Brendan's voyage
December 31, 2007
Long-time Doohamlet O'Neills stalwart and current Assistant County Board Treasurer Brendan Farrell is the archetypal Monaghan gael but is reluctant to play down his contribution to the GAA in the county.
For Brendan, it's all about the others and their feverish work and talk of what he has done at the coalface for approaching three decades is positively a no-no.
In that respect, Brendan points an admiring finger in the direction of all the people "who've done some serious work over the years with the county's development squads."
The Monaghan GAA County Board Assistant Treasurer cites the still novel squads as the fountains from which a raft of talent has poured forward over the Oriel County landscape.
"You'd have to attribute a lot of what has gone right with the county team over the past while to the work done with the development squads," Brendan comments.
"There's been a lot of co-operation too with the clubs in making the development squads work and that's good because without everyone rowing in, things wouldn't progress.
"We had a bit of catching up to do with the teams from the Six Counties but we're getting there and sooner rather than later, our underage teams will make a breakthrough.
"This year we had a much better minor team than looked to be the case when they played against a Derry team that should have went on and won the All-Ireland.
"We're making progress though. You only have to look at the county team; there most be at least seven or eight of the players have come through from development squad level."
Brendan believes Tyrone and Armagh are stand-out operators in the realm of ultra-productive underage football nurseries but reckons Monaghan are eyeing up parity in that sphere.
He is convinced that Monaghan GAA Inc. is not only solvent but a leader in the area of investment in the youth and in the county's flagship enterprise i.e. the senior county team.
The county board's assistant to Marion Donnelly says that whatever resources any of the county team managments require are delivered forthwith.
The Doohamlet O'Neills clubman is proud of the county's achievement in putting the state-of-the-art Cloghan complex in place at Annyalla.
He describes the venue as "probably one of the best facilities of its kind in the country and a credit to every GAA supporter in county Monaghan."
The feel-good factor which is currently awash in Monaghan is something the self-employed garageman is acutely aware.
"There's a lot of pride among GAA supporters in Monaghan these days and Cloghan is something they can be proud of too," the affable O'Neills stalwart decrees.
"I suppose success breeds success and we seem to have been doing quite a lot right on and off the field over the last couple of years.
"A lot of people that mightn't have taken a huge interest in Monaghan GAA are now talking about how things are going and wanting to get involved.
"Whereas years ago, you'd have to work hard to get some sponsorship, now you have people coming forward offering to sponsor this or that.
"There's no doubt there's been a major re-awakening of interest among grass roots supporters in the county because of how the team has done in the league and championship."
And, yet, Brendan is convinced that the greater the success, the greater the expectations and the higher the bar is raised.
"I think 2008 will be a big year for the county," he opines. "We've to prove to the country that we were no flash in the pan during the summer when we got to Croke Park twice.
"I know just how good the squad is and they don't have to prove anything to me. After all, we had five players who won Railway Cup medals this year with four of them being key men."
Chairman of the Doohamlet club for 20 years at different stages from '80 onwards, Brendan says the fact every club has its own ground is testimony of the health of Monaghan GAA.
Fulsome in his praise of the leadership provided to his native club by outgoing chairman John Doran, our man Brendan says the Clontibret parish is a hotspot of Gaelic games.
"The parish of Clontibret has two senior and one intermediate club and Gaelic football is the be-all and end-all of everything in the area.
"Our neighbouring clubs like Cremartin have done tremendous work and Drumhowan and Blackhill too and just look at how strong Clontibret has become.
"We can have all the opposition from soccer and rugby and other sports, but the GAA will still be the number one sport in the parish of Clontibret."
But, that said, the Monaghan GAA County Board Assistant Treasurer says complacency cannot be allowed to take root.
"In one of my terms as chairman, we weren't able to compete in the Dr. Ward Cup in one year. We were getting it hard, about 12 years ago, to even field one adult team.
"There was a lack of numbers around back then but there was a certain lack of interest too and there was nearly as much interest in a soccer club that started up then.
"But things gradually improved and I'd say the winning of the minor double in 1998 and the junior championship the following year were the turning points."
Similarily, Brendan maintains it would be an absolute shame if the barren times of the early nineties re-visited Monaghan Football Inc, the Doohamlet gael muses.
"I remember when we could only draw with Antrim in the championship and that's no disrespect to Antrim and then a couple of years later we lost to Fermanagh in the first round.
"If the county team isn't going well then the club scene suffers as well so it's in everyone's interest that Seamus McEnaney can push on and bring the lads up another step or two.
"I think everyone would agree that the county team is the engine that drives everything in the GAA forward in Monaghan."
