Mixed Bag with James Daly

Deniese chats to Donegal Ladies manager James Daly. Among the things they talk about are the upcoming Ladies All-Ireland Finals, growing up in Armagh, losing his wife and finding love again.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Mixbag is highly sponsored by Flynn Barbershop Main Street Spanners. You can find the Flying Barbershop on Instagram at the Big Back to the 52 title and the retained senior status for next year. It's Mr. James Daly from Armagh. Now, James, I was just thinking back to 2002 when Armagh won Sam. So watching me all yesterday, was that kind of bringing back those memories of you seeing Sam going to your county for the very first time?

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Yeah, look, I remember back in 2002 sitting in the Hogan stand, thinking to myself, you know, in the last, you know, we'd won that last ticket. I was thinking of myself, I can't believe we're actually going to win Sam McGuire. Um and it's only when I was thinking about it yesterday, uh after Mayo had won, I thought to myself, that really is it was us last in 2002. Um and like what a performance, what a performance by Mayo all over the shop in the first 15-17 minutes, but they really turned it around. Um and and I get you can talk about any more um and what anyone said in the change room at halftime, but those players, whatever instruction came from the sideline, they fixed it themselves. And uh making the uh bringing Conray on that we would earlier um was was a big thing, and and he really he did stretch carry and give carry more to think about, but it was really good and uh like they were so so impressive and so so impressive all over the pitch. Like the uh the the centre half back number six, what what a what a player. I don't have his name on the tip of my tongue now, but what a player, you know, he was so instrumental in their goal and and um but look it's it's you know it's it was wonderful to see.

SPEAKER_02 1:57

The thing about it is as well, when you win in all Ireland, you nearly feel you totally deserve it when you beat the Kingpin's Kerry. That's what you've done, and that's exactly what Mio have done.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

Yeah, and and and like I said in some of my last uh work I said did did anybody from Mayo even think they were going to win that game, you know? And if you're gonna win in all Ireland, you have to either beat Kerry and yeah, and like in 2002, Armad done it in the semifinal, beat double in the semifinals.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

I was at that game, our minders were playing before us.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

Yeah, and uh and like like it it was it was I think some of it it was written in the stars for them. They they came out yesterday there were there was no fear in those players.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

But those you know, when years gone by you looked at that Mio team and you could nearly pound for pound match them to to the Dublin teams that they played against. Whereas this time round you had this young team, a mixture, blend of youth and experience, no fear, as you said. They had didn't have these shackles of last year losing by a pint or the heartbreak of extra time or this or that. They had nothing gone into that. They had yes, the loss to was common in the first round of the conduct.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

Yeah, they hadn't they had no baggage. Um that was the that was the great thing about it for for them. Um and for them to for them to turn around how it started and for them to turn it around themselves. Like Renault Donahue is is as good a forwarder as in the country.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

And many touch and many touch did he have in his own fallback line, half back line and starting off plays. And and like I they they got it right, they kept the two younger boys up top all the time, and when Conray came on, he he stayed up there. Kobe like didn't go his way, we'd call it, you know, for the first 40-45 minutes of the game, but he was influential, he kicked the 45 and is a great lad. He wins that ball. He can always he'll create space for you because he's got that pace and he'll take the man on, and and he's a wee bit he's a wee bit showy, you know what I mean? But might go well player, you know what I mean. Every every kind of you would love to have a Kobe a go on.

SPEAKER_02 3:53

Exactly. And when you said showy, just just remember who his father remember that the famous hairstyles that uh Kier or Macdonald had over the years. For you now, you're obviously into ladies' football, and the big thing this weekend coming, you know, the finals are coming thick and fast, we'd hurling, we'd gaelic football, now we'd the ladies, then camoges, so this is the busy time of the year. So for the ladies, you know, the the Galways looking at that because they're playing against a very good Kerry team who have won so many titles. They're looking now and they're hoping to replicate that. Then you have Russ Common and you have your former side from Anna in the intermediate final, and then you have Carlo who have had heartbreak over the years um in junior semi-finals, and you have them in the final against Antrim. So there's novelty pairings in the three finals that are gonna go ahead and crop arc this Sunday.

SPEAKER_01 4:48

Yeah, and look, I would love I really uh love to see Golver win.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

Um for the reason I mean it's they've had they've had the best squad in in the country over the last number of years, and that's a lot of it there to hear and conburn connection.

SPEAKER_00 5:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:05

But I think Daniel Moining has done a great job with them this year. They've got they got promoted in a division two, and they took that as a springboard.

unknown 5:12

They're so good, you know, they've got the their boards are scary, you know.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Leanne Coach, Russian Leonard, even noon, Kate Slevin, you know, then you have the you've you have the noon sisters in in the middle of the field, okay? And then behind that you have Nicola Ward, like you have superstars all over the pitch. And this has all been done so far for the most part without Louise Ward.

SPEAKER_00 5:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Um, but again, Kerry have this this Kerry team have done it, they've won it.

unknown 5:37

Yeah, is Kerry gonna leave two on Ireland in a week? I don't think that's happened too often.

SPEAKER_01 5:42

But again, you know, you look at you know, she for she is there, is there is there a better all-round forward in the country um at the minute in her phone on her phone? I think she's got a one-eight or something the last name.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

Um like a five like that's a it's a great matchup.

