Brian Ronan may once have been better known for his accurate drives in the colours of Baltray Golf Club, but in the season gone by he was also busy trying to drive St Fechins towards senior football. Gerry Robinson meets the Termonfeckin captain to discuss football, golf and the eternal search for equilibrium. When you love two sports, it can be difficult to find a happy medium. For most of his 25 years, Brian Ronan has been torn between golf and gaelic football. At times it was a serious conflict of interests but he seems to be finding a balance these days. His football certainly isn't suffering: that much was evidenced by the strong midfielder's towering performances as club captain in 2001. Brian has been a regular with St Fechins for only three years, so his ascension to captaindom was more rapid than most. He explains: "Because of my love of golf, I gave up football altogether at the age of about eleven and it was only really when I was 20-21 that I was convinced to start playing full time again. It took a couple of years to establish myself and I've been a regular for the past three. "The circumstances behind me being appointed captain were a bit unusual. Leo Cunningham had been selected originally but got injured and went to the States in April. As vice-captain, I was asked did I want to take the job on for the season and I said I'd give it a go. "I'm delighted with how it turned out and I have to say I've really enjoyed it. There's nothing like going out there and playing gaelic with 15 lads all working together, and having a good physical game. It's the opposite to golf which is an individual and more selfish sport, but both are equally enjoyable in their own rights. "I'm probably a quieter fella on the field than most of our previous captains but I eventually grew into the role and got used to it. You have to rise to the responsibility and set the right example for the younger lads who are looking up to you. We've a lot of good young 16/17 year olds coming through - including Kevin McGeough and Enda Walker who are exceptional young talents - and these lads need to be shown the right example." The age structure of the team is pretty encouraging. There are three players in their mid-thirties (Nigel Beirth, Mickey McCormack and Dennis O'Shea), one who is 30 (Brian's older brother Matthew), a good few in their mid-twenties and then a lot of young players coming through as well. So the basis is certainly there for a team with a good future. Growing up in Termonfeckin, it's not exactly unusual for a young man to develop a fondness for golf. The famous Baltray club is within the parish epidermis and Brian is a long-time member. In 1999, he was a member of the five-man team that made history by winning the All-Ireland club title with a blistering performance in Portrush . . . the first such success enjoyed by Baltray since 1977. Also on that team (who were rewarded with a trip to Italy) were Barry Reddan, Val Smith, Gareth Bohill and Nigel Beirth, the latter being the same man mentioned previously as a Fechins clubman. Nigel is a close friend of Brian's and is greatly respected by his mate: "He's a very keen and talented golfer. He played intercounty, was runner-up in the East of Ireland twice and is currently playing off a handicap of one. He's a real natural and is unbelievably consistent." Brian himself tries to play in three of the circuit tournaments each year. "I still play a fair bit of golf but the only problem is when it clashes with the football, which can be tough because I love them both. The golf season runs from about April until the end of July and there are five big competitions in the year - the East of Ireland, the West of Ireland, the North of Ireland, the South of Ireland and the Irish Close. I try to play in three of them and fit it in with the football." In 1998, Brian was at his golfing peak and he played interprovincial for Leinster after impressing on the circuit. "As the years have gone by, I haven't treated it as seriously as I used to. I probably had a reasonable chance back then of furthering my golf but I'm not practising as much as you'd need to be to have a chance of winning the big competitions. "When I was a kid, I used to dream about turning pro but the standard is so high these days. To turn pro, you have to be playing golf full time as an amateur. There are guys getting scholarships and going to the States for five years and playing for eight hours a day every day. That's impossible to compete with. I know a lot of guys who are full time amateurs but I never got a chance of taking it on full time." As this isn't the Wee County Golfers Digest, we'll return smartly to more pressing matters, namely St Fechins. What was the captain's ambition at the start of last season? "Like every year, we said we'd do it. Wenever got fully into gear in the league and the championship was a disappointment. In 2000 we'd had a handy first round draw against O'Raghallaighs and subsequently lost to the Malachis who played really well on the day. This time we got a tough first round match against Hunterstown - they were top of the league and we were second at the time. "We were confident but the game itself was a disaster. We'd been having problems scoring all year and our worst fears were realised when we froze in the championship. It was the worst game we played all year. Actually, it was the worst game we played ever! "For some reason, it just wasn't like a championship match. The atmosphere in the dressing-room was more like a challenge game. Too relaxed. Not enough tension. To lose by six points was very annoying. "We were two down at a crucial stage in the second half when we missed a glorious goalscoring chance. They got a couple of quick points and that was it. Having trained so hard all year, that was disappointing. But we still had a chance of progressing to senior through the league - especially with Hunterstown still in contention for the double. We had something still to play for so we had to just get the heads up again, but unfortunately they lost their way somewhat in the league as well and ended up at the wrong end at the Division 2A table." Brian's first cousin Niall Ronan is destined to make a name for himself in yet another sport - rugby! A prodigious gaelic football talent who played for St Colmcille's in Meath, the former Royal County minor star has signed a contract with Lansdowne, the terms of which forbid him from playing GAA. "He's a great talent and was always exceptional at both gaelic and rugby. We have high hopes for him." What's a realistic long term plan for St Fechins? "I think we have to be looking at least a few years down the line before we could challenge for major honours. We're missing three players of intercounty standard - Leo Cunningham, Paul Bailey and Oliver Reilly - who are all in the States. They would make a huge difference if we could get them back. We also have some excellent young talent coming through so in about five years we might not be too far away. "We should be challenging for senior honours. There's enough young blood and if we could get the three lads back and build up a strong panel of 25 with good competition for places we could be as good as anybody. We have loads of keen young lads with ability, so it's imperative that we keep them keen and interested. "The really encouraging thing is that there's plenty going on in the club to keep them interested. We have a superb new development at Beaulieu, with two all-weather pitches, massive dressing-rooms, two large playing fields - one the size of Croke Park - and another pitch in the pipeline. We had to move a little bit out of the village but you should see the number of young people we're attracting, young boys and girls out hurling and playing football every evening when the weather's good. I think we have a very exciting future if we keep our heads." From speaking to Brian, I'd imagine that'll come naturally. Tweet

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