Larry recalls some wonderful days
November 27, 2010Just back from his daily walk on a balmy August day and relaxing in the peaceful surroundings of his Kells home it's clear that the 85 year-old native of Collierstown, just outside the town, has enjoyed his life, with Gaelic football playing a key role down through the years.
He's around long enough to remember the massive disappointment of Meath's defeat to Kerry in the 1939 All-Ireland final when Mattie Gilsenan's dream of getting his hands on the Sam Maguire Cup was dashed. And you can sense his joy when he talks about the wonderful happenings of a decade later when Brian Smyth led the Royal County to the ultimate prize.
He has enjoyed watching football throughout his life, from those days on the wireless with the aid of a strong imagination to the wonders of television and the even greater thrill of being there in person. Each of Meath's All-Ireland successes, from the 1949 breakthrough to the more recent triumphs during Sean Boylan's glorious spell as manager, have brought him great pleasure. And he also enjoyed his own playing days.
"I never played football as a lad," he said. "There were 10 of us in the family. Work was more important than football. I started working in 1939 before I was 14. Tara Royals from Kells was the first team I played with. It was more or less a factory team from Tara Shoes. We played in the junior championship. Michael Grace, Jim 'Red' Meehan from Fordstown, Bosco Rourke, Paddy Kiernan and my brother Tony played with them at various times.
"We had great times. If we weren't playing a championship game we would travel to places like Ballinasloe. They were great games and great times. I was 21 or 22 at the time and usually used to play at centre-back, but sometimes at right half-back or left half-back or even midfield.
"I played most of my football with Drumbaragh. I played with them for years, but unfortunately we never won anything. We lost junior and intermediate finals. You need a bit of luck and we didn't have any. Players that stood out for us were Eamonn McCabe, Mattie Morris, Timmy Reddy, Michael Campbell, Harry Campbell, Patsy Caffrey, Phil Kiernan, Tony Smith and Sean Culleton.
"To be straight about it I never thought I was any good, but I could catch and kick the ball. They were my strengths. It was all great fun, especially when you won. I was very fit back then and I was never sent off in my life. Later on I moved to Kells Harps."
The Kells Harps' team from the 1950s was unquestionably a very talented one, but they never achieved the success their potential should have delivered and suffered the bitter disappointment of losing senior championship finals on a couple of occasions when they were expected to win.
"Kells Harps had some great players in the 1950s," Larry recalled. "Men like Bernard, Joe and Henry Flanagan, Micheal Grace, Nobby Clarke and Sean Muldoon. They were favourites to win two senior finals, but lost to Skryne in 1954 and St Vincent's from Ardcath in 1955.
"I was on the panel. I remember Jimmy Curran getting a goal for St Vincent's. Losing those two finals was a big disappointment for everybody."
Push the clock forward about a decade and Colmcille Gaels were a serious force to be reckoned with in Meath football, fielding players of the calibre of Vincent Cahill, Joe Murphy, Jimmy Murray, Greg Hughes and former Dublin dual performer Des Ferguson who had set up home on the Navan Road outside Kells.
They lost the 1964 senior final to an emerging Kilbride team which was to go on to be a dominant force in the county. They exited the championship at the semi-final stage against the same opposition the following year, but gained sweet revenge in 1966 when getting the better of the Kilbride men in the decider, after two replays. It was a proud moment for team captain Phil Fay when he received the coveted Keegan Cup.
Colmcille Gaels got their hands on the most sought after piece of silverware in Meath football again in 1968 when they scored a runaway victory over Walterstown in the final on a day when Dick McInerney registered 1-5 and Harry Campbell had the added honour of being team captain.
"Colmcille Gaels had some very good players," Larry added. "They won the senior championship in 1966 and 1968. Des Ferguson was the making of it all. He was a great footballer. He had the footballing brain."
For the younger generation it's probably difficult to even imagine the excitement generated by the appearance of a Meath team in an All-Ireland senior final at a time when the county was still seeking its first success at that level. But talking to Larry, it's clear that those were magical days, especially 1949 when the Sam Maguire Cup took up residence in the county for the first time.
"I always loved watching Meath playing," Larry said. "It was a great thrill. I can remember the 1939 All-Ireland final when Kerry beat them by two points. I listened to that game on the radio. There was no television back then. Losing that final was a big disappointment.
"Meath had some great footballers, like Mattie Gilsenan, who was the captain, and Matt Toole. It was all catch and kick football in those days. There was none of this hand passing then. You fought for the ball and took your belt. It was a tougher and better game than it is today."
A decade later it was all so different for the Meath team and their loyal band of supporters as the breakthrough at the highest level was made with victory over neighbours Cavan in the All-Ireland final.
"I remember Tommy Sheridan painted a horse's cart green and gold before the 1949 All-Ireland final against Cavan," Larry added. "We listened to it on the wireless. We left a window open in the house so that the neighbours could hear the commentary.
"Winning that All-Ireland was a huge thing for the county. Brian Smyth was the captain. He was some player. They were great men, great footballers, men like Peter McDermott and Paddy Meegan.
"It was great for Meath to win the All-Ireland again in 1954. They beat Kerry in the final with nearly the same team that won it in 1949. Everyone was delighted. It made up for losing finals in 1951 and 1952."
Today, a trip to Croke Park to watch an important championship game is no big deal and getting there doesn't take a huge amount of planning, but back then it was obviously a major thing and a very special occasion. Larry looks back on his visits to the Jones Road venue with considerable pleasure.
"My earliest memories of being in Croke Park are of watching Meath and Louth playing in the championship in the 1940s," he said. "There was a great rivalry between the counties back then. They were great games. I was working on the railway at the time and got a free pass which was grand. I was working with a lot of Louth lads then, but there wouldn't be a word about it once the game was over.
"I saw so many outstanding Meath players in those years, men like Peter McDermott, Paddy Meegan, Paddy O'Brien, Miceal O'Brien, Christo Hand and Brian Smyth to name a few. They were great footballers."
Many years later Larry had the pleasure of seeing his son Paul, popularly known as 'Smiler', winning a senior championship medal when Gaeil Colmcille defeated Walterstown in the final on a day when Eugene McGillick won the 'man of the match' award after a brilliant performance in attack and Terry Ferguson captained the victorious team.
Paul, who lined out in his customary right half-forward position in that senior final, had also helped the Kells club to their intermediate championship success five years earlier when Meath Hill were overcome in the decider. He was part of the Meath panel which claimed Leinster Under-21 Championship honours in 1988 when his fellow Gaeil Colmcille clubman Barry Ferguson captained the team
"I used to go every day to see Paul play," Larry added. "I used to enjoy looking at him. I was delighted when he won a senior championship medal in 1991. Benny Reddy was also on that team. He is my nephew. Benny could run all day. He was the same type of player as myself. I believe that Gaeil Colmcille team should have won more than one senior championship. They could have won three in a-row." And Larry's older son brought home medals when Paul was only playing juvenile football in 1979 - Gerard Smith won a junior medal with the Gaeils and was on the panel when Kells won the intermediate championship in 1986. Gerard's son Barry is one of Gaeil Colmcille's key players at the moment and was a Meath minor in 2005.
Larry, who is married to Bridie, a sister of Colmcille Gaels' goalkeeper from 1968 Gerry McManus, was a good pitch and putt player in his day and derived great pleasure from the sport.
"I played a lot of pitch and putt," he said. "I really enjoyed it. It was very relaxing. I remember playing for Meath up in Dunshaughlin. We didn't win, but I represented the county. I also love golf and watch a lot of it on the television. It's a great game." Tweet
