slowly, very slowly, edging out of a particularly horrendous chapter of my life story. At my own expense, it will be openly admitted that if there was ever a stage when one leaned on porter a little too much as a painkiller, it was then.
To the extent that, light heartedly among the wonderful and wide circle of friends I was blessed with, Brady’s became known as my Office. Anyway, one summer evening that year, I happened to bump into Andy McEntee who introduced the chap in his company by saying “This is Robbie Brennan, he’s coming over to Dunboyne to play for us. You might remember him from 1998”.
At which point both their jaws dropped when the response was “Indeed I do, he played full forward on Moe Finn and kicked two points, one off either boot”!
If anyone ever wondered why I hold Andy in the highest regard and will forever do so, consider the following. On the night after we won our first Keegan Cup in 1998, during a quiet moment in the midst of all the chaos in Mulvany’s, he simply said to me “I know how much it means to you”. He did. He and his family still do. For a lot of the time, it’s Dunboyne and/or Meath teams doing well that keep these wheels turning. For that reason, I would have no problem pinpointing the 11 years spent as PRO/Asst. PRO of St Peter’s GAA Club as the most important of my life.
Yes, mention has been made voraciously of the years of how farming always has been, remains and eternally will be one of the central tenets which make live livable. But, due to circumstances more than anything else, agricultural adventures have come and gone off the agenda over the years. GAA, though, has always and will always be there. In some shape on form. Maybe not in the capacity it is wished or desired, but there all the same.
Which might explain why Andy introduced me to Robbie as “The heart and soul of the club”. Now, while it was uber flattery at the time, it most certainly wouldn’t carry much credence today. Change happens, I get that. Time waits for no man, woman or beast. Sure didn’t we scandalously discover that just a few weeks ago. With the defenestration of Colm O’Rourke – make no mistake, that’s exactly what’s happened here, no matter how some might try and dress it up – which promulgated cause to keyboard what you are reading.
However, one must surely be mindful of the old dictum which advises ‘No matter where you end up in life, you must never forget where you come from’. Mention is made of same out of an unfortunate belief that there are entities in certain places who actually question the very existence of institutions before their own involvement therein.
Thankfully, though, there are still folk like Andy on the go. Who know the full story. That the 11 years spent as PRO/Asst. PRO of St Peter’s GAA will forever hold rank as the most important chapter of my life. Simply because I had just come through the most horrendous stanza of the same ongoing journey.
At my own expence, I will admit that if there was ever a time when porter was leaned on a bit too much, it was then. To the extent that Brady’s became known as my office. I’m not about to plough up the nuts and bolts of that, other than to say that the link between Brady’s and the GAA were a large part of what kept these wheels turning when the black clouds were hovering at their lowest.
Anyway, between pints in Brady’s and training in Tom’s Field, Robbie got the standard Dunboyne initiation. The dear old 5.25 acres will forever be the spiritual home of the GAA in the town. A fact underscored by the supermarket sitting where there were once goalposts has the words Tom’s Field in its official postal address.
Mind you, Robbie may have got the standard Dunboyne initiation, but when he joined our fold, but, we, as a club and community, received so much more in return. His arrival really changed people’s lives. In fact, it was I who informed his late father-in-law Paddy that the new full forward and his daughter, Liz, were an ‘item’.
Which was all grand until it came to the happy couple’s wedding day when my dear, departed and desperately missed old friend from Ardara told all assembled that it was (his) “dear friend the Drainpipe Reporter who solved the mystery of the extra pair of boots in the house”!
Whether the following was down to the fact that Liz’s brother David (Gallagher) and I are so close we may as well be brothers I’m not sure, but Robbie and I just clicked immediately and, even though due to my personal circumstances changing nearly a decade ago we haven’t been able to meet up half as much as it is wished was the case, that may be gloriously about to change.
As he says himself, outside of Andy I was the first one from the club he met. Ironically, however, I remember being terrified that his first game with us would be his last. Dunderry had beaten us by a point on a day we kicked 19 wides. I thought to myself ‘this lad is going to think we’re no good and head back to where he came from”.
Thankfully, though, love took care of any chance of that happening. But, you know, anyone that tells you football or any sport in fact is only a game can pull the other leg.
I think what brought us closer was when Robbie’s dad Pat fell ill the night before one of our championship matches, but I had no idea until Robbie came out of the dressing room after the match in tears.
