Re: 50 years on, how Offaly won the 1971 All-Ireland final
Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:52 pm
I’ve been researching club and county archives for a good while now. And the one common trend is that success discriminates in favour of those who are organised, on and off the field.
That Minor football decade, as you say, fed the 71/72 teams, and while I can’t pinpoint exactly the years Fr Gillooly was involved, leadership such as his would have been a large part of that decade long run. You don’t necessarily have to win the All-Ireland, but that organisation gave them three championship matches most years, often playing in Croke Park, something that helped build a spirit and a desire to be involved with Offaly. Compare and contrast: Offaly Minor footballers won just one game from 1949 to 1956.
I know population plays a part but Ofay’s population relative to the rest of Leinster didn’t alter between 1949/56 and 1957/66. And if population was a key factor, Wicklow and Louth would be a lot more successful. But having a tight knot group, well organised group who are well coached is going to trump a badly organised, dispirited outfit even if that opposition has three times the population. And I suppose Edenderry is a good ase in point. And on that note, I'm happy to see Colm Cummins is leading the current programme for development.
Similarly, the 1986 Minor hurlers were sufficiently organised do what they did. Yet, a year before, with a lot of that successful team and with Birr CS having reached a Colleges’ All-Ireland and Banagher VS with an All-Ireland title, they didn’t register against Wexford. Michael Duignan wrote in his book of Pat Joe Whelahan’s influence in bridging the divide between the Banagher and Birr lads between whom the relationship would have been frosty at best. Similarly, most of the Offaly Senior hurlers who beat the All-Ireland champions and reached 1969’s Leinster Final, and reached the NHL semi-final a season later, had been together for much of that decade, yet never prepared as a team and never won a game until Br Denis arrived on the scene in 1965.
It’s all about leadership, having the right figurehead who has the dedication, the knowledge and the personality to lead. For too long now, Offaly has been resistant to change. We’re 21 years into this century now, and too many are stuck in the last one. Sport, like society, is changing, and we’re here like Séamus O’Rourke who wrote in Standing in Gaps “We were always longing for something else, so we kept doing the same. What we wouldn’t do, to go back and give ourselves a good boot up the backside.”
That Minor football decade, as you say, fed the 71/72 teams, and while I can’t pinpoint exactly the years Fr Gillooly was involved, leadership such as his would have been a large part of that decade long run. You don’t necessarily have to win the All-Ireland, but that organisation gave them three championship matches most years, often playing in Croke Park, something that helped build a spirit and a desire to be involved with Offaly. Compare and contrast: Offaly Minor footballers won just one game from 1949 to 1956.
I know population plays a part but Ofay’s population relative to the rest of Leinster didn’t alter between 1949/56 and 1957/66. And if population was a key factor, Wicklow and Louth would be a lot more successful. But having a tight knot group, well organised group who are well coached is going to trump a badly organised, dispirited outfit even if that opposition has three times the population. And I suppose Edenderry is a good ase in point. And on that note, I'm happy to see Colm Cummins is leading the current programme for development.
Similarly, the 1986 Minor hurlers were sufficiently organised do what they did. Yet, a year before, with a lot of that successful team and with Birr CS having reached a Colleges’ All-Ireland and Banagher VS with an All-Ireland title, they didn’t register against Wexford. Michael Duignan wrote in his book of Pat Joe Whelahan’s influence in bridging the divide between the Banagher and Birr lads between whom the relationship would have been frosty at best. Similarly, most of the Offaly Senior hurlers who beat the All-Ireland champions and reached 1969’s Leinster Final, and reached the NHL semi-final a season later, had been together for much of that decade, yet never prepared as a team and never won a game until Br Denis arrived on the scene in 1965.
It’s all about leadership, having the right figurehead who has the dedication, the knowledge and the personality to lead. For too long now, Offaly has been resistant to change. We’re 21 years into this century now, and too many are stuck in the last one. Sport, like society, is changing, and we’re here like Séamus O’Rourke who wrote in Standing in Gaps “We were always longing for something else, so we kept doing the same. What we wouldn’t do, to go back and give ourselves a good boot up the backside.”
True Red wrote: ↑Tue Apr 27, 2021 10:54 am Brilliant Stats and Facts there POTH.
Its not rocket science and the old Irish saying comes to mind , 'Mol an Óige agus tiocfaidh sí'
The foundations were laid in the 50's and 60's for what happened in the early 70's.
I have to marvel at the fact that people ponder the lack of success at adult level in our county teams in the last 20 years.If you want the answer look no further at the lack of success/competitiveness in our underage teams. No Leinster Minor since 1989 in football and our last Leinster minor in hurling was in 2000 if im not mistaken. Success at these levels (and under 21/20) is crucial to keep lads involved and interested. Winning breeds winners.
I also wonder at the level of spade work that went in around the county in terms of Coaching & Games Administration?
Sometimes if you want the actual honest answer, you have to look in the mirror.
Have we done enough?