As a producer/director with TV and radio, Tommy McArdle has brought joy to many. The roles were reversed when the Drumhowan clubman was inducted into the Monaghan GAA Hall of Fame in 2004. Gerry Robinson caught up with the former county goalkeeper to see how he was coping with hanging out in such celebrated company. Tommy McArdle is well known for his involvement in radio and television production and is highly-respected in the world of drama. When he was inducted into the Monaghan GAA Hall of Fame in 2004, it reminded us all that the Drumhowan man also enjoyed a distinguished career in gaelic football, making quite a mark in the national code during the 'fifties, 'sixties and 'seventies. A member of the last St Macartan's College team to win the MacRory Cup in 1956, Tommy also won All-Ireland and Ulster junior medals (in that order!) with Monaghan as well as a whole host of honours with Drumhowan, whom he represented in virtually every position. While he's certainly not out of his depth in the county's Hall of Fame, the former Monaghan and Ulster netminder admits that the whole thing came as a big surprise. It was also a humbling experience, as there are countless others he'd have chosen ahead of himself had he been on the selection committee! "It was a huge honour and I'm delighted. It was completely unexpected and, in my opinion, undeserved! When I think of some of the people I played with who haven't got it yet, I feel that I'm not worthy. But I wasn't going to give it back because it's a ferocious honour." There is no doubting that Tommy and his twin brother John were two of the finest footballers Drumhowan ever produced. Still, when he casts his mind over the history of the Geraldines, the 2004 Monaghan Hall of Fame recipient remembers an abundance of wonderful talent: "When I think of some of the great players who played with Drumhowan, I have to wonder how I got into the Hall of Fame before them," he concedes. "Stephen McGinnity is without question the best player we ever had. He was a real match winner and nobody could make a match-winning contribution to a game the way Stephen did. All he needed was a split second and he could turn the game on its head with a moment of magic. Players who can do that are very rare. It's a priceless quality." One of the best things about the Hall of Fame award was that it opened people's eyes to a part of Tommy's being that perhaps they were previously oblivious to. Everyone in the area knew Tommy McArdle through his work in television and the stage, but they didn't all know about his football days. He explains: "It was a terrific reinforcement, because when you've had another career entirely - as I've had in TV and drama - people forget that the football is still important, that it's still a vital part of who you are. "For me, it was always more than just a part of my past. It's an essential part of me and the award has reinforced this. Even my own children, who probably only remember the end of my career, have since said to me that they didn't know I was ever that good at football! I'm happy that my football achievements have now been recorded for other people to see and I'm proud of it because it's a singular honour. It has restored that whole dimension of who I am … especially in my own head!!! The wife [Nancy] even took out some of the old medals and polished them, so it brought it all back." There were great times. Particularly at the beginning of his career, Tommy hit an amazing winning streak. In 1956, he won a MacRory Cup, All-Ireland junior championship and county minor medal with the Sem, Monaghan and Ballybay respectively. He notes: "It brought back some great memories, especially of the people I played with. I dedicated it to John Tavey, because he was the full back I got on best with during my time with Monaghan. We had a good understanding and we always knew if the other party was at fault. There was no need to say it, no point having a go, we both knew how it was. There was no acrimony with John and that's the way it should be…" In the colours of Drumhowan, Tommy mostly played outfield. The versatile county 'keeper had the distinction of playing in every position at club level - bar one. He notes: "I played every position for Drumhowan except right half back. Jim Ward made that position his own for a long time." Altogether, Tommy represented Drumhowan for about 20 years on and off, from about 1955 through into the mid-seventies. He represented Monaghan from 1956 until '63. "When I retired from intercounty football, I also gave up club football for a while," he recalls. "But I came back one year for a challenge match and ended up playing for another five or six years. I had got my Degree at that stage and was free from academic commitments, and I really enjoyed the football I played with Drumhowan in the twilight of my career." The McArdle twins played one season with Doohamlet before becoming Drumhowan regulars. John went on to play quite a lot of football with Monaghan Harps, while Tommy had a long, distinguished career with his home townland club. He won a Ward Cup in '75, played in a championship semi-final in '76, and retired in '77. His last game was against Cremartin. Tommy's intercounty career would unquestionably have spanned beyond 1963 had he not instead opted to study for an Arts Degree, which necessitated travelling to Dublin in the company of three colleagues three evenings a week. Even though the intrepid trio shared a car, it was a big undertaking and a fair expense at the time. From teaching, Tommy went on to produce a schools programme for RTE. He got involved in radio programming and progressed to become a highly regarded television producer/director. He had been involved in drama and plays from a very young age and was one of the principal driving forces behind the very successful Ballintra Players drama group. In 2004, the same year that Tommy was inducted into the Monaghan GAA Hall of Fame, St Macartan's reached the MacRory Cup final. The game was played at Casement Park, against St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon. The Drumhowan man had his fingers crossed that the Sem would take the top prize in Ulster colleges football for the first time since the Class of 1956, a team he starred on, prevailed. "It's a great honour to have been on the last team to win the MacRory, but I'd love to see the distinction taken away from us. I was hoping they'd win it but, unfortunately, they didn't play at all on the day. "We had a terrific team in '56. There were some fabulous footballers, though not that many went on to play with the county. Peter Kirk, who became a priest, played with the county, as did John and myself. Mickey McArdle, Dermot's father, was full back and was the best player on our team. Tony McKenna and Barney Poole, who played centrefield for Kildare, were also good footballers. And there were many others on that team…" As well as the MacRory, Tommy also won All-Ireland junior (with Monaghan) and county minor championship (with Ballybay) medals that year. "I felt that winning was my natural habitat," he quips. Four years later, he was at it again: in 1960, Drumhowan went through the entire season unbeaten, winning the junior double. After hanging up his boots, Tommy trained parish teams at U16 and minor levels, winning league honours at both grades. Five years after collecting his All-Ireland junior football championship souvenir, Tommy added a provincial junior title to his collection. He explains how he picked the two medals up in reverse order: "I had missed the 1960 Ulster senior championship through injury, so I qualified to play for the juniors in '61. I hadn't won an Ulster medal in 1956, as I only came into the team for the final, so it made up for that." Tommy recently became vice-chairman of Drumhowan. He is also involved in a coaching capacity with the Bredagh ladies football club in Belfast, whom his daughter plays for. Though he's 'retired' from television work, the Drumhowan man has made a big contribution to the hilarious 'FFC' series on TG4. Seems winning is his natural habitat, after all. Tweet

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