Mixed Bag with Diarmuid Cahill

Deniese chatted to Longford hurler manager Diarmuid Cahill after his side won the Lory Meagher on Sunday. The Tipp man talks about Longford hurling, his father, Tipp hurling and lots more. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:41

The man in charge is temporary man in chairman. I am so delighted to have you on the show. I suppose for yourself being from Hurling County, did you realize how big an achievement it is for Longford to win the Lowry Mayer? For us, it's like winning the Leah McCarthy.

SPEAKER_01 1:00

I uh I uh thanks for having me on, Anthony. And yes, without a doubt, I I think I can relate to whether it's Larry Maher or Lee McCarthy, like Lee Catholic brought serious joys to Prairie last year, and a credit to him for the work that he's done. And on Sunday night when when we came back to to Longfort and and a couple of other areas that we went around, the joy that I saw on young kids, teenagers, adults, you know, with the older generation, there's people crying. I I was soaked up, I soaked up all that uh all Sunday evening and I just couldn't get over how much it meant. And today I'm still smitting here, and we're two or three days passing now at this stage, and it's just it's fantastic. So I thought it means this Larry Matter title to me means a huge amount, knowing that it means absolutely everything to those players and supporters.

SPEAKER_04 1:49

Yeah, because it's twelve years now for Colan and Johnny Casey and those lads. I suppose it was a question of are we going to win one again? Because it's twelve years and Longford have had good teams and have had good hurlers and just couldn't get there, just couldn't get over that line, and then finally now this year.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Yeah, I I look I I suppose they've they're in it in 2024 and 2022, but Adrian Morin had done a good job with him for the last number of years, along with many other past uh managers too, and of course couldn't get over the line those times, and I I maybe feel sorry for a couple of players who who I would have known John O'Brien and Joe O'Brien and others there who who might have still been hanging around maybe by the skinning their feet with injuries and getting older and whatnot. But um I I feel sorry for the likes of those lads who who could have missed out on another opportunity throughout those years. But I I'm I'm delighted for the the older stock, if you want to say, of the panel of the likes of Johnny and Cotton and and then the I suppose the rest of the lads that are coming through they deserve every benefit because the commitment that we gave this year, the 33 players, 32 fit Carol Kutak injured lead, which you know, huge addition to the panel, just even being there with his experience. So the 32 players were fighting for the first 15 positions, um and then they were fighting for the 26th. And unfortunately, you know, there's six, seven, including um Carol as well, who who weren't inside the twenty-sixth, which is another thing that kind of gets to me about the GEA that you know, if if you have 33 players, what's wrong with you on the programme? Um I I see nothing wrong with it. I understand with Lee McCarthy and maybe Joe Mack, but Christy Nicky and and uh Larry Barr, you know, if if you can get 33 local players to play for those divisions, they should be allowed to go on the program and be used in any match day.

SPEAKER_04 3:30

That's exactly it, because as you said, you know, they deserve it and they put in as much work as the rest of the lads. It's just that you had 15 lads that were good enough to start, and then you had that decision to make about who's going to be in your panel. I suppose after last year you came so close, put in good performances, were you saying, you know, this year, lads, we can go on better, we can get promoted, and we can also give the Lori Mayer a crack.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

Yeah, without without a doubt. Um last year was tough. I came in late, I suppose, every generally. Um I I did my best. Uh I couldn't get the coach that I wanted, which is of course my my father, he had committed to other clubs and he couldn't spare any time with me. Um so I did the coach and I did the manager near the FSE as well. Um so it it was tough for myself last year. And Tommy and Breen were great as well as as the team selectors and and did everything that I asked them to do with Tony G as well in the background. Um but this year, straight after our defeat in Modern last year, I started I messed before I said to Tell, I said, Your com will be next year. I don't care what's happened, and and he said yes he would. So that was one t one box tick. Um Jack Jack Rennie came in. He I known that he was gonna be going travelling, but he he found our um our next SC coach, Tom Devereux, and in the middle of all that I I um I was talking to Emma Clooney as well and nutritious. And then at this level, that's plenty in my eye. Ryan Jones, my staff guy, and I've worked with Jim's Ryan and with me, Camoge, and he helped me out when I was with Ballonamir and the hurlers in the background. So I I have great time for Ryan wherever I go. I I told Ryan would always follow me, hopefully. Um between at the moment, so he his hands are fairly fun.

SPEAKER_04 5:05

I was gonna say that um I was actually gonna mention the Legion Ida fan because myself and him had great crack one time in the press box because he was delighted to hear my dad was a Legion Ida fan. And then I was telling him I was a leads Ryan was fan, so that kind of got me in there. So I was just wondering where Ryan was this year.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

And I was able to go through it. Um we use great software as well, so he's able to share it for the players too to help them develop themselves and see what went right and what went what went wrong as well. So Ryan Ryan was huge. He may not have been there for Matt's day, but uh with with having Disney as a coach, I was confident to be able to have the life of someone that can that can spot these things that I might not see or Tommy or Breen because he has has huge knowledge, his years, decades of of experience where I knew I could trust him if he mentioned something it was for a reason. Um so we built a very, very good backroom team. I think last year maybe got around that I was up to another level, like every player wears a GPS, every player weared a heart monitor, and I was making sure that they were checking in online when I came to their gyms and and their nutrition to what they're doing, and then brought to a newer level with the team that came on on board with me this year. It was a little bit easier when I reached out to a couple of guys who were willing to come in for the panel, but I I suppose I wasn't admitting it uh openly because you don't want to admit it early the year. I did say to everyone when we met in the Longstreet Arms last um October that we're going to go to Crow Park and win the Larry Manor, and we did it.

unknown 6:38

And that was my big thing.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

My my I said to him we get promoted if we wanted it as a bonus, but the big thing was to go to Crow Park and we were going to go in those games somehow. Didn't care how we got in there. But we got in there and we did exactly what we said we agreed to do. But those bounds for players bought into my belief and they put it all in motion and and we got it over the line.

SPEAKER_04 6:56

You mentioned your dad, and for anyone out there, Jenny Call is your father. I suppose for years you were probably called Jenny Call's son, but maybe now with this success, people can say to him, Are you dear McCahle's father?

