Every club should have a Joey Byrne. A corner stone and a lynchpin all in one, the popular Inniskeen clubman has been a player, team-manager, chairman and loyal supporter for many, many years. He still exudes the enthusiasm of a rookie though. Words: Kevin Carney. Joey Byrne would make a bad doomsday merchant. A man who continually pushes out the boat to view the glass as being half-full rather than half-empty, the popular Inniskeen builder and GAA personality is doing his best to put a brave face on it as he reviews a disappointing year for the Grattans at senior level. Notwithstanding the club's poor return at adult level in 2001, in the overall scheme of things, Joey is pleased to report that his beloved club ain't doing that bad. He's quick to point out that there's a lot of ambition and pride about the club and this gives rise to annual expectations even if they weren't exactly met in the past year. Truth to tell, local stalwarts like Joey Byrne seem to be perennially in upbeat mode when matters GAA are under discussion. Realism, however, strikes deep into the local psyche though. There's no fools about the GAA club in Inniskeen. And while Joey is the epitomy of what's positive and optimistic about the club, he confesses that the premier footballers in Inniskeen will have to improve: "I think the players will have to show more commitment if they are to get back into winning ways in the coming year. Things didn't go well for them in the last 12 months but it's up to them if they want to turn things around for next year. "The potential is definitely there within the team and there's not much between any of the sides at the top of the intermediate league and the bottom half of the senior league so with a bit more effort they can be a lot more successful. "The fact that the seniors were only narrowly beaten in the first round of the championship by a Truagh side that later went onto reach the county final shows you that there isn't much between the teams," the former club and county star opines. And what of the standard of football at present in the county? "Football at club level in Monaghan has gone back a bit in recent times. The likes of Scotstown aren't nearly as strong as they were and that hasn't been good for football in Monaghan. That's all the more reason why Inniskeen should be competing at the top in Monaghan. "The seniors' results in the last year was all the more disappointing because of how well they did at intermediate level in 2000. I'd be hoping that the players can roll up their sleeves a bit more in the coming season." In terms of the players' commitment to the cause, Joey remembers a time when it was oh so different though. Back in the fifties and sixties, for instance, fellas like Joey literally ate, drank and slept football. Such a mentality helped propel the area's best footballers to senior championship title wins in 1947 and '48 after all. The born and reared Drumacavoy gael says that when Inniskeen were reaching senior county finals back in the fifties, there were two players - at the most - who were known to take a drink. That was it. "Players didn't like to see other players taking drink in the days before a match. It was frowned upon back then. There wasn't the money anyway to go out drinking two or three nights of the week. "Playing football was all we got up to when we were youngsters. In the summer especially, we'd go straight from the school to the field and kick the ball around 'till it got dark. There could be upwards of 40 fellas playing away every evening," the one-time Carrick-based apprentice joiner adds. Was it the same type of football that is played nowadays? "Not at all. Football has changed a lot over the years. It was all catch and kick when I was growing up. I'd have to say the modern style of football is much nicer to watch and the players are more skilful because of all the coaching they get right from underage on up through the ranks. "Down's All-Ireland wins in the early sixties had a big say in changing the way football was played in this part of the country. Much better ball players came on the scene from then on." Joey says he wouldn't describe himself as having been a good ball player in his prime although those who remember him playing alongside the likes of the O'Rourke brothers in Inniskeen say that he was a mighty fetcher of a high ball. At 6'2" and a fighting fit weight of 12 stone, the young Byrne was a match for most midfielders in Ulster in the mid-fifties. Reflecting on his career with club and county, it's not surprising that Joey fingers Monaghan's All-Ireland Junior title win in 1956 as a stand-out for him. Curiously, he recalls the build-up to the game just as vividly as the final itself. Joey was one of the inter-county rookies on that Monaghan team. A string of impressive performances at club level for Inniskeen from 1952 onwards left no one in doubt though as to the aspiring Byrne's ability. He first made an impression at the highest level in Monaghan club circles when coming on as a sub in Inniskeen's county final joust with Clontibret in 1952. He recalls how he was very proud to be able to contribute to the Grattans cause in the company of men such as Packie Boylan, Ed Finnegan and the three O'Rourke brothers. "We only lost to Clontibret by a point that year but we should really have won it even though they had a fantastic team at that time with men such as John Rice and Hughie McKearney at the top of their game." Joey was to later link up with the famed O'Rourkes and goalkeeper Mattie Dooley on the Monaghan junior squad which embarked on an incredible voyage in the Ulster and All-Ireland championships of 1956. Joey recalls with understandable nostalgia how Monaghan disposed of the challenge of a highly vaunted Down team in the first round of the Ulster Junior championship of '56. "Because they had so many good up and coming players back then and because the game was in Newry, we weren't expected by anyone to beat Down that year. They were red hot favourites but we deserved to beat them," explains the former Inniskeen star who linked up at midfield that day with Monaghan Harps stalwart Pascal McArdle. As Monaghan's campaign progressed, Joey would form an equally successful partnership in the middle with Latton's Seamus McElroy. Joey and co. could hardly have imagined however that they their campaign would last as long as it did. After the Down game, a home game against outsiders Antrim