Once a Gael, always a gael
September 02, 2010When Fergal Cunningham took the bold decision to move across the Channel from his home town of Dungarvan back in 1999, he probably would have been the last person to predict that he would be managing one of the most prominent teams in London club Gaelic football.
As things turned out, a planned six-month stint in the English capital just to "get out of Ireland for a while" turned into 11 years and Fergal is now settled in his new home with a family and a full-time position as an accountant with the Murphy Group in North London.
However, while he admits that he rarely gets back to Ireland, there is no doubting that Gaelic games is still something very much in Fergal's blood and he has proven that over the last decade with his devotion to the Neasden Gaels GAA club.
"From an early age I played both codes in the GAA and I came from a GAA family," said Fergal.
"I played with Dungarvan from Under 12 to senior and won a county minor title. In 1992, I was apart of the Waterford Under 21 panel which won the All-Ireland hurling title."
On that evidence alone there can be no argument over Fergal's love and commitment towards Gaelic games, and it should be noted that there are plenty more just like him in the UK, US and across the rest of the globe.
A former member of the St Vincent's club, Fergal played for the famous Dublin outfit during a time when football in the capital was at its pinnacle. He lined-out in the forwards when Vincent's lost the Dublin SFC semi-final narrowly to Charlie Redmond's Erin Isle, who went on to capture the title that year in 1997.
Fergal's inception into London club football is just about as typical as it gets for any Irish man leaving home to pursue something different.
"I was working in a bar and met a few fellas who put me in contact with the club and I went to the next training session," he put it simply.
"I started playing in 1999 and to be honest I was surprised how competitive it was. I played a forward most of my career, but I was a bit of an all-rounder because I could play in the backs as well.
"I played for about nine years and then finished playing with the club two years ago."
While he had played a game or two in 2007, Fergal's love for the club hadn't withered in the slightest.
How could it?
After its foundation in 1989, Neasden Gaels quickly grew from strength to strength to catapult out of the junior ranks in London and by 1996 they were a senior outfit after winning the county intermediate championship.
Three years later (the year of Fergal's arrival) Neasden Gaels were London SFC champions when they defeated Round Towers by 1-10 to 0-12 in the final to mark the greatest day in the club's history in the year of its tenth anniversary.
Fergal was still an avid follower of the club once his playing days were over and when the position to manage the senior team presented itself he just couldn't resist taking up the reins.
"It was a very good team at the time and it was an easy team to come in to and take over," said Fergal.
"You'd miss playing though and miss the training as well. When you're playing, you're looking after yourself and no one else. As a manager, you're looking after everyone and texting them about training and organising physios, but it's something that has to be done.
"I'd played under a couple of good managers and I just tried to take some of the things they'd done when I started training Neasden Gaels."
For a former team-mate to come in and take over the team without any great experience in management was always going to raise question marks, but the club were confident in the appointment and it would prove the perfect tonic for the players as the season unraveled.
After a strong league campaign, the team backed up their good early form with a run to a first London SFC final since '99.
In the heavy wind and rain at Ruislip, Neasden Gaels were unlucky to finish second best to Tir Chonaill Gaels on a 0-7 to 0-6 score-line, where experience and the expert free-taking of Kevin Downes made the difference for the defending champions.
The following year (2009), all luck had completely deserted Fergal Cunningham's team.
Having earned their place back into another county final, Neasden Gaels were presented with the same opposition at the same venue for the second year in-a-row.
Determined not to let the opportunity slip by this time, Cunningham's charges yielded a sizzling start from the holders and took in the 1-5 to 0-5 half-time lead after full-forward Stephen Lynch rifled the ball to the Tir Chonaill net.
In the second-half, they held off the anticipated Tir Chonaill Gaels onslaught and had their noses in front in the dying stages when their opponents were awarded a free which Kevin McMenamin converted to force a replay.
Fergal fills us in on the rest…
"It came down to a 'dubious' umpire's decision," he said. "That game went to a draw and they beat us in the replay by five or six points."
Moving on, he stated: "This year we've only played a few league games and it has been up and down so far. We've a couple of new lads that came in this year and there's still a big incentive there to get back to the championship final."
Not forgetting to mention his roots, Fergal was impressed with Waterford's Munster hurling final against Cork and is confident that they can the All-Ireland SHC decider having avoided Kilkenny in the semi-final by virtue of their provincial success over the Rebels.
As for the football scene in the Deise County, he says huge strides have been made since his time there and believes that John Owens' team aren't too far away from being a real force.
"I think this is something that has been coming for a few years now," he said.
"They suffered a set-back last year when they lost to London in Ruislip. I was actually at that game and they kicked some poor frees and wasted a lot of chances on the day.
"This year they have really upped it and they if could get a few players back they'd be a real help to the whole thing and I think they could go far."
No arguments here.
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