SPEAKER_00 7:10

No, that that would never change, unfortunately. It's still the same thing, all videos over him and and he'll try and take on the president as possible.

SPEAKER_04 7:19

It's a bit like me, because everyone knows me around the place. You're Fla's sister, and then I remember one time someone said to my brother about your sister, and Sean felt so good because he was called my brother. So I know what it's like. But you know, for yourself, yes, you're you're your dad's shadow, but then you also have that guy there with you.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

Yeah, like over the years, uh I think I said it to the Irish independent or one of the papers there during the week. Um, we didn't have a child my north when we were younger, and you didn't even need on anyway, it's back in those days. And whenever Dimmy was coaching, I was with him, I was holding, I went I went covered every ground he was in. Um, one for a table cruise, he's the he's the only man in the country that has won a title in every province. Um so that that is the serious achievement of you know, just going with Colin, three, three, uh, three titles where Petomia won with St. Thomas's, um, Bantam, numerous of Ulster titles when it was Deer, uh Lencer, Buffer Alley, Buffer Alley, and then Munster. I don't know where to start a Munster, but there's too many there along with Chiparian Minors back in '96 and Munster titles, and I think in '97, '98, and 2000, I think it was. So like he's a he he is a very, very good man. I learned a huge amount of him. But then Diddy's it's he's around so long. I learned a lot off him. But at my latter end of my hurling career, my good wife is from Kendrick, so I've hurled up there for a while. And while I went into Kalir, I was nearly looking at what's going on in the background of what managers were doing. And I paid time for Dave Hurdy. Um, did I I've learned a huge amount of him too. I'm known to him, I and he probably just know that I give him the credit for it. I mixed his new style along with Jinny's old style and got my style. That's what I think works and it works for me and I work this year.

SPEAKER_04 8:55

Having your dad, you know, always around and you were always around hurling, was it something that you thought maybe, you know, I wouldn't mind going into coaching, or did it fall into your lap, or did you want to pursue it?

SPEAKER_01 9:06

Um I I kind of I don't know on this answer really. Uh uh my I would have I would have helped out in the club as as you're expected to do as a film player. I I was with our our Kamogis and we won uh the Junior Bean County final, we got some up or Junior Junior Beans. I would have helped out with one or sixes and eight and twelves up along. We've never been the manager or anything like that, but but it was a must. We had we had to help help out and because but Williams was great for that. A great man in in Killer One. When I I don't know what year was it with West Meet Comoge, I think it was 2022 when I went in with them, uh their manager stepped away unexpectedly again. So uh I got a phone call off the the chairwoman at the time, um Karen Goldrick, and she asked me would I come in and do a training session? And my sister-in-law is from Westmeat, so there was a connection they saw, and I said, Yeah, I would I won't see you stuck. Uh go in and do a couple of sessions until he finds someone. And I did a session, I think, in Rington or something, I can't remember where it was. Um there was only maybe ten or twelve girls there. Kind of throughout them on and I didn't really mind. I I don't care whether it's a man, woman, or a child, I've trained the same way I like to be trained myself. And the girls really reacted to it. I was like, Wow, this is actually good. I came on with a bit of uh energy in myself and kind of back in another session, middle of the recession, and before I knew about it, I've got in as a manager because they were playing the first round uh of the Leicester, uh senior Leipzig, and we went out against Dublin. I think we were already down a point at half time. I said, Dublin got a shock. You know, I wouldn't went with me a week or two or um or three months, and I didn't have to go. Let's keep looking at a piece of paper and see number six who wasn't, number twenty wasn't. Um Dublin didn't get a shock. So I really enjoyed with me what we did. I thought that my first county and I I think two years there. Um I I I was kind of carefully last year and send me other alternatives to think or rise back to oh look at my back to this anymore. I I don't need to be a closer or manager stepped away from it. Uh I think I got things a major and athletic seniors and um I really tried to work with me again and um yeah, last came up with my doorstep again last minute. You know, unfortunately every more stepped away and I got a step in and I suppose I would know David Buckley up there and again settling. We would have probably hated each other on the case, but an absolute legend of a hurling footballer any day and don't like give them credit, but I suppose he's got here now at this stage. Um but uh yeah, I I I just took it and I said, Yeah, let's go and here it is history now, I'm here two years and and lucky enough that we got promotion in the league and and now promotion championship.

SPEAKER_04 11:42

You weren't one of these players because obviously Westmead that you had to get a map and say where's Longford?

SPEAKER_01 11:47

No, no, no, I didn't know. I go as I know like um from my work uh with CJ Sherrills, uh he'd be on the timber.

unknown 11:55

Yeah. And so I'm sport he put Longford in that that footprint.

SPEAKER_01 11:59

And I didn't go for the Longford job a number of years ago and uh Adrian got it before me. So I I think I I was kind of second choice and that's how it's things happen for a reason, dearmut.

SPEAKER_04 12:09

Maybe it wasn't uh the right time for you because uh things mightn't have gone and look at look at now.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

Yeah, look, I I never dwell on things like that, and as we said earlier, I'm I'm here soaking up what went on at the weekend and just still smile in my face, and I it's gonna take a long time for a smile to be wiped off my face.

SPEAKER_04 12:26

Yeah, I i you know, from living in Longford and being from Longford, I love my sport and obviously my club and that, but I always had this special grow for the hurlers because I feel that they never really got the attention or they never really got the coverage that they do deserve because they're lads, 33 lads, as you said, that are putting in just as much effort as uh Ben O'Connor's lads are putting in or Liam Cah's lads put in, or you know, and um I'm so glad that they did get the rewards on Sunday.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

Yeah, I I am too, and uh supposed maybe here's gonna be my my little rant, and um I hope Donald Log is listening to this because I sent you a private message, Donald Log, so you might read it. Um I I probably have two uh issues in relation to lower tiers, and um-wise, I go back to Kamobi, I I used to fight hard for the Lord's intermediate, and you know, they give up their time and they deserve to get I suppose the attention online of being an intercounty commodity player, and now I'm gonna come up here to these guys at Larry Matter, I don't care whether it's Lisa Carter here, Larry Matter, or Nicky Rack, or Christy or Joe Mack, they deserve all the attention. Um and they don't get it from the G and they don't get it from RT. I'm probably some people want to slave me now for saying it like that. Um I agree with you. Yeah, do you hear me out on a though and everyone that's listening to it but throughout throughout the chapter week and championship we thought the results at the end of the game or starting something or whatever, Saturday week or something week. I think what they can championship. I don't think our results were even online because even they're they're up there on teddy and I I just feel my fear or a probably challenge for 2027 now is the retention of these players where some of them might just say, I don't care. I didn't look at Kaber, 'cause Kaber yo yo'd for years because guys who come in and win the pricey ring and then they disappear again. They got their act together where they're worth yo-yo and up the pricey ring to go back and back up and back down. They're they've they've a great bunch of players. And I was looking up to play with some of those lads there. There's already some county that are teams that just go in and read the team, but those bunch of players are going to stick together and they'll get back up again.

unknown 14:34

I know it would and what you put in a good structure in Kamair.