Reflecting on Doohamlet's 2007 campaign, Brendan says the club performed "poorly" in its debut season in the senior championship but that the league was the club's priority.
"We took a point off Latton in the league and two off 'blayney, lost well to Clontibret but competed well with all the other clubs during the year," he explains.
"Unfortunately the occasion got the better of us in the championship match with Latton and there was a bit of a collapse on the day.
"In fairness to the lads, morale was badly hit after former county player Ciaran McManus had to go off injured after about ten minutes of the first half.
"We weren't great against Scotstown in the backdoor game but the emphasis was on staying up via the league and that was the focus at that stage.
"We have some good players at the minute though and a good few coming through. I've no doubt that football is in good hands in Doohamlet for the next ten years at least. Not only did Doohamlet stay, but eventually reached the semi-finals of the league. A magnificent achievement."
Brendan is happy in the knowledge that Gaelic games is as healthy in Doohamlet as it has been since the club was reformed in 1969.
He has great time for the current leading administrators in Doohamlet and is hopeful that the club will be successful in acquiring further land to develop a training ground.
Quite obviously a man that is passionate about the GAA and all that the organisation stands for, Brendan didn't pick up his 'gra' for our native games off the ground.
Fact is his mother was a first cousin of the famed Mick Duffy "who had a great influence on me in my late teens and early 'twenties."
Brendan was Doohamlet's county board delegate from 1980-2005 and a former member of the erstwhile county board fixtures committee.
Latterly he was a member of the Games Administration Committee up until 2006 when he assumed the role of Assistant County Board Treasurer.
Suffice to say, he's close enough to the inner circle of GAA affairs at the highest level in the border county to estimate the current state of play, financial-wise.
"Thankfully, financial matters are well under control and in healthy shape. Like most counties, there's a level of debt there of course but nothing that's not manageable.
"We have a great treasurer in Marion Donnelly and she has her fingers on the button; we know what we owe and the clubs are kept well informed of the position on that front."
Doohamlet's Under 12 legacy
While attention may have been inevitably focused on Doohamlet's historic exploits at senior level over the past season the clubs under 12 side created their own place in history. An unbeaten run of ten games resulted in the boys reading the final of the Magill Cup, a competition that has become synonymous with proclaiming potential senior stars in Doohamlet.
Not withstanding the fact Doohamlet suffered a similar fate of losing out in the final as the previous finalists of '92 and '96, the latest under 12 crop have now been bestowed a legacy to emulate the successes of their predecessors.
Back in '92 the under 12's were the first Doohamlet juvenile team to qualify for a county final. Three years later they made further history when winning the Lee Brothers Cup at under 15 level. The successes continued at the minor and under 21 grades. Many members of the under 12's of '92 formed the nucleus of the Doohamlet team that own the junior championships in '99 and 2001. Ten of those players featured on this years senior panel namely James Casey, Gaby Casey, Shane McManus, Kieran McManus, Martin Hughes, Glen Cumiskey, Colin Finnegan and also Greg Duffy, Ted Duffy and Niall Jim Connolly who had later joined the group.
The under 12 side of '96 also progressed to win honours at minor and under 21 levels. By a remarkable coincidence few of that side featured in senior ranks this season, Kevin Mc Ardle, Paul McArdle, Emmet McManus, Colin Connolly, Mark Murphy, Niall Johnny Connolly, Darren Connolly, Wayne Cumiskey, Shane P. Connolly and Lorcan Duffy who was later added to the same group of players.
This years under 12 side performed with great skill and fighting spirit best epitomised by the narrow one point win over Aughnamullen in the semi-final. The boys recovered from a seven point deficit to snatch victory in a thrilling match goalkeeper Andrew Casey's heroics, in the second half were the catalyst for Doohamlet's come back in the semi-final. The defence was capably marshalled by Nathan Connolly throughout the season. The trio of Matthew Byrne, Mark Connolly and M.J. O'Connor completed a sound rearguard. Barry McGinn was a relentless bundle of energy at midfield, being particularly outstanding in the final stages. Conor Murray gave his all to the cause at midfield while Sean Loughman proved most versatile be it in goals, defence or attack. Barry McBennett was a tower of strength up front, getting good support from Damien Ward and Jamie Walshe. Substitute Hugh McGinn, came up trumps when thrown in at the deep end in the final while Caolán Cumiskey, Ryan McManus, John Duffy, and Pairic malone were never found wanting when called upon.
Doohamlet's sojourn in senior ranks will continue next year and, hopefully, will provide further inspiration to the clubs youngsters. In the seasons ahead the under 12 boys of '07 and all remaining juveniles will be encouraged in every way to emulate present day heroes and progress with the ultimate aim of attaining senior status.
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