SYNGE STREET MASTER MAXIE McMANAMON PLAYED ALL GRADES FOR DUBLIN Maxie McManamon has given a lifetime of service to the Synge Street club, representing the Dublin inner-city outfit at Senior level for over a quarter of a century. The Rathmines based insurance broker has lined out for his native Dublin at all levels, winning an All-Ireland Junior medal in 1971. Last year Maxie was full forward on the Dublin Over-40 team which lost out to Mayo in the All-Ireland Masters final and he is determined to help the Dubs go one step better in that same competition this year. Maxie McManamon - a Sky Blue stalwart whose love for the national game knows no bounds. This staunch Synge Street and Dublin Gael was christened Martin McManamon but throughout his football playing days has been known affectionately as "Maxie" to both team-mates and opposition members alike - although some opponents may have taken occasion to call him other things at times! Born and reared in the South Circular Road area from which the Synge Street club draws its players, Maxie has served his local club at Senior level for the 26 years which span 1969-94. Success had come early. In the underage ranks Maxie won Under 14 and Under 15 Leagues as well as a Juvenile (Under 15) Championship medal. The young McManamon also picked up Leinster Colleges medals with the Synge Street school team at Under 15 and Under 17 level. Maxie first broke into the club's Senior team as an eighteen year old (in 1969) and still had the verve to line out for two Senior Championship games towards the end of the last season. "I played at half back for approximately the first half of my career and was then full forward for the second half. They moved me up at that stage because they thought my legs were beginning to go - I've been striving to prove then wrong ever since!" Succeeding too, by all accounts. With Synge Street, Maxie McManamon collected a Senior League Division One title in 1972, only one year after having garnered a Division Two medal. In 1977 the men from Synge Street reached the Dublin Senior Championship final. "We lost to St Vincent's one week after Dublin had beaten Armagh in the All-Ireland final. The Vincent's had nine of the Dublin team and we were on a hiding to nothing. They had the likes of Brian Mullins, Tony Hanahoe, Bobby Doyle and Jimmy Keaveney while our only county man at the time was Anton O'Toole. I actually went to school with Anton and played alongside him, up through the various grades," explains the former Dublin star. Last year Synge Street lost their Senior status for the first time in 35 years. The club is going through a bit of a lean patch. "The younger players aren't coming through anymore. It used to be a closed club in that only people who had attended the school were allowed to play for the club - but that has been changed now. The only way to address our problems is to open the whole thing up and set up a base which depends on a specific area. We draw from around the South Circular Road which is an area where a lot of people tend to live in flats and there are no young people coming through. Obviously we haven't the same volume of players to draw from - where there used to be six hundred people in Primary School here there and now only 150," Maxie McManamon told HOGAN STAND. Maxie was right half back on the Dublin Minor team which reached the Leinster final in 1969, only to be surprisingly defeated by Wexford (0-11 to 0-7). He also played for Dublin's Under 21s for two years - 1971 and 1972. Arguably the highlight of McManamon's career arrived in 1971 when he helped Dublin to victory over Cork in the All-Ireland Junior final. The Dubs were then caught on the hop by London in what was officially referred to as the 'final proper' - "we got silver All-Ireland medals all the same. Anton O'Toole was the only one from that side who went on to play on the great Dublin team." The current day Manager of O'Connor Insurances in Rathmines broke into the Dublin Senior panel for the League and played a couple of matches during season 1972/73. Why did he not succeed in going on to stake a claim for a regular place on the county team? "I always felt that I was good enough to be there or thereabouts, but I probably didn't have the physique at the time. I think Heffernan was looking for big strong men. But looking back now at how good that Dublin team was, it's very difficult to complain that I should have been on it." Maxie McManamon is playing Junior football with Synge Street this year and intends to line out with Dublin's Over-40s in their 1995 All-Ireland quest. Is he going to play a part in the club's attempt to regain Senior status? "Well, I'm 43 now and I'm at the stage where I have to realise that there's no real future in the club playing me. I got involved when they were in relegation trouble in '93 and made a bit of difference - but unfortunately I didn't have the same effect last year. I feel that it might be better to make way for the younger lads. I love playing and enjoyed the Over 40s last year as much as I enjoyed any period of my career. Its less competitive, you don't get hit as hard, but the enjoyment is still the same," enthused the amiable Dubliner. Maxie first got involved with the Dublin Masters set-up only last year when he was approached by John Lennihan and asked to join. The irony was that the Templeogue resident was eligible to play the previous two campaigns. He reflects on the Metropolitan's march to last year's final. "We had to play Tyrone in the semi-final in Omagh on a wet miserable day. Our matches up until then had been relatively easy and that was our final test. Tyrone was very well organised at that level and provided very testing opposition. Something went wrong in the final against Mayo and we just didn't get off the mark. It was a fine day in Ennis and the ground was very soggy - but Mayo thoroughly deserved their win." Gracious in defeat he may be, but Maxie admits to having been extremely dejected when the final whistle sounded on Dublin's Over-40 chances. "It was actually one of the biggest disappointments of my career. When you get to any All-Ireland final you want to win it," he told us. In high season Dublin's Over-40s train twice a week. They're in hibernation at the minute, having last played in a tournament in Donegal last November, but they will be starting back slowly into training in March. Even though its only a five month season, Maxie has a one and a half hour drive to and from training sessions - which are quite intensive. But the further they go, the more they enjoy it. "There is a certain affinity you get between Over 40 players who all seem to have a great love for the game. At this level it takes a bit more effort and all the lads take it seriously." McManamon warns that Dublin have their sights set firmly on the 1995 All-Ireland Masters crown. The biggest threats to that aspiration he sees as coming from Kildare, Tyrone and reigning champions Mayo. Can Dublin's Senior finally come good in '95? "I think their problems is that the first thing they have to do to win Leinster is beat Meath. They always pick the strong competitive guys for that game and sometimes the football ability is overlooked. Then when they come up against good footballing sides like Derry or Down they haven't got the skill to match them. Its very obvious that they're badly in need of a few forwards. Jason Sherlock will give them pace and may make a difference, but they need another man to go with him. Pat O'Neill and his selectors have scanned the county, however, and they'll have the a good side ready for the Championship. I still hold out hopes that they'll win an All-Ireland within two years." Martin "Maxie" McManamon has been an employee of O'Connor Insurances in Rathmines for the past thirteen years. For the past six of those he has been Manager of the small efficient insurance brokerage. Residing in the Templeogue area, he is married to Josephine and father of Brendan (12), Kevin (8) and Sean (1). If either of the three lads go on to wear the Dublin jersey, then Maxie will be even prouder than the proverbial peacock! Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 17th February, 1995 Tweet

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