From a playing perspective, his career with us was an emotional rollercoaster. From that maiden outing against Dunderry, to losing a championship semi final against Trim. Then, two years later, winning the Feis Cup before one of the most (in) famous days in our club’s. That being the occasion during which our big full forward was sent for an early shower yet despite that we looked to have Navan O’Mahonys beaten only a point from the great Niall McKeigue deep into stoppage time the hoops to extra time.
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ll know what happened therein, and there is neither need nor desire to rehash it here. Other than use it as a start point to muse that not a lot of the rest of Robbie’s playing career can be recalled.
Whereas what there is absolute clarity about is that, when he eventually succumbed to a cacophony of injuries, he got straight into being a team mentor with Dunboyne. When somebody does so as quickly as was the case here, you know that, not only have they best of intentions for those with whom they are involved, they are also driven towards going places in their new capacity. Whether that be with entities close to home or further afield.
No secret will be made of the upset that was felt when Robbie’s wings were spread to showcase his talents further afield. Albeit a field he new very well in Stillorgan. Nothing grinds my gears more than those who turn their backs on their own.
That said, from the perspective of furthering his managerial career, returning to Kilmacud Crokes – via a short stint with St Sylvester’s in Malahide – proved a masterstroke.
Firstly as a selector with Johnny Magee before taking over the Dublin giants in his own right. With whom, at the time of typing, he has amassed three Dublin SFC and three Leinster Club SFC titles on the spin. If circumstances allow, that could very well be four and four in just a few weeks.
Anyway, having built up such an impressive managerial resume – pretty quickly too – opportunities, or at least offers, to graduate to inter county management became an inevitability.
At least two ‘outside’ counties were mentioned, but once, scandalously, there was a vacancy for the Meath job, of those that were touted he was the standout candidate. That said, we must remember the famous utterence that the only three certainties in the world – Life, death and taxes.
Thus, after a bigger, if more embarrasing, circus than anything the famous Fossett family ever put on, Thursday, September 19th, saw Robbie Brennan become the eighth different Meath senior football manager since Sean Boylan abdicated his throne 19 years ago.
At this juncture, I must admit to knowing absolutely nothing about Martin Corey who has come aboard as a coach/selector, but the acquisition of the services of somebody of the calibre and nous of Joe McMahon must be regarded as something of a coup.
No doubt there will be some regard Robbie as an ‘outside’ appointment but nothing could be further from the truth. Apart from the fact he has played for, managed and resides in Dunboyne, he was also part of Bernard Flynn’s Meath U-20 management team before the feisty former forward jumped ship.
Long long before any of that though, the now Meath manager stood out for wearing the Royal County jersey at Kilmacud training. Indeed, there should be no doubt about where his loyalties ever lay after his sister Jean – based in Australia for many years – posted a photo of her younger brother – in what I’m guessing was circa 1986 in Colm O’Rourke Sports with the owner thereof.
Jean has the photo captioned “Not many people get to take over from their hero”. Which is exactly the case here. However, what can be said is that while there shouldn’t be a vacancy for the position at all, and while assumption of the role is an onerous one, it is a thoroughly deserved honour and opportunity.
So, what will Robbie Brennan’s Meath look like? Well, before even contemplating that, it remains to be seen whether the Regional Football Championships will be retained. If they are, there will be bountiful talent for the new regime to peruse from the Junior and Intermediate championships.
Being honest, over the weekend just passed, there wasn’t a whole lot on view in the senior matches that the entourage won’t have already been aware of. For example, Dunshaughlin already have had Mat Costello, Conor Gray and Ruairi Kinsella in and around the senior set up, but others like Adam Kealy, Charlie O’Connor, Conor Duke and Luke Mitchell absolutely deserve an audition.
On the other side, you’d hope Ratoath’s Daithi McGowan would still be involved while the likes of Ben Wyer, Jack Flynn, Cian Rodgers and Joey Wallace are absolutely worthy of recalls.
Whatever about those who will fill the jerseys, even without having detailed knowledge of how Robbie likes his teams set up, the recruitment of somebody like Joe McMahon surely signposts that however else they might go about their business, the very basis of their identity as a team will be predicated on defencive solidity.
At this stage it will be openly admitted that having somebody I’m close to involved in team management – whether club or county – always leaves me emotionally entangled because, obviously, you want all concerned to do well, but, there’s also the heartbreak which I don’t think anybody will ever really understand. At not getting the chance to be involved that some of the working limbs would gladly sacrificed for that chance to materialise.
However, there’s also the excited curiosity that a new managerial appointment always brings. Maybe this winter will go a bit faster than the last few!