Lamh Dhearg captain John Finucane gives his address while (right) club legend Frank Fitzsimmons shake hands with match referee, Eamon McAuley after the game.
Last weekend I had the privilege of attending four County finals, two Minor football, one Intermediate football and one Senior and once again I got an up close insight on what makes our GAA games so special.
The Gaelic Athletic Association is unique, founded to promote our culture and based on the parish-family model. It brings together young men and women who have grown up together and most of those who took part on Saturday and Sunday will have come through the juvenile ranks in their clubs.
Likewise many of those who attended these four finals will have played for their respective clubs at some level, have someone playing for the respective teams or at least know someone that was playing. A band of brothers! I think that would describe the GAA family.
They have followed their sides through the bad times and the glad times so when their team reaches a county final it brings a sense of wellbeing and supreme optimism. An opportunity to become kings of the county for at least one year so even the less fanatical within the parish come along to roar on their sides.
During the celebrations that followed those weekend games I got a close up view of just what victory meant to the successful teams and indeed the disappointment etched on the faces of the players and spectators of the losing teams.
An old friend of mine, now sadly departed once said to me “It’s a great game when you’re winning”. At the time it didn’t really ring true. After all we are constantly told that it’s not the winning but the taking part that’s important but try telling that to the weekend losers.
First up we had Aldergrove’s victory over Dunloy in the Minor B football final in Ahoghill on Saturday. Last week in my preview I tipped Dunloy to win comfortably. First of all my apologies to St. James’. My predictions were based on performance in the league and championship prior to Sunday but the boys from Crumlin proved me wrong and were quick to remind after the game and indeed in a few social media messages. Be honest though, being written off makes victory all the more sweet.
Dunloy minors looked shell shocked at the final whistle. They lost a player during the opening half to a red card but came back from six down to trail by a point at one stage before Aldergrove secured victory with a couple of late scores.
The contrast in wild celebration and bitter disappointment was the same in the Intermediate final that followed. St. Brigid’s rightly enjoyed their second Intermediate championship success but for losers Dunloy it must have been heart breaking. My thoughts went immediately to their manager, Dominic Dillon. A GAA man through and through. This was the third time in succession he has taken his side to a championship final and their third defeat.
On Sunday the contrasting emotions manifested themselves again as Rossa took on and defeated Aghagallon in the Minor A final while Lamh Dhearg collected their first Senior title in 25 years when they overcame arch rivals St. John’s in a titanic struggle that went right down to the wire.
The Chapel Hill ground in Glenavy was shrouded in a sea of blue and white on one side of the ground while at the other side it was the red and white of the eventual winners from Hannastown who were quickly on to the Glenavy pitch to celebrate with their heroes after the game.
As I jostled with fellow photographers, video men and those supporters in an attempt to get the all-important photographs for the ‘Saffron Gael’ and as Lamh Dhearg captain John Finucane eloquently gave his address after lifting the MacNamee Cup, that comment from many years ago rang out in my head, ‘It’s a great game when your winning’.
Finucane thanked all involved with the Lamh Dhearg success and those marvellous supporters, ecstatic with excitement before praising and offer his sympathy to an excellent St. John’s team who had performed wonders a week earlier by defeating holders Cargin in extra time of a replay to reach Sunday’s decider.
“There are no words that I will utter that can take away the hurt you are feeling just now. I and many of my colleagues out there today have felt that hurt on five occasions so I know what it feels like. Many better players than me have worn the Lamh Dhearg jersey and never won a championship so it is something I will cherish”
Over behind us the St. John’s team, to a man had remained on the pitch. The disappointment on their faces told it all. They have had an excellent season and under the guidance of Paddy Nugent their improvement has been remarkable.
That draw and win over Erin’s Own in the replay, after extra time probably made them favourites going into Sunday’s game but may have taken its toll in those final lung bursting minutes but Paddy Nugent and his team offered no excuses and were magnanimous in defeat.
In the game that preceded it, it was the same story. Rossa players and their management of Dominic McEnhill and Hugh McGettigan savouring victory while St. Mary’s Aghagallon players sank to the ground while they and their management team of Colin Loughran and Kevin Kane were left to reflect on where it all went wrong.
When the disappointment of defeat subsides many of the players involved will return to represent their clubs again in search of success on the field while the losing managers will probably reflect for a time on their future before deciding if they will return to give it another go.
The plaudits will of course go to the winning teams and management of Lamh Dhearg, St. Brigid’s, Rossa and Aldergrove but we must never forget the effort and hours put in by the losers and no doubt those same band of brothers will be back to give it a go in 2018. That’s what makes the GAA unique and very special!
