Evans, Sean
February 28, 1997OFFALY'S FAITHFUL SERVEANT
The halcyon days. Sean Evans is often asked about them, even now almost thirty years later, how it all happened, how Offaly emerged from Leinster to become the champions of the land, to beat the best?, writes Jimmy Geoghegan.
For Offaly football the early 1970's were the glory years, when a team of talented stars propelled the county to the forefront of Gaelic football, taking two titles in row, 1971 and 72' it's a feet the footballers from the faithful county had not achieved before…… or since.
Sean played his part in both victories . In '71 he was the full forward position and two years later started at centre field and many of the probing questions he is asked about those times are from youngsters whose memory doesn't go back that far or from journalists who are eager to delve further into what made the team tick, what made the team so successful. Invariably they draw comparisons between Offaly, then and now, and how a once powerful force in the game ended up struggling in the lower leagues of the NFL, annually dismissed as serious contenders for a major title.
That's the way it has been for some time, but there are signs of better days ahead. Offaly's recent procurement of a place in Division Three of the NFL and a possible place in the quarter-finals is a definite step in the right direction. The manner in which that place was secured with a string of impressive victories has given their supporters some cause for real optimism; and increasing numbers of them have been intrigued enough to leave their armchairs and see what all the talk is about.
'Certainly there are encouraging signs that the county is on the way back,' says Sean.
'But there is still a long way to go. I saw them play in the league myself in Tullamore and they looked fit and eager, and there was a good crowd there as well. In the not too distant past you would sometimes see just hundred at national league games. Getting promotion is a big step because it is fiercely important to get out of Division 4 and play regularly at a higher standard. Of course the championship will be different proposition but at least there are good signs. It will take a bit of time to get the team back up there.'
Now in his late forties Sean hasn't yet taken out the six inch nail and hung up his own boots. He played in a outfield position when his club won the Junior Championship in 1990 and he was the goalkeeper in '92 when Ballyfore claimed the intermediate Football Championship. He is still a registered player and last year made a few appearances for the junior team. In the long summer evenings Sean will often leave his dairy farm early and make his way down to the local park. He has not been burdened by excess weight and he keeps himself in good condition, partly through his work and partly through his love for football; there are few other things he enjoys more than a good Kick-about after a hard day at the office.
The desire to see his club progress is fueled by a fierce determination, thus his willingness to help out in any way he can - as a player, coach and for the last few years, as chairman. This year also he has accepted the challenge as team trainer for the seniors.
Sean is rightly proud of the progress Ballyfore have made in the last seven or eight years, steadily moving up through the grades from junior to senior level overcoming considerable disadvantages on the way.' We are a very small rural club with a very limited population.
Ballyfore is not even a village, there is no shop or even a pub in the area so we wouldn't have the resources of the other clubs like Edenderry which is in the same parish yet we have tried to do the best we can with the resources of other clubs like Edenderry which is in the same parish yet we have tried to do the best we can with the resources we have. The success we have to-date is mainly due to work of committed people who want to see Ballyfore achieve success. We have done well to get into the senior grade and we have had some good results. Soon after going senior we were drawn against Edenderry in the championship and we drew with them in the first game. They beat us in the replay but they went on to take the championship that year.'
Sean spent all his long, eventful career in the Ballyfore colours with relatively little success for the efforts he put in. The club spent most of the time in the junior grade and it is testament to Evans' determination and talent that he should maintain his place on very good Offaly side while playing at a lower level than most of his county colleagues.
For a while, however, he did turn out at senior football with neighbours Edenderry in 1985.' At the time you could play with a team at senior level as well as junior teamin the same parish but that rule was done away with soon after,' he explains.
It was in the county colours, though, that Sean Evans really got a taste of the big time. His family background always suggested he had a chance of making it big as a footballer. Both Sean's parents came from Kerry and his mother, Sheila Cronin, is a cousin of former Dublin and All-Star midfielder Brian Mullins. Another relative is Billy Casey, who won All-Irelands with Kerry in the late 1930s and early '40's.
Sean quickly emerged as one of the most talented youngsters in Offaly, and was a sub with the 1964 All-Ireland wining minor team. It was an historic first for the Faithful County and Evans was part of the starting fifteen the following year as the minors claimed the Leinster championship. In 1968 he added a provincial under-21 medal to his collection.
So often teams who achieve so much at underage level fall into the black void that divides underage and senior football. Most of the young Offaly players of the mid 60's were different - they remained focussed enough to graduate to the top. 'That minor team we had in 1964 especially was a brilliant one. Not too many players make the change from minor to senior but about eight or nine of that team went on to win All-Ireland senior medals in the early seventies. Kildare had a great minor team as well in the mid sixties hut they go on to make an impact at senior level.'
Before reaching the top, however, the determination and resolve of Evans and his team-mates were tested to the full. The young Ballyfore players' championship debut at senior in 1967 was a baptism of fire; he was put in at full-forward to mark Meath Legendary full-back Jack Quinn,' It was tough start, I learned a thing or two that day,' he recalls.
Evans was full-forward when Offaly lost the 1969 All-Ireland to Kerry but for him an even worse setback came a year later… and he wasn't even playing.
The 1970 Leinster final was one of the most remarkable games in recent times as Offaly relinquished an 11 point lead to Meath. 'I wasn't able to play that game but Murt Connor took my place and scored three goals, I thought I would never get my place back. I couldn't believe when Meath came back to win. We had lost the 1969 All-Ireland and I was sure we could win it in 1970. I cried my eyes out after that match because I felt the team had missed the chance of winning an All-Ireland,' As it turned out it all came right the following year and the year after.
So what did make that team tick?' We had some very good trainers or managers as they would be called now. Fr. Tom Scully insisted on a high standard of fitness and when Fr.Gillooly took over in '71 he was a great man for getting the team together, developing a very good team spirit. We also learned from our mistakes and by the time we won the Sam Maguire in '71 we had become confident in our ability. We played Galway in the final but we defeated them a few times already that year and we knew we could beat them again. Mentally we were strong and we wanted to win badly enough and we did. The following year in '72 we proved we were good enough to win again.' Ah yes, happy days indeed for Offaly football.
Taken from Hogan Stand magazine
28th February, 1997 Tweet
