O'Gorman's help kit out Monaghan support
December 10, 2005
Monaghan football had failed to reach the dizzy heights of the mid-eighties for the best part of 20 years. However, the 2005 campaign saw out county side win the NFL Division Two title, while they also made a big impression in the championship qualifiers. O'Gorman's SuperValu have watched with intrigue as Seamus McEnaney's side restored pride in the jersey.
There was euphoria within the county following the sensational win over an experienced Meath side in the NFL decider played at Croke Park. Despite the small population of the county, GAA headquarters was a sea of white and blue jerseys all cheering on Monaghan.
Hogan Stand magazine caught up with Eugene O'Gorman of the Market Square Shopping centre and Store Director John Scully to talk about what it means to the county to have a successful football team. They also revealed the part they played in so many jerseys adorning Croke Park on that unforgettable afternoon.
Like all sides in Ulster, Monaghan are a very proud county that take great pride in their football team. Over the past twenty years, success has been very limited and they have not played in the top flight of the league since that golden era.
A new management team was introduced in the last year with Seamus McEnaney at the helm.The emergence of some talented footballers brought together a bunch of men capable of restoring the glory days.
John Scully is also the Monaghan County Board secretary since 2000 and he, more than most, knows how much of an effort was placed in preparing the team for this year's league and championship.
"The new management team and the players put in a huge effort this year and we certainly benefited from that. They got that bit extra out of the lads and were able to squeeze more out of them, which was probably lacking in previous years," said John.
The county board secretary believes it is of the utmost importance that the good work is continued and that the county take the next step in progression, which would see them maintain their Division One status and challenge for Ulster honours.
"It is important for Seamus and the lads to blood new players before next year's campaign, otherwise all the hard work of the last two years will have been for nothing. We have some very talented footballers in the county, but we need a few more to help challenge the big teams. The main aim has to be to stay in Division One as that is where they will play the best teams. The Ulster championship is something that we must make an impact in. It has been far too long since the county really competed in the Provincial campaign."
The draw for the Ulster championship sees Monaghan take on Armagh for the third time in four years.
Sensationally following their All-Ireland success in 2002, Armagh were knocked out of the Ulster championship by Monaghan and John feels that the team have to look at that match for inspiration.
"We definitely have a chance against them, there is no question about that. Armagh and Tyrone have set a precedent in the last few years and are certainly quality sides, but they are there to be beaten. A lot of it will come down to confidence within the team," pointed out John.
Following their success in the league, Monaghan pitted themselves well against Derry in the Ulster championship before bowing out to the Oak Leaf County. The qualifying route saw them easily defeat London in the first round. Next up was a Wexford side that have shown great signs of improvement over the last couple of years. A five-point win by the Farney County turned a few peoples heads as many believed this would be the end of the Ulster side's campaign for the year. Neighbours Louth provided a stern test for McEnaney's side, but a place in the fourth round was secured. The opposition for this match was Tyrone. In a match described as David vs. Goliath, such was the supposed gap between the sides, Monaghan produced arguably the best 20 minutes of football that was seen in Croke Park this year.
Thomas Freeman and Co went about destroying the Tyrone defence during the early exchanges and Monaghan were well worth their 1-4 to 0-1 lead after 15 minutes. However, may it have been a lack of confidence on the part of the young Monaghan side or Tyrone's abundance of experience, but the Red Hand county went about their job and eventually saw off the challenge of the underdogs.
Monaghan won a lot of admirers on the day and proved that their win in the league was no fluke. With players like the Freemans (Tommy and Damien), Hugh McElroy and Dick Clerkin in their ranks, this side can certainly go on to greater things and John believes next year will be a big test for the county.
"Some of the performances during the year were exceptional and even against Tyrone the lads did themselves proud. For 20 minutes of that match, Monaghan were well on top, but they have to try and repeat that performance for the full seventy minutes in future," stressed John.
Eugene is in agreement with John's sentiments and he too was delighted to see the county do so well in the league and championship, while he also hopes that further success can be achieved in the very near future.
"There were amazing scenes in Croke Park both for the League final and the qualifier against Tyrone. The amount of colour that Monaghan displayed in the crowds were unreal, it was definitely something special," said Eugene.
Sales of GAA jerseys have increased ten fold in recent years, but the expensive cost and the ever changing design of the jerseys can make it a costly affair for any family.
Cathal came up with the novel idea of promoting a jersey sale scheme that benefited all Monaghan supporters. As part of their club card scheme, shoppers could avail of the county jersey for as little as Eur15, which is a quarter of what people would pay in sports shops
"People in this county love their football and that was evident with the amount of jerseys that we sold this year. In all we sold around 5,000 and you could see the huge support that was in Croke Park for the league final. Despite four teams taking part, Monaghan seemed to have the biggest support, even though we are only a small county," revealed Eugene.
O'Gorman's are not finished with their GAA promotions and next year will see the launch of the loyalty scheme, where customers can help raise funds for their own clubs.
"The loyalty scheme consists of customers receiving a purchase card where they can earn points. Then each club that is represented will receive funding at certain stages throughout the year. It is aimed to help any club that is interested," added Eugene.
O'Gorman's SuperValu offer their customers a wide range of services and their Christmas savings club has been a huge success over the last number of years. O'Gorman's have been listed in the top 10 Super Valu stores recently, while this year they were awarded the Regional Store of the Year.
In 2003, Super Valu and A O'Gorman & Co joined forces to develop a retail and office complex in the heart of the town. The complex was developed around two existing retail outlets owned by O'Gorman's.
A O'Gorman & Co is a family ran business owned by Gus Gorman and was established in 1974. The company operates three supermarkets in Carrickmacross and Ardee, employing 80 people in total. Eugene, Cathal and his sisters Sinead and Grainne, along with John Scully and Ralph Johnson form a management team that has seen the Market Square Shopping Centre thrive since it's inception.
As part of the Market Square shopping centre, there are a number of shops and amenities that make up the premises including Sinead's Place (A gift and hardware store ran by Eugene's sister Sinead), Post Office, Just a Thought LTD (Greeting card and book store), A.G Clothing, McGuire's Pharmacy, Daisy's (Ladies Fashions) and Habana Coffee House, while Super Valu on the first floor also house a splendid selection of wines in their Wine Cellar. Another attractive feature of the shopping centre is the underground parking that all shoppers can avail of in comfort.
O'Gorman's involvement with the GAA stretches way back as Gus won an intermediate football championship medal with Dunninadden in his native Sligo in 1953 and also with Kilmacanogue in Wicklow in the early sixties. Since setting up business in Carrickmacross, the local football team Emmets have also benefited from O'Gorman's as they sponsored the side for five years. Monaghan football rely on the likes of the Market Square Shopping Centre for support and with the emergence of the current side as realistic Ulster championship contenders, the county could well see the scenes witnessed after the league final again in the very near future.
Most Read Stories