SPEAKER_01 14:38

If Kamair can do it, all the other counties can do it. Well, the big thing and and I I suppose I give credit to the authority on this one, he really pushed out, you know, like when Martin or walk down the street and stuff of Kamair keys recognized that there were a social media sensation for for being a local harder and being a county partner. We don't get that in in in authority or stuff. I think the county I'm not giving out about about it whatsoever. Um does a great job there at trying to test on it. But I do think that the bigger social media company like like the RT could could maybe talk a little bit more about it. Like you football, but when the topic club came in, there was nearly half a show on it before we started at the end of the job, if you want to call it, you put it on the topic club. I was dying to hear what was going on apart and I couldn't couldn't find out. Um and I want to say that. So I I I would say I think if we talk a little bit more uh about about some review on some newspapers, but it's not enough. It really isn't look at all these budget players, yeah. And you push them. And those that might have slacken off maybe didn't get rewarded or drop not drop over in the twenty-six and near the end of the year then uh my my conversation with the guys that missed out in the twenty-sixth on the weekend was the hardest conversation I've ever had in Harlem. And it's it's just I I'll go back again, it's been raw it's wrong what what they do to to lower tiers where they need to be seen and heard a lot more.

SPEAKER_04 16:22

But even the timings of games and everything. You had your game and so on. Normally they used to have the the whole games, Lori Maher, the cr um the Nikki Rackard and the Christie Ring all in the same day. You were never gonna have a big crowd and the dubs don't really come in beforehand to the game beforehand. And I felt sorry for the hurlers the other day, just being kind of it was a case of nearly they were just pushed in there or shoved in there because they wanted a game before the job and game.

SPEAKER_01 16:51

I I think it's gonna be another budget point for me too, and uh and I said it to um Tom Harrison and and and Willie Maher as well, the director of Harlem, where I expressed my disappointment. I always remember the three lower years on the same day on the same Saturday. And yes, I can see that it's just a consent of it of having the game on um having different matches on the other committee match with carrying time. I I can understand the fact that carry times magically tickets for the same over there. Your your I look at the magic carry hard support. So why not have three games on the four games there? And that's not the same. But don't don't four games all for the went in Saturday. Um Larry Bayer to Nicky Records. You know, don't don't prayers and and I I was looking off on the parts of the line 2018, but we went downstairs to the players down for our dinner afterwards, but we met others that were part of Nicky and Larry Mahardt at the top time. Um and and others spoke to him as well. So there's that visual bond that goes on that people don't see, and there was no bond for us. We went down and we had our dinner and that was it and went out and watched some lobby of football and and left that was the end of the day.

SPEAKER_04 18:40

But like I couldn't see the ladies changing for you know, they have their junior intermediate and senior. You know, when you were on about players being out there and the promotion, I have to say that's one thing and phrase a temporary man, Jackie Cahell, since Jackie took over the commercial and the peer run the marketing side of the ladies, like it's really been stepped up and how it is being sold.

SPEAKER_01 19:03

Yeah, no, for for sure. And the ladies definitely deserve even more credit and more airtight for what they do in in ladies' football and and calling. But I've seen it. There's there's Megan Dowell there of West Eve, and I suppose I I'm very biased because I was there with them for a couple of years. The work that she does, Eva Darty, you know, the work that they do in the background is just excellent. It's it's just I've no words for it, actually. It's it's just unbelievable what they do there. Um and and they just don't get the credit or recognition for it.

SPEAKER_04 19:32

By the way, um I hope Longford County Board are gonna release a statement with hands off because Derek Ling is gone. So uh I don't want uh you be linked to the Kikkenny job.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

Uh uh no, I I I don't think uh they'd welcome uh.

SPEAKER_04 19:46

I was gonna say I was gonna say that to you. I didn't realise because obviously living up here, you have a bit of banter with Calvin because in Granite we have people from Calvin go to school here, my mum is from Calvin, what's common with me, all that. It's only when you go down south. Like I have friends in Ennis, and if I said to them I'd like to see Tipperary win a game, I don't think I'd be invited back down there again. Like that rivalry is those hurling counties down there, that rivalry is strong.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

Well Tommy Holland is a Claire man and there's probably one or two times I want to attend this way to have Yeah, I forgot about that.

SPEAKER_04 20:23

I'd say is he kind of have a nice little digs about the extended summer that you know them lads are having now compared to Tipperary.

SPEAKER_01 20:31

I asked him for advice on what to do because he had a a year ahead of it, a year before me of an airy summer series.

SPEAKER_04 20:39

But you know what? Isn't that what it's all about? Having the absolute banter. It's like I said to someone the other day, like I'm supporting what's I want to us commentary and like if someone there's people are probably saying did she get a bang in the head because I'm actually now and I want to but the banter, you cannot. It's it's always that one thing with with the GEA having the bit of crack and having the banter. Like, you know, GEA uh parish pride and county pride is strong, but you can also have the banter as well.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

Oh, you can, it's it's brilliant. And I know I I'll probably talk about David Buckley again when he was hurling in Rossbury back in the day. You know, we we hated each other once we cross it across the line, but after that then we played football together with the the amalgamated junior teams in North Hate. And we it's just it's just brilliant. And there's a fella Tommy Connors who would have been like a good to play hurler back in the day too. And I'll never forget one day Tommy and myself headed off each other inside the hurricane amena. Um and Johnny McDonald comes down to us and the referee and just get out to Legged Cup on your own stuff at this stage.

unknown 21:38

And then when I was in my house, Tommy ends up in my house. It's uh it's it is great.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

You make great friends out, but you can you can just love the banter between everyone and every team and parish and county and the whole lot. It's just genius fantastic. It's full stuff. It it's it's it's unbelievable and and how it's all over the world at this time. Uh a team's call with an American customer today and he's trying to tell me these two sons are paying the cost and he wants to send them over here to play Harlan. So you know and he's over in America and he was asking someone to come over here and play Harlan with us.

