The proud sense of spirit that permeates Stabannon Parnells GFC is unique, clearly evident as one of the true virtues of Wee County GAA. Having put a horrific career-threatening injury behind him, experienced campaigner Aidan Shevlin epitomises the steely heart, fortitude and sheer mettle that is synonymous with the Green & Gold. By Gerry Robinson A split-second incident almost turned Aidan Shevlin's life on its head in early September 1997. Aidan was a regular scorer on the Stabannon side due to face St Mary's in that year's Louth senior football championship final and had the domestic GAA world at his feet. On the Friday morning before the game, on his way to work, he was involved in a serious motor accident that brought him crashing back to earth with a resounding thud. There would be no final for Aidan that year. No football at all for two years. It looked like he might never play again, but the talented Stabannon attacker wasn't subscribing to that possibility. Gradually, his shattered right leg mended. After two years of rehabilitation, he finally played for Stabannon again. Incredibly, he's been a regular ever since and was one of the club's leading lights in 2005. This steely resolve and irresistible determination is typical of Stabannon. It typifies the club as well as the man. Incidentally, in Shevlin's absence, Stabannon went on to account for Ardee St Marys after a replay in the 1997 county final - that too is typical Stabannon. This is a special club, with heart and soul that you can't imitate. You inherit it. Stabannon are the real deal and their pride is as strong now as it was in the 1990s when the mid-Louth side were perennial favourites for the Joe Ward Cup. Speaking to Aidan towards the close of the 2005 football season in Louth, it was clear that the prolific marksman has lost none of his enthusiasm for either the club he loves or the game he sometimes makes look so ridiculously easy. Stabannon are a passionate lot, with astonishing tradition, and they still think big. Though things may not have gone exactly according to script in '05, with Stabannon surrendering their senior status after 16 glorious years in the top flight. Aidan insists that - considering they're going through a critical transitional period - the team played with unquestionable character: "Results-wise and looking at the points on the board, things might look bad to an outsider looking in. The results probably give the impression of a team that was under pressure, ready to buckle, but that's not how it was at all. We lost a lot of big guns last year and it was a big step-up for some of our younger lads and other players in the club who weren't playing regular football. It's all part of the learning curve and I believe the lads acquitted themselves well under the circumstances." Stabannon struggled to get off the mark in Division 1B of the all-county league, losing five of their opening eight games and drawing the other three. They never got back on track. In Group D of the SFC, they lost all three outings, to Naomh Mairtin, Dreadnots and Roche Emmets. "We got a couple of hammerings - against Oliver Plunketts, for example - but we had some good performances early on in the league. We would have beaten the Brides but for a late misunderstanding at the back and some of the other encounters were also close. We weren't getting beaten off the field week in, week out," Aidan notes. It proved frustratingly difficult to get over the winning line, however: "We didn't have the same leadership qualities in the team that we had in years gone by, but we did okay in most games and the lads we have are coming along nicely. We went out at the group stage of the championship, but we ran Naomh Mairtin close in the first game and a win there could have made all the difference. We're in transition, but the belief and conviction in the team is good." It's a far cry from the days when Stabannon were the envy of every other club in the county, but the players are still relishing the challenges that present themselves today. "It's a new challenge and we're up for it," Aidan insists. "We only have a few lads left who won county senior medals - the likes of myself, Martin King and Ian Quinn - and the lads who were on the fringes are core players now. We have 25-28 very determined players at the club and they're all up for the challenge. The players on the team now will want to be remembered as winners in years to come, so they've got to establish themselves. "One of the really encouraging things is that St Michaels are still doing well at underage level. The passion is still there. Both ourselves and O'Connells were senior in 2005, so there's nothing wrong with the quality of football being played here. Stabannon just need some leaders now and we'll find our way back into contention." The unanimously-decreed Team of the 'Nineties left a great legacy. Their replacements inherited a team competing at the highest level. New players went straight into senior football - where better to gather