Memories of an Offaly man in Croke Park
Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2015 9:31 pm
This is my first post so please go easy on me !!
The great win for the footballers today and the sound of the Offaly Rover being played after the match made me think back on a few of my personal memories (good and bad )of Offaly games I have attended in Croke Park.
1979 – my first Offaly game in Croker was the Leinster football final. I went home in tears ( I was only 12 !) after Bernard Brogan Snr scored a late goal for the Dubs . They played the second half with 14 men when Jimmy Keaveney was set off before half time. Saw the game again years later on TG4. Some of it was x rated. Not for the faint hearted !
1980 – fantastic memories of football and hurling Leinster wins. Hurling was special but because I was young the significance of the hurling win was lost on me. Older people near me who remembered the bad days and the near misses (1969 in particular) were in tears. I fully appreciate its significance now as our last Leinster is now 20 years ago. It was a pleasure to see Matt Connor in his pomp v Kerry in that years football semi-final. What a genius he was.
1981 – we seemed to be in Croker every summer Sunday between 1980 and 1982. What an achievement for such a small county to contest both finals in 1981. It was my first time to hear the Offaly Rover , sung by the mercurial Kinnitty man Pat Delaney. Who will forget the late Pat Carroll, the magician that was Joachim Kelly who played up to 1993, the impish Johnny Flaherty ( did he throw the ball in the net , who cares), the brilliant save by Damien Martin from PJ Molloy, the contribution of Brendan Keeshin as a sub and all the other great hurlers.
1982 – the terrible loss of the hurlers in the Leinster final v Kilkenny still causes annoyance. Was the ball over the endline ? Did Damien cost us two in a row ? We played great hurling that day and it felt like we were robbed. It was as painful as Clare in 95. The footballers more than made up for it. I was on the Hill in the teeming rain and nearly left early when we were 4 points down. We did get a few soft frees though when you look back at the game. Again we remember the brilliance of Martin Furlong’s save, the half back line of Fitzgerald Lowry and Currams who all scored points, the Connors , the sylish Johnny Mooney and Darby of course.
1985 – after the loss to Cork in Thurles in 84 the hurlers second title was brilliant. We were no longer a one hit wonder. Pat Cleary and Joe Dooley were the new kids on the block. Jim Troy got his chance to shine. What wonderful goal keepers we have produced. The Corrigans, Joachim again, the brilliant Eugene Coughlan, the man of steel Brendan Bermingham, our great captain Pat Fleury and Pauric Horan on the frees.
I could go on but I won’t. I haven’ t even talked about the 1990s. Maybe some other day. Apologies for the long first post. Please indulge an old man with his memories !
Slán
The great win for the footballers today and the sound of the Offaly Rover being played after the match made me think back on a few of my personal memories (good and bad )of Offaly games I have attended in Croke Park.
1979 – my first Offaly game in Croker was the Leinster football final. I went home in tears ( I was only 12 !) after Bernard Brogan Snr scored a late goal for the Dubs . They played the second half with 14 men when Jimmy Keaveney was set off before half time. Saw the game again years later on TG4. Some of it was x rated. Not for the faint hearted !
1980 – fantastic memories of football and hurling Leinster wins. Hurling was special but because I was young the significance of the hurling win was lost on me. Older people near me who remembered the bad days and the near misses (1969 in particular) were in tears. I fully appreciate its significance now as our last Leinster is now 20 years ago. It was a pleasure to see Matt Connor in his pomp v Kerry in that years football semi-final. What a genius he was.
1981 – we seemed to be in Croker every summer Sunday between 1980 and 1982. What an achievement for such a small county to contest both finals in 1981. It was my first time to hear the Offaly Rover , sung by the mercurial Kinnitty man Pat Delaney. Who will forget the late Pat Carroll, the magician that was Joachim Kelly who played up to 1993, the impish Johnny Flaherty ( did he throw the ball in the net , who cares), the brilliant save by Damien Martin from PJ Molloy, the contribution of Brendan Keeshin as a sub and all the other great hurlers.
1982 – the terrible loss of the hurlers in the Leinster final v Kilkenny still causes annoyance. Was the ball over the endline ? Did Damien cost us two in a row ? We played great hurling that day and it felt like we were robbed. It was as painful as Clare in 95. The footballers more than made up for it. I was on the Hill in the teeming rain and nearly left early when we were 4 points down. We did get a few soft frees though when you look back at the game. Again we remember the brilliance of Martin Furlong’s save, the half back line of Fitzgerald Lowry and Currams who all scored points, the Connors , the sylish Johnny Mooney and Darby of course.
1985 – after the loss to Cork in Thurles in 84 the hurlers second title was brilliant. We were no longer a one hit wonder. Pat Cleary and Joe Dooley were the new kids on the block. Jim Troy got his chance to shine. What wonderful goal keepers we have produced. The Corrigans, Joachim again, the brilliant Eugene Coughlan, the man of steel Brendan Bermingham, our great captain Pat Fleury and Pauric Horan on the frees.
I could go on but I won’t. I haven’ t even talked about the 1990s. Maybe some other day. Apologies for the long first post. Please indulge an old man with his memories !
Slán