SPEAKER_04 22:13

Yeah, I used to be involved with King's Cup. It was kind of an amateur competition in golf and it was Team Ireland against Team USA. And they were over a few years ago in Glassen and Tom Brown decided just to put on a reel of um the best of Irish games and it was football and hurling, and they were just absolutely mesmerised. And we were telling them like before there was a time when there was no helmets and that you know the glitter is like uh a baseball and um I'm trying to remember now, um remember years ago they had that toughest game or the toughest battle stuff like that. Remember that where you'd go over and you'd play uh different sports and over the play for one year. Yeah, and they were amazed, like he was like, Oh, I'm just gonna yeah, well, because I was trying to remember um which the t tip players was and like you know, oh shall just catch this, you know.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

Yeah, it's been a matter for Berkeley that went over that time and hit the ball on while I caught no he struggled to start because your man was really putting I don't know a side spin or a curve spin or whatever they call it over there. But uh yeah, they're just being amateurs and they would just pick up a bat and then fly and catch a ball travelling a hundred and ten miles an hour.

SPEAKER_04 23:25

If it's it's only 'cause American football, like but the pansies have to be all ge geared up. Like let them loosen a GA pitch and my dad had always said that, you know, you'd be watching a soccer match and he'd turn round and even though like he'd support Leeds and all that, he'd turn around and he'd like, oh jails it wouldn't last long now down in Higgins Town or something like that, but it's it's it's how we always do it and you know, uh we were laughing at people and started that wasting their time watching the the Champions League final when Calvin and Wismeade was an absolutely hurracking game of football.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

Yeah, yeah. Look, I I'm not looking a big soccer fan and I just don't understand how you can need so much money for these glorified act actors to be falling around the pitch um barely getting touched, and then you see these lads big open and blood out them and they don't they don't want to go off the pitch for for a blood injury. So it's um it's definitely a unique sport and I don't think anyone will understand it unless you're born here in Ireland.

SPEAKER_04 24:21

Yeah, that that is exactly it. Like I have two little nephews now, six and four, and uh every Saturday they look forward to training with Monahan Harps. Now they are training with Monahan Harps, but they have told me that they want to play for Granard, so that's no problem. But I see that they're like uh you know, and it's absolutely brilliant. And I said to my dad, I was like, when will we teach them, you know, get them introduced to hurling? And then I thought, do I want to give my nephew Jamie a hurley? That's what I call it here. You were on about you said a hurl. So um I kind of because I know Cork people say hurley, and so do I think Limerick people, like Claire people do too. And I think Jackie Cattle said hurley, so I'm surprised maybe it's because you've been up this neck of the woods, um, you know, when Westmead and Clodere and that and Longford that you're saying hurl, is that it?

SPEAKER_00 25:11

I I don't know. I I never really pay attention to how I say it.

SPEAKER_01 25:14

I just you know, people hurry because it's only uh you know, I I bored them come out. I don't know which which I go with most campaigns.

SPEAKER_04 25:21

Yeah, because myself and Frank um had that so many times with people, we'd be like, So what do you call it? And I'd be like, Ah I hate it because he's a Wexford man and uh he would say that now he's so busy now, like yourself, he's got um the football championship with Westmead. Um is there any sport though that you would um sit down and watch apart from hurling and getting football?

SPEAKER_01 25:45

I I do like the cause of it of UFC. Um I I don't understand it, but I just I love lead just beating a living daylight out.

SPEAKER_04 25:53

Well, so it's like a game at some ways. I never I would never I was waiting for you to say golf for a snooker or something. Oh god. I would never have cut.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

No, no, UFC now I've often got up in the middle of the night or boxing I get up in the middle of the night and and watch a pay-per-view fight um and and enjoy it and look, I've enjoyed it for years, even before the whole River Eggler thing when he started driving it on.

SPEAKER_04 26:18

So um My eyes are rolling in my head with the mention of that name, but I know, I see people who say, Oh, we're jumping out to bandwagon because they didn't know I I was watching them before then I used to support Blackmore Robert and saying, Oh, because they won in ninety six, I was like, No, blue is my favourite colour and I saw them playing one day. So I know someone yeah, I know someone that supported West Brom because of the blue and white. Um they were from Granar. And yeah, blue and white. So I'm kinda thinking uh red, Liverpool, and well, green, Celtics, green. It was so funny, my aunt said to me the other day about how I taught her grandchildren and our nephews their colours. And it was because football and and soccer it was like blue is for gran like I would say man end up like no granards, orange is for our man, yeah.

unknown 27:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:09

It's amazing. So you never had to change colour really coming to Longford, the old blue and gold.

SPEAKER_01 27:14

No, and um I Lean Cattle in turns down takes me before the match wish me. So of course takes me takes me afterwards. And uh I replied back to him saying I'm the teen version of you lean. So on for look for Liam Cannon, but I came in opposed.

SPEAKER_04 27:28

Are you on your relation to Liam?

SPEAKER_01 27:30

No, we're not. But Liam Lee's a a good family friend for years. I thought that would have had him in ninety five, uh, County Minor, I think it was Mighty Five in County Minor, so we we would have stayed in relationships, stayed in contact with him for for years, then would have a lot of then I suppose I wouldn't they're in the background. So uh and actually I was involved with Adam Gary last year as their their their coach and manager, so um I got to know a good few people down there and know his brother Johnny too, so they're they're they're a great, great family. I was to like it from what Lean did to Tipperary last year and did that easy here, but he brought serious joy to Tipperary and your Celsius Joy and Tipperary at the moment.

SPEAKER_04 28:06

Lucas, no one gave you if someone said to you, I'd say even you at the start of the summer or even after the game against Cork that you would be playing Cork again and not only would you play them, you would turn a half time deficit into a full-time win.