experience? Aidan continues: "We have young players who have excelled at U16, minor and U21 levels and we're putting them into the very highest grade of football. No disrespect to the lower ranks, but senior football is the best brand and it's where everyone wants to play. Players have a better chance of expressing themselves." Stabannon found themselves in Group D of the 2005 Louth SFC, along with Naomh Mairtin, Roche Emmets and Dreadnots. They opened their programme with a 1-11 to 0-9 defeat to the Mairtins at Drogheda on June 4. Stabannon led by a point at the break but the concession of a goal immediately on the resumption proved fatal and any lingering hopes of a revival were quashed when the losers were reduced to 13 men. Dreadnots effectively ended Stabannon's interest in the Joe Ward Cup when they recorded a 1-10 to 1-9 victory at Ardee on June 19. Stabannon produced a strong second-half performance in this match and were most unfortunate to finish on the wrong end of the scoreline. Aidan Shevlin hit four points in the second period - and six in all - and the sides were tied on 1-9 apiece with time almost up. Goalkeeper Brendan McConnon had a chance to win the game for Stabannon late on but his '45' dropped short and the Clogherhead men eventually got an injury-time winner at the other end. Stabannon were the first team ruled out of contention in the 2005 SFC and had nothing to play for in their final group outing. Hardly surprisingly, as their opponents badly needed the win, they fell to a heavy 4-7 to 0-8 defeat to Roche Emmets on Thursday July 21. Of course, the championship wasn't Stabannon's No.1 priority in 2005. "From the very start of the year, we decided to focus on the league," Aidan Shevlin admits. "If you get a bit of momentum going, it's always possible to push for a place in Division 1A. The turnaround period between seasons is short now, so we knew that if we could make a good finish to the 2005 season that it would stand us in good stead for 2006. "We were desperate to avoid relegation. We have good young players and a good team spirit. Nobody in the club or the community wants to be playing intermediate football. Stabannon are at their best in senior. "No matter how badly things looked during the year, I can tell you no other club relished the prospect of coming to Stabannon to take us on in a game of football. We're a close-knit team that works together and nobody enjoys playing against us." That kind of spirit is indefatigable and irreplaceable. "We were labelled the Team of the Decade in the 'nineties and probably rightly so, but we've had to give way this decade to the likes of Cooley, the Pats, the Blues, Mattock and an upcoming Ardee team. Because we lost a number of players, we haven't really featured in finals or in the latter stages of the major competitions. Now it's a matter of how our new players adapt, but we're up for the challenge of rebuilding. "The numbers at training were still up at 16 and 17 in mid-September, which is good considering that a lot of lads were working or otherwise engaged outside the area. We still have unbelievable support from the people in the locality. Some of them would travel to Kerry to support the team! There have been doubts about some of the performances and, let me tell you, people here won't cop out of telling you when you've played a bad game. But they'll support you through it and that's very important. "The likes of John Prendergast, Bernie Murray and Gerry Hoey have contributed an awful lot to the club since they joined in the 1990s. They were outstanding footballers who had played at the highest level and our home grown players have benefited greatly from their involvement in the club. We've learned a lot from those guys." Aidan Shevlin won senior championships in 1994, '97 and '99. He vividly remembers the events of September 5 1997 and is grateful that he's been given a second chance. "I received multiple fractures of the right leg and the first thing I asked the doctor was whether I'd be able to play football again. He said there'd be nothing for two years but I worked hard, with a lot of help from my Dad and St Mary's, Drumcar, and was able to do some laps of the field with the lads almost exactly a year to the day of the accident, on September 4 1998. That was the first major breakthrough." It was a long road back. Was Aidan not tempted to just accept that his football days were over? "In Stabannon, you don't give up. This is the one sport that I love playing and I'll keep playing for as long as I'm able. Even today, it would take a lot to stop me from togging out for a game - and everyone on the panel has the same attitude. When you live in Stabannon and play football, that's it…" With the horror injury now fully behind him, Aidan can play a leading role in helping bring the good times back to Stabannon. It's a responsibility he doesn't intend to shirk: "All's clear on the injury front now, so I've no excuses," he concludes. Tweet

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