was next on the agenda. A fairly comfortable win in that game added to Monaghan's impetus and increased expectations right across the Farney County that something wonderful was in the offing. An Ulster final clash in Clones with near-neighbours Cavan was supposed to 'find out' Byrne and co. The Breffni Blues were the clear favourites for the title but the script went out the window as Monaghan emerged victors with a bit to spare. "I remember the feeling of confidence and self-belief that ran through that team with each of the wins we clocked up. There was a good buzz around the county too and our trainer Fr. Enda McCormack was really getting the best out of us. He advised us to get up really early in the morning, do our fitness routine and to imagine that we were every bit as good as the seniors." Meeting Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final was supposed to see the newly-crowned Ulster champions meet their Waterloo though. Instead, the Monaghan lads caused a major surprise by gaining a draw in Clones. The replay was fixed for Newbridge and everyone outside of Monaghan believed that the northerners had missed the boat against the Kingdom. Not so. Byrne et al triumphed in a magnificent match by two points. "We had been underdogs for nearly all the matches so it wasn't anything new for us to go into the Kerry game as the unfancied team. "We travelled down beforehand to see Kerry play in the Munster final against Waterford in Killarney but it was a bit of a mis-match and Kerry walked all over them. Anything remarkable which stands out from the Monaghan/Kerry game though? "Nothing really except the delight we felt at reaching an All-Ireland final and the fact that I played on a young Mick O'Dwyer. I didn't know who he was at the time though. I'd have to say he wasn't great against us and I think the Kerry selectors agreed because they took him off!" Beating Kildare thereafter in the 'home' final and Warwickshire in the final proper was a dream come through for Joey, he admits. He'd love to see such glory days being recaptured by Monaghan. A place in the county final for Inniskeen's premier team would do nicely too, he adds. Watch this space Joey! The club's viewpoint Winning promotion to senior for 2001, having won the Intermediate championship and division two league in 2000, gave our players the stiff challenge of competing at the highest level. How they succeeded can be measured by their success in the Clontibret promoted Ulster Intermediate Club Championship. In the first round back in February they had a two point winning margin over Cavan champions Knockbride on the score; Inniskeen 0-10, Knockbride 0-8. The team and scorers; Gregory O'Rourke, Peter McKenna, Fergal Duffy, Aidan Lynch, Sean Lynch, Gary Lynch 0-1, Pearse Og Casey, Alan O'Rourke, Jordan Meegan 0-1, Eoin Meegan 0-5, Martin Callan, Fergal McSkane 0-2, Raymond Lennon, Alan Ryan 0-1. Replacement subs: Mark Kelly and Martin Dooley. Fergal Duffy won the Man-of-the-Match award. This win put them into the semi-final against the Down champions Attical which did not take place until 9th September and history was made when Inniskeen were victorious by a two point margin to reach the final of the Intermediate Club Championship. A brilliant display by goalie Gregory O'Rourke earned him the Man-of-the-Match award. Inniskeen benefited by the backdoor system in the senior championship having lost their first round game against Gaeil Triucha on a scoreline; Inniskeen 0-12, Gaeil Triucha 0-13. Drawn against Scotstown in next stage of the championship Inniskeen put in great performance to emerge winners on the score; Inniskeen 1-11, Scotstown 1-8. Team and scorers; Gregory O'Rourke, Peter McKenna, Fergal Duffy, Alan Ryan, Gary Lynch, Mark Kelly, Aidan Lynch 0-1, Raymond Lennon, Alan O'Rourke, Gavin Duffy, Eoin Meegan 0-6, Martin Callan, Martin Dooley, Paul Rice 0-1, Jordan Meegan 0-2. Subs: Dermot Jones 1-0 for Gavin Duffy, Sean Lynch for Gary Lynch, Paul Meegan 0-1 for Martin Dooley. Drawn against Magheracloone in the next stage of the championship, Inniskeen suffered a heavy defeat on the score; Inniskeen 0-8, Magheracloone 1-15 to end their interest in the competition. In the senior league results have been rather inconsistent with more points needed to avoid relegation but maximum points in remaining games could possibly give them a top four place. At minor level it was a most successful year with the team reaching the final of the division one league and with a bit of luck outright success in the championship could have been achieved. The panel of players that brought about this situation was Paraic Dowdall, Martin Mulholland, Cathal Keenan, Ronan Meegan, Stephen Callan, Trevor Meegan, Seamus Loftus, Kevin Boylan, Paul Meegan, Michael Fee, Michael Fitzpatrick, Niall Lennon, Michael Lennon, Eugene McHugh, David McGahan, Darren Galligan, John Crawley, Trevor Tavey, Michael Farrell, Christopher McHugh, Peter Dooley. The final of the Division one league takes place on Saturday 6th October. Two of our minor players Paul Meegan and Paraic Dowdall were on the Monaghan County minor team panel that played Tyrone in the final of Ulster minor championship. The most successful of our juvenile teams was the Under 15 team that reached the final of the Under 15 league for the Lee Bros Cup but had to bow to a superior Clontibret team in the final. Hurling The development of hurling in the club received a great boost in 2001 with the minor team winning the minor hurling league for the first time defeating Monaghan Harps in the final. On the Saturday prior to the minor final the Under 15 team played Latton in the final of the Under 15 league but defeat was their lot. Earlier in the year the Under 13 team reached the final of the Under 13 league but a stronger Castleblayney team were the winners. Presently we have five players on the Monaghan Under 15 hurling development panel and are showing great potential at game. The players taking part; Michael Lennon, Gerard Ruddy, PJ Boyle, Sean Brennan and Gareth Conlon. The driving force behind the development of hurling in Inniskeen are coaches Eddie Higgins, Brendan Meegan, Paddy O'Rourke and Brian Murphy also giving good assistance is county hurling coach Gerry Murphy. It would the aim of those involved in hurling to have a senior hurling team in Inniskeen in the not to distant future. Inniskeen GAA Tweet

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