SPEAKER_01 28:23

Like say you'd look at when they have a Dublin it's like, oh my god, the same thing is gonna happen. Everyone, everyone taught that. But what Lean did uh and you you have to take knock it out of his own book there as well, and learn from it. Kick the players off, walking down the tunnel instead of writing down with the bus, letting the fans, the kids see their their heroes walking down those smaller things or where you see those videos, like what he did in the background to get to get those noticed. When I talk about this where where players need to be recognized, they brought serious, serious joy to uh to to temporary last year. And there should be no one, there should be no one to give up about what what's happening this year, absolutely no one. I think people are worried that he mentioned as well. Like the it's I understand journalism there or whatever, but like that man that man is the most successful manager now as well. He's got one minor, he won the last up less number twenty-one, the first under twenty, he's one senior. I'm gonna start the position to put him in as the over forties manager and see can he go with that one.

SPEAKER_04 29:30

Are you gonna play with them?

SPEAKER_01 29:32

No, I I so you're a bit too young for that, is that if you're gonna say, but uh unfortunately, um last year when I looked at the panel I was like, Jesus Christ, I have no hope to make it that that tea. You know, I never I was never lucky enough to make it typical and come up along or I went in for trials and when it came to cutting up the cut and whatever, but I think finally I'm gonna get a chance to play a ticker area. And I saw Ombersan and Conor Matney going inside still playing the the O'Brien. I was like, no, I have enough hope of made to that, so I didn't even bother going first.

SPEAKER_04 30:05

But did you ever hear the old saying though? A lot of times they would say good players don't always make good managers, so there you go. Oh well, your record your record speaks for itself. Now you were mentioning club. How would it compare now to manage an accounty? I know there's probably logistics and everything is different, but supporters are still the same, you still kind of have the same type of player to kind of deal with, um, you probably put pressure on yourself. What is it like?

SPEAKER_03 30:39

Yeah, club club is definitely there they're they're two different there there is huge difference in both of them.

SPEAKER_01 30:45

Like club, but you you actually end up dealing with locals who are giving you a hard time over not kicking this lad and not picking up why you hard harder on him and not harder on the other guy. Um and then with with county then you're nearly saying, Well, why do you not pick this guy because he's training better than that guy, even though there could be a reason for it or whatever reasons, there is a reason. So they're definitely two different the two different ones. What would I like prefer to what would I prefer to keep doing? I think county um more so than than club. But you know, saying that it's it's it's uh it's depends on the club then as well. And I I think it's really it really is down to the club. If you have a club and I think Dimmy was lucky with Pertomella back in the game when they won those other, you know, uh the he's just playing there.

SPEAKER_04 31:33

He wanted to hurt, you know, and they were hurling people.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

Yeah, yeah.

unknown 31:49

No problem at all. They're on a plane and over the market in a couple of hours or Australia or wherever they want to go.

SPEAKER_01 31:55

Back then people didn't travel as much. Um myself, a few of my friends in the recession, they they went off. I sit at home and I sit at home because of my club. Not because of anything else. I was I was like, oh, we all can't go and someone needs to stay here. And I was part of the team that brought us from intermediate back up to senior. So times times have changed. I I club managers definitely have have a have a lot more to try and help.

SPEAKER_04 32:19

Yeah, that's exactly it. And also if you're managing a team in your own county, it's quite hard. Or your own club, that's where the real pressure does come. Because I was involved now with our minor club, even though I'd no one playing, and even seeing it there, you know, lads on the be on the sideline, you know, picking players, sometimes their son had to be taken off, or sometimes, you know, their son did deserve to play, and but people kind of say no, he's only playing because uh because as you said, you kind of have more scope when you're uh managing a county team.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

Yeah, yeah, no, I I agree. I think it's one thing that Dini always did is if I wasn't good enough, if you ever was over us over the years, he'd bring me off or wouldn't start me. Um and I'll bring that when my little girl Cassie is playing at a higher level. If she's not good enough to play, she's not good enough to start. And I don't want her to be started because I'm there to help out or have a culture or a selector or whatever it may be. And unfortunately, I think a lot of parents just need to step back as well and see that look, you shouldn't be hard on a manager or a selector, but then some managers and selectors put their names out there to to be to be taken down nearly by what they do. And you can clearly see that they're picking their own nephew or son or daughter or or neighbour son or whatever, just to keep the peace, which is wrong. It's is wrong in ways, but um yeah, look, I it it's it's hard it's it's hard to be a manager of anything from under age up towards any level nowadays.

SPEAKER_04 33:44

Yeah, no, I don't know. I always said I don't uh um my foundation I felt so good doing my foundation level court coaching and when we were kind of doing things afterwards, the practical side, I thought manager most so more so than coaching. I preferred the management side, so that'll be me um compared to to the coaching. And what about yourself?

SPEAKER_01 34:05

Um, this year I yeah, a bit of both. If if I have a good coach, I'm happy to to be the manager and manage both sides, both the background team and and the players. Um last year I really enjoyed the coaching side, but then I also had to try and manage to as well. Um so it it varies on who's with you or or who's who's not with you really. Um but yeah, I I I enjoy both. There's times there where I love going in and just doing a session for any club or or uh any county just to go in and help out and do the odd session. It's always nice to get different voice in there. And it's to learn, you know. I I go and watch uh uh I love going and watching the county teams warm up and they see my wife be giving out to me saying why are we going 30 minutes in? I'd say, Oh, I want to see.

SPEAKER_04 34:48

Oh my gosh. You have to meet my mother. You have to meet my mother when be um Mumma's gonna MS, so she doesn't go too many games now. But that was one thing she would watch because I'd go down to a game early, obviously you're in the press box early, and she'd be there watching Longford warm-up, and she would tell me everything about the reason why Sochuan could do such a thing because my gosh, you see him in the warm-up, then another boy couldn't give a shit no warm-up. Yeah, that's what she does is she watches that and now I'm doing it. Now I find myself doing it as well. I'd never really noticed it until now I'm kind of there going, you know, if when my team typed up and everything. Yeah, I'm there watching to see how the teams are warming up, isn't it mad?

