King of Pairc Tailteann
November 27, 2010Nobody in their right mind could possibly have predicted that Eamonn O'Brien's team would beat their great rivals by 11 points and that they would score five goals in the process, but that's exactly what happened as they took a giant step towards reclaiming the provincial title.
King, a St Colmcille's clubman and native of Julianstown, seems to be an ever-present figure at Navan's Pairc Tailteann on match days and at Meath training sessions where he is one of those people who demonstrates the huge importance voluntary effort has played in the development of the GAA down through the years.
Like every other Meath supporter he derived considerable satisfaction from that sweet win over Dublin and recalled his moment of inspiration ahead of the big game.
"During the week of the Dublin match Barry Gorman was down the country and felt he wouldn't be able to get back," King said. "I collected the jerseys from Tara at Pairc Tailteann and then it struck me. I wondered would it be a good idea to get them blessed. Fr Denis Nulty from St Mary's parish in Drogheda blessed them for me and the rest is history. We beat Dublin and scored five goals."
Meath went on to win their first Leinster title in nine years with that controversial final victory over Louth and the presence of fellow St Colmcille's men Graham Reilly playing a starring role in the Royal County attack and Robbie O'Malley doing his bit as a selector added to King's sense of satisfaction.
"Meath have improved, but they have had good days and bad days in recent years and needed a bit of luck," added King who was also happy to recall those glory days for St Colmcille's in the 1980s when the east coast club climbed through the ranks to mix it with the big boys in the Senior Championship.
"They were great times for the club," he recalled. "They won the junior championship in 1983 and the intermediate in 1988. We had some great players like Robbie O'Malley, Bernard Flynn and the Carrs.
"They played in the senior ranks for a good few years, but unfortunately they were badly hit by emigration and lost lads like Donal Rock and Aidan Curran. Bernard Flynn also went to Mullingar. You just couldn't do without players like them.
"A huge amount of work went into that successful period for the club. We had enjoyed plenty of success at under-age level. We had great men there when we made the breakthrough at intermediate level, like Paddy Clarke, Paddy Brannigan, Pat Beakey and Jimmy Stafford. Those days bring back great memories.
"I played football for Shallon myself and then for St Colmcille's, in goal. I wasn't much good at it; I was no expert. I wasn't good enough to play senior football, but I enjoyed every minute of it."
The Meath Supporters Club, currently under the chairmanship of Kells native Raymond Finnegan, with King acting as vice-chairman, is a very important body in the Meath GAA scene and carries out vital work in support of county teams.
"Over the years the Supporters Club has played a vital role for the Meath team training fund," King said. "Fielding county teams is a seriously expensive business, especially when you are also going well at minor and under-21 level like Meath were in the past. We bought suits for minor and under-21 teams. Those teams never wanted for anything. If they needed something they got it.
"Some very successful fund-raising events have been held by the Supporters Club over the years, like the Joe Dolan Concert in 1987 and car draws. The club is going very well at the moment. We have funds in the kitty and if the County Board and the team need help they get it."
The presence of King around the dressingroom area of Pairc Tailteann has become a very familiar sight over the years and you sense that he's at his happiest in this environment, though he also derives great pleasure from attending big matches involving Meath at Croke Park and around the country.
"I haven't missed a championship game since 1985 or 1986," he said. "I was in Croke Park when they won the Centenary Cup in 1984. I had a great relationship with Fintan Ginnity after he became County Board chairman in 1986. He was a great chairman and a great worker. He had great men around him like Colum Cromwell and Barney Allen. There was great craic too.
"I helped out under the stand at Pairc Tailteann on match days. I have seen so many different players and managers over the years. There's a lot of work involved on match days, trying to organise the right dressingrooms for teams and things like that. You try to be fair to them all.
"It can be a very long day, especially if you have a double header of games in the afternoon and another in the evening. You would get to Pairc Tailteann at about 1 pm and wouldn't get out of it until after 8 pm. But it's very enjoyable, good craic. You meet a lot of people and build up great friendships.
"I have been lucky to meet people like Fintan Ginnity the late Colum Cromwell, Barney Allen, Cyril Creavin and Christo Shankey. There was also the late Sean Power from Wolfe Tones who was such a helpful man. You couldn't hand pick them. Without voluntary effort like that you would be lost."
Fielding county teams is expensive and it also takes a great deal of organisation. The King clan are more than happy to play their part.
"My son Paul started as a water boy with the Meath team during Eamonn Barry's time as manager," George added. "It's good for him. The lads like him and he likes them. I help out with the county team too. I would go ahead of the team bus on match days and organise where they are going to park and stuff like that. I'm at it a good while now.
"Myself and Paul also set up water in the dressingroom for the team and do other similar tasks. We enjoy it. When Meath played Laois in the Leinster Championship replay at Tullamore this year the lads got stuck in a two-mile tailback on the way into the town. I was ahead of them getting things ready when Barney phoned me and asked if I could organise a Garda escort. A Garda headed out on a motorbike and escorted them to the ground.
"I also open Pairc Tailteann before training and close it when it's finished. Another task there is preparing the ice baths for the players. I would leave my home outside Drogheda at about 5.30 pm and by the time training is over and the lads get a bit of grub it could be midnight by the time I get back home. But I really enjoy it all; I love the craic."
King, who recalled Meath's glory era at under-age level in the early 1990s when two All-Ireland minor titles and an under-21 crown were won, acknowledged the key role people like Johnny Sullivan, Pat O'Neill, Paul Kenny and Mattie Kerrigan played in those triumphs.
"They were great men who had one thing on their minds at all times - success," he said. "Those were great days for under-age football in the county. So much was achieved."
King feels privileged to have seen so many outstanding Meath footballers during his time of involvement with the GAA in the county.
"Meath have been blessed with so many great players during my time following them - Colm O'Rourke, Gerry McEntee, Brian Stafford, Mickey McQuillan, Martin O'Connell, Robbie O'Malley, Bernard Flynn, Tommy Dowd, David Beggy, Graham Geraghty, Darren Fay," he added. "There were so many. You could go on and on. They were such talented players and were nice fellows too."
Apart from his obvious love of Gaelic games and the Meath GAA scene in particular, King's other great sporting passion is horse racing and he derived great satisfaction from his involvement with trainer Gerry Cromwell who played football for St Vincent's (Ardcath) and Meath in the 1950s and 1960s.
"I love horse racing, always have," King said. "I led up winners for Gerry Cromwell in the past and had best turned out horses at Galway and other tracks. I was with Gerry for years. They were great times. We travelled the country to tracks all over the place. It was a great bit of craic."
Whether it be leading horses around the parade ring at Galway in the past or patrolling the area under the stand at Pairc Tailteann today, you get the distinct impression that George King enjoys his sporting life. Tweet