SPEAKER_01 35:32

Yeah, and look, I I I definitely do. I I'd be thinking, you know, why uh I suppose I talk about Lee Cal is easier and his coaching teams. Yeah, why are they doing that with Shandy? Or why are they doing that with the backs? Why are they doing that with the forwards? And then I try and think in my own head, oh that's why they're doing it. Maybe if I tweet it this way, it would be better. Um so I've always thinking, you know, uh I told about yesterday. I bought a house in 2007, just before the crash. Like, yeah, yeah, what's wrong? What's wrong? After thinking of a great drill, I'm gonna do it next summer session. We do have our F off. I don't want to hear about you with half to in the morning or hard and trend. But he he loves thinking about new drills and how it would benefit a player in a certain area and and how you can create a score or promote defense or whatever it may be. And I I find myself doing the same thing now is where Don't we mimic our parents?

SPEAKER_04 36:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:34

We do. And you know, I I be thinking of how I'm gonna defend and how uh how I'm gonna attack or oh, we can seize the goal because of this, and what dream can I do to try and show them that this is what we need to do the next time, or or have it then in the back of their mind. And you know, we didn't buy him great little this year, and uh James Connell came out with a ball, had uh brick slipped over to Martin Martin Farrell. He he ballooned it down to the far end, Ruben came on to that one bounce and left fly off the hip and back to the net.

SPEAKER_04 37:05

Yeah, it was that that that was actually it was a uh Evan caught it, and then that move for the goal was absolutely I have to say it was the most beautiful move for a goal.

SPEAKER_03 37:15

Yeah, and but we did that in training.

SPEAKER_01 37:16

We won those those where we the button the wing back or cornerback would come up along the wing, gives it to Martin, sometimes feed it back out, or we deliver down to the point that we want to paint it. Now, Burton's probably gone for his own point, and well Kayla's going to bear, but then our team was to follow through, and Ruben was following through, and I think Stephen Murray was in their time, and Bookie was coming through as well. So it was a goal, it was going to be a goal if that bouncing side that square and it did, and thankfully it was the change in it again because we finally got a bit more confident in ourselves and got relaxed a bit and play how we played.

SPEAKER_04 37:50

I thought you were very uptight, yeah, in the first half.

SPEAKER_01 37:52

We were, yeah. I felt it in the window.

SPEAKER_04 37:54

I missed a I missed a lot as well.

SPEAKER_01 37:56

Yeah, I think we were we were ten or eleven points that we missed in the first half, and then lead from lead from nine um in in the sec in the second half. Uh now there was an awful swirly win down there, always is. Not saying that's big skills, but there was nerves like we're going sick all week uh with with a volatile bug, and then we still over the first free and and put it wide. I think, no look, he he's cap he's capable of doing this, he's capable of doing it in the first and miss the second one. And then uh went to go on to the free and missed it just before half time, and you know, it's literally gonna be a game of freeze the way things were going, but the lads really pulled it together at halftime. You know, what we spoke about at halftime was was was brilliant. Um the leaders there's the leaders that in that dress room that stood up that day and and really got everyone else into it, and we relaxed and we played how we can play and and we took control of it. Um Lincoln do what Lincoln are very good at, they'll they'll stop you from hurling. Yeah. And then and and they can play Harlan. Did that to us in in championship and did it to someone in the league, but we got we were lucky enough to get the win in the league, and we weren't lucky enough to get the win in in in the champ in the group stations in championship. So we but then I'll give credit to to Tom Devron and and also LL 12 Nutritionist and F and C where our lads were firing really fast in the second half throughout the whole championship. Like we we did clock up good scores. Yeah, yeah. And we were lucky we we weren't fueling correctly, and I didn't know. You know, you learn new things, you know, eating your main meal four hours out, and then they're one of two hours and one hour, and that was a four-two-one, that's what it was called.

SPEAKER_04 39:27

And it's like four to one to me is a Chinese, I'm gonna be But you said that about the players because I text a friend of mine and I said, you know, some of the big players have to get into it, and like it's a massive occasion, it's a massive pitch in Quad Park. I also said a prayer, I think that worked as well. I owe I owe my fork in this year between um Celtic and then praying for Grammar, and then the hard day. Not this one again. You were on about your dad and Ella and Tom and you know Tommy Hollis and people like that. Assembling a back room is so important and getting the right people, because if you don't have the right people, it's very hard for you then to assemble that panel.

SPEAKER_01 40:10

Yeah, uh without a doubt, you know, I I probably would have been struggling again if if Diddy didn't come on board, would have said on, I don't know, but I knew he would. So that that was problem number one um fix for me. Tommy and and Breen were going to stay on, but I knew they were going to stay on in their two great men for me. And Jack was great, Jack came from a great recommendation. I would have known him through another FC guy, uh knew of him through another FSC guy in West Beatles with the Komogies. And then Tom came on board then once Jack went um travelling to Australia. And Jack was in the background throughout the whole championship, but it wasn't as if he got onto his in to the plane and flew to far side through the world, he was still asking Tom, keep him updated and giving certain types of training that I wanted done. And I asked Jack, would he continue to do that? And he said he would. Ryan would stats as well. I know I spoke to him. Brian was great as I guess I said uh having with West Meason, just the knowledge that he has is unbelievable and about brand new stylus and nutrition to it. And yes, she's she's young and she's new to it, but the way I look at it's she's after coming out of college learning all the the new the newest stuff and gave that to all the 33 guys and the majority of them bought into it. Um this level, not everyone does, but the majority did. And those the majority are the ones that really stood up. But we had 15 people that stood up that day and five subs that came on and unfortunately get game time. Um but yeah, I suppose going back to assembling a good management panel is probably the biggest thing. Um if you are to go up higher in in in the ranks with Nikki Rack or Christy Ring, Joe Mack, or Lee McCarty in years and time to come, you have to build a bigger panel. You can't just rely on your seven or eight guys that are there. Um so it's it's harder at Inter County, it's getting harder year in, year out. If you look at Limerick and what John Kiley has done in the background team, and he has Alan Collin there a coach, and he would have tried to coach those years ago and probably could have done something with Pierre One back in the day if the players bought into it at the time. Um we were young and foolish and we didn't buy into it. But uh he he's a serious coach and he has Berlin Lands underneath him as well, and our cause man that there's there's serious men and women in that background team, but it's a huge background team to make it work.

unknown 42:20

Um people say, Oh, they have money, they have this, they have that.

SPEAKER_01 42:24

Yes, there is, but you also have those people who are willing to go in and be uh nutritionist and SE to be a sports psychologist to be whatever. It takes a lot of time.

SPEAKER_04 42:35

Yeah, it does take up a lot of your time, it does.

SPEAKER_01 42:38

You know, I I I'm I'm only Harry Matter now with Nicky interactor, and you know, my week is minimum five days a week of doing stuff and three days with the boys, and then they do the SC themselves on on the fourth day, which I don't need to go into now or during the year. But it it was four days a week as collective, three days for me as coaching and managing, and then I also had one or two days then to do my own paperwork and catch up and stuff on players and profiles and and and whatever. So what's what's John Kylie doing? You know, he he has to be doing seven days, twenty-four-seven, you know, he has to be doing that.

SPEAKER_04 43:13

Doesn't he just look so relaxed and just something about him? I want to ask you, who do you think will win Sunday? And will it be a Cork, Limerick, all Ireland final?

SPEAKER_01 43:23

Um look on pen and paper it should be, w without a doubt. Um Ben Ottenor has definitely brought cork.

unknown 43:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:31

My fear is that they could do what Dober did last year to Limerick, where they could go in a little bit too complacent and get snapped by someone. Just not because they're a bad team, it's just because it they might have gone in a little bit too relaxed. Um you can never no, we can it can never do that. Um but later on in the year definitely Cork went in thinking that we're gonna beat and how much we're gonna beat by and then bang, what happened. second half. So I I I I I think there's going to be an upset. Who's going to be the upset? I don't know. But you're definitely going to have a serious championship. But it's going to be a very, very short championship, which is very disappointing. I I know you see that coming out his man now, but there's a lot for it for the last couple of years. They do I feel for them.

SPEAKER_04 44:19

Like the likes of because when Bennett went off they just struggled. But the likes of Stephen Bennett, those lads deserve I'm very much um I'm a club person and and club will always come first to me. But there has to be something there because even long for like our championship won't start until what, the end of July and our country finalists until October anyway. So there has to be something different there because you're missing out on the likes of those players like even kind of after the game everyone was wondering like Noah McGrath just the way things were we might see him again, you know he's had a short summer even even Klakkenny, I know for Soulon they've been the thing around but like TJ Reed, I still want to like my dad came down with me years ago when Wesmead were playing Clane and Dad was like a child of Christmas because he got to see TJ Reed.

SPEAKER_01 45:13

Yeah and look as much as you know he hated him across the board one of the page I didn't have to admire them. I I got to meet Brian Cody one year and the first thing he I introduced who I was and of course I used my dad's name.

SPEAKER_02 45:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:25

The first thing he said to me was how is Diddy? You know how is he doing? And then I was trying to talk to you and all that stuff and he was asking about me and what I was doing and you know where I was and what have I done and whatever. And he's like no Brian shut up I want to talk about you um but you have those legends over in in Kirkenny and you have to give them credit. I don't care about rivalries, whatever. There is rivalries there the whole time but they're they're healthy rivalries.

SPEAKER_04 45:48

So we were the same with Dublin like Dublin for years and obviously at the moment in time things aren't going too well but they were once in a generation like I text a friend of mine the other day and I said I loved the football that Dublin played. Like when you were a Dublin Carry all Ireland final you know you had real football football like it should be played and you were on about Brian Cody I remember years ago we did a sports camp down in outside Ennis down in Ennis actually and Peter Duggan and Tony Kelly were there and to me it was like Peter was saying about his um he's got these room connections I was like a penny wasn't long for it. But like Tony Kelly just came in we were having our lunch and here he was sitting there and I was like Tony Kelly's in the same room as me it was just forget about your soccer stars to me it was just and he was just so lovely and then there was lads 10 that were there from Claire Castle and they were like I like him in place for Claire and I said obviously you don't like him at club level no because they have this real thing with balay I just thought it was so funny how the kids were like will we get him to sign it will we oh I get him to sign me Claire jersey but I won't wear it to a to a Claire Castle game you know and even Anthony Daly I think I said something one day and Anthony Daly liked my tweet and then when Liam Sheeney was on the no the Leah and I put up a thing about him and he actually liked my tweet and I'd allowed the scream and said to me what's wrong I was like do you she have to look at my tweet like mine on the weekend so I'm over the moon as well go ahead well sorry you got a text mess you got a text message from Liam like I only got a text message from Colin O'Mara wishing the Longford lads the best of luck and uh Frank Brown had had had a twig up as well and um thank God now there's no embarrassing photographs of you because when Frank won the Lorry Marr with Longford because they'd been beaten the year before by Warwickshire and I'd seen the heartbreak with Frank there was a lovely photograph of myself and Frank embracing each other in the tunnel in in in Crow Park he was smiling and thank God she couldn't see me beside Miss Car running running down. But I have to say the photographs and it got me and the homecoming as well like the pipe band love being a part of Longford and it was lovely seeing the the the welcome home in Edwardstown then obviously um to Ballner Lee and then then in Longford it was l I have to say no it was really lovely.

SPEAKER_01 48:11

Yeah no it was you know first thing I was asked oh where where are we going to stop on the way home? I said wherever just Super Max wherever we want to go to make sure that we meet your friends and family and the up and coming early money people of Longford were going there.

unknown 48:27

So um I mean Martin Marl's grandfather owned the pub here.

SPEAKER_01 48:32

So Martin would have travelled with me a couple of times and he's supposed whatever and he was man we were heading back to Limerick after a match and I said we're going to a grandfather's pub and he's I was like yeah no we are we I don't care I told you we're going the lads are saying like this is how the country I said I don't care.

SPEAKER_04 48:49

The Boston goes to the field for Alex Have you ever been have you ever been to Banley? No I wasn't Sunday I was never there before there we have to invite I'd have to get on to Pat Flanagan now and tell him to invite you up to a training session and get a couple of those hurlies at a few of the Granite lads and tell them that you know you have potential lads just get it right. Give Denise her championship that she wants to see but um you you do see parts of Longford that you don't think and look at we are the place to go on holiday now. Centre Park Ballyman Parks being there I was talking to Jerome Quinn's son the other day and he was like yes imagine like going on holidays in Longford we don't sell ourselves I had Melissa O'Kayan on a few weeks ago and Melissa's playing soccer for her at Lone Town and she's from Longford and we do kind of knock ourselves and that's why I'm so delighted that the hurlers out there and now we're showing ourselves and I see Reuben is up for player of the week so um sharing that and then we've got a few lads on the on the team of the week as well because we kind of knock ourselves like that's what I said to you you know did you ever hear of Longford because a lot of people you know I remember Longford Town with Stephen Kenny and a lot of the lads were like you know where the hell is Longford and now they'll always keep in contact and that's one thing with Stephen Kenny and he had a relationship with the soccer and the Gaelic in Longford and I don't know if you know Longford Town we had a white away jersey but when Stephen took over as manager he wanted a connection with the county so he when he heard that the blue and gold was the county colours to football um we went for a um white jerse a yellow jersey and blue or it could have been a bit of blue and and yellow so it was like but we do kind of knock ourselves so uh you you survived Bandaly anyway yes?

SPEAKER_01 50:33

Well look I think I did yeah but I think that's just an Irish thing we all knock ourselves right away no matter no no matter what we um but yeah look at those those uh got to enjoy Sunday night I was on hope then you know I I I want to ask me what what was the most important thing was seeing the joy on those 33 I'd faces and their friends and their families and and even anyone that's from Walford Tommy bring um Tony you know on from Walmart to see the joy faces you know um uh Matthew and I could be able to just bring some I I was never on a team that it was over that we won anything because I could I could talk it up with him and unfortunately he was actually in the hospital this week so he was ringing me I don't know what anyone saw and I'd have my phone a couple of times through the game so he was actually watching it in in Austin Yeah so I I have no picture with him with the cook on in Croc car which would have been you know I we'll have to we'll have to organize um SIL or get on to Alan Milton or some of the lads or get on get on to SIL and uh get a photograph even with chat GPT you know that kind of Yeah yeah yeah my wife would have worked in crow car for years so she knows mental so without without I'm sure there'll be no problem I was going to say you can kind of superimpose yourselves in there because there's there's ways and means of do out of doing things.

SPEAKER_04 51:54

Yeah. Actually a friend of mine proposed to his girlfriend um on the hill um was it last Friday or yeah one of the days last week got the hill open and all um yeah typical dub yeah he got that but um want to ask you one final question. I don't know maybe it's a player or as a coach. Well asked maybe as as a player and then obviously as a coach manager. Playing in a packed sample stadium or a packed crow park oh as a player I'm gonna say sample stadium it is thank you thank you because I said to my dad if they were ever going to move to finals sorry for interrupting you if they're ever going to move the finals out of Crow Park which they should never do it as a friend of mine said they deserve their day sample stadium for me is I was there years ago when we played badly against Tipperary and then you played Galway afterwards and it was just it was just amazing.

SPEAKER_03 52:47

It is it's it's a it's a for such an even old field I just think it definitely needs a bit of a rebound.

SPEAKER_01 52:53

Um it's it's it's an amazing feeling playing I played in a few times not a huge amount may not be great finance I was being I was good in that but even just your local community there and cheering on it's it's a serious serious uh I suppose um area to play and whatever and our own guys got to win in twenty twenty two like my my cousin Broadcast was was captain first time to win a county county title in years and she over 17 years and roars and it's it's way better than Crowe Park.

SPEAKER_04 53:25

As a supporter or even as a journalist, I just think there's something special about Semple Stadium.

SPEAKER_01 53:30

No of course then I'm sure I would love to be in the captain last year to see that what what you know on Ern would be like in Croker but I'd say within within in the part that was simple stadium is is just as good to be honest like one of the best pitches the second best pitch in in the country I I guess I don't even say that but um it's it's amazing.

SPEAKER_04 53:53

What the first the first is uh Glenn Brothers Pierce Park yeah they're they're unique in ways um well I tell you Celtic Par Celtic Park in Darius and helping itself with uh the the soccer boys and anytime I've seen any of the games up there it it hasn't been great so we can't we can't say too much but uh it must be someone said to me um um Cusick Park TEG Cusick Park in Mullingar supposed to be a brilliant pitch to play on I wanna say no great stadium to go and watch a game in well I I played it once myself I actually find that the field just feels so small and you think you're gonna blow the ball down before middle field and then you only get about ten yards.

SPEAKER_01 54:39

So you can judge things on it and then you're gonna go sideline before you're out you're out you're out the middle of the so it's um uh no I know uh I know the all about T V either they're a customer online so um Tommy don't get out to me Tommy Kelly uh but uh no it's it's it is it is a nice venue and when I was with West Meat I used to love playing there with the commodities when the girls are playing their their matches and it it's it's a great pitch to be able to communicate to your players on as well. But to play on as a person I I never liked playing.

SPEAKER_04 55:13

Ban slow is supposed to be Dugan Park supposed to be a hurling hurling pitch um because I covered a few girls matches um ladies football down there and a lot of people would say that yes ground for the but that it's a real the way the grass that crawl a little bit that it's a real hurling pitch. Isn't it amazing isn't it amazing how we kind of talk about about the pitches. Thank you very much. Enjoy the rest of the the celebrations because I'm sure you'll still be reading stories and you'll be watching um have you have you re-watched the game?

SPEAKER_01 55:48

I have I have I watched it I watched it last night I couldn't sleep and I watched it last night um trying to hopefully I might fall asleep before I'd go to work today but uh it it was taken out of it and I'm more than like it I watched on my phone last night 'cause I was in bed. It's night now I'd troll up until the telly.

SPEAKER_04 56:05

Yeah you have to do that yeah I don't I I watched it on the laptop um and I said to m to my parents that I'm going at the weekend is I'm going to put it on the big you know it has to be on the big screen. Um it's like we done that with Canuckwara when Canookwara won the All Ireland came home even though you're at the game and that you still have to go and watch it. So look at thank you so much for coming on you were um a pleasure to chat you and thank you so much for what you've done to Longford Harling.

SPEAKER_01 56:35

So we're gonna be