SPEAKER_01 5:55

Yeah um and uh like I would really love I'd love to see Golder do it because you know it's they've they've been so good.

SPEAKER_02 6:02

Um they've been so near and yet so far over the years as well.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Yeah, they could well beat a couple of years ago. Um but I I I think the experience now, yeah.

unknown 6:11

Um there's there's there's a lot of experience in that team.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

And I think that team um has have grown up. Um there was a lot of I don't know, there was a competition between the kick here and Tom Bern Jersey and the rest of the county, and whether that comes into and I remember that happening in Armada at club level, at men's level. I think they have the squad now to really push on now and and be that team, like the the dominators at club level, and that's at i in Galway, in connect and and on the national stage. They're really, really dominators, but it's it's um like and they're they're not unlike each other. Like uh Galway do play more of a control, they can kick it, they kicked it against Armagh and Hurt Armagh um over the top, um, got got the ball into the anco quite easily, I thought. Galway, who will are you know, they will control it with the ken kick.

SPEAKER_00 7:01

They love the ball through the hands, the ball through the hands, where Kerry are great, typical Kerry, they're a great kicking team.

unknown 7:08

And and like the the kicking game, a good kicking game takes away any of that defensive setup, that defensive shape. Um doesn't get you a chance to get set up, you know, but it's it is going to be interesting. Um and like it's it's uh it it it will be a toss as a coin because Kerry have been there, okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

A lot will come down to the midfield where you're calling and Michaela Mobile in the middle of the field with Kerry with the noon sisters.

unknown 7:32

You know, they'll love to the Noon Sisters love to control the game, and then you'll you'd have Nicola coming up looking for the odd goal chance like she did against Armad. Yeah. Um but it it'll be interesting because it's it's uh Kerry been there, they've won it now. It's not the same team, but there's a there's a good lot of things. Yeah, yeah. And then you on the other side you'll get goal.

SPEAKER_01 7:52

We have a lot of experience now winning on the big, big stage, so it'll it'll be it'll be a great game and interesting to see.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

I was hoping, you know, no disrespect to my neighbours in Ross Common. I was hoping that it would be West Meads and Frank in the final, but heartbreak again for West Meads. Russ Common have gone about their business quite slowly because everyone thought, you know, Leitram, they always lost to Leitram in comic finals, then they got it right this year in the All Ireland series. They're in the final. They're playing against the Fermanag team. I was at that semi-final, and Fermanagh are still very reliant on an exceptional footballer, and you know all about her, Emer Smith. Like Eamers scored all but one of their um scores that day in their semi-final win over down. So it's a case of if Roscommon can do the job right and kind of curtail, which is very hard to do. Um, Eber Smith have a very good chance. And I was looking at the only time, the one time that Roscommon did actually win an intermediate final, it was actually in um Mulling Gar, so they've never played this Roscommon side, have never played in Crow Park.

SPEAKER_01 8:57

All right, that's that's uh that's interesting, alright? Um yeah, look at Fermanna have been in the up now for a couple of years.

unknown 9:05

Um and Eamers Schmidt is a big, big, big part of that. Like they're they're missing one of the best players in the country. They're sh in Blah Blahes over in Australia.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

And um they do depend on Emer Schmidt, but the the rest of them are not Dutch, like you know what I mean. They're good players, they'll uh Barry McKenna will do a good job with them, get them set up well.

unknown 9:23

I was surprised they beat down. Um but like Finn Bar Egan has done a good job with Ruscoman there. He's he's come at the right time, and you know, there's no point in there's no point in um peaking in March and April, keeping these girls coming at the right pace here now. I would still think for Manor would be hard to beat because of that fact that they've got somebody good enough um who can who can put the clappers on Emar. But there's a lot of a lot of people have tried that and and it hasn't worked. Um she's a very, very good player, very efficient. Um it's disappointing.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

I I would I would have thought we played West Meads this year, I I would have thought that uh it would have been West Mead in the final. I didn't feel past them.

SPEAKER_02 10:00

I'm just saying I'm just saying, you know, I and I was trying to not be biased because of my friendship with Frank, and I was saying about it, you know, this was common to you. When I was talking to I'd um a ladies' match, an underage game in Athlone a few weeks ago, and I was talking to one of the guys in Athlone, he was at the game and he was saying they're Russ Common, my gosh, they were absolutely brilliant. And then someone else said to me that this was common side have been slowly going about their business in the last number of years. So they won the intermediate in 2005, but as I said, it wasn't in Crow Park, so they're looking for that win in Crow Park. The Crow Park factor though, they haven't played in Crow Park before. For Mana, a lot of them girls would be used to it. Is it a big factor for a team playing the first time in Croker?

SPEAKER_01 10:44

No, I look at it it it it's I don't see I so I don't see it being massive, um Denise.

unknown 10:49

I think it's a case of there's probably plenty of experience in that in in that in that Roscommon team.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

They've got good players up front, they've got more than they've got uh they've got two or three really, really tasty forwards, and they they've come right at the right time. Like if you would have said to me six or eight weeks ago, I would have said, okay, your semi-finals there will be Westmead, Cabin, Monaghan, and whoever down pass we know probably for Manan's.

SPEAKER_02 11:13

And more than likely a down Westmead final.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

And that like goes to show you Rhino.

unknown 11:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 11:18

And sure I would have said the same, and we're supposed to be in Verticom as kind of experts at the game.

SPEAKER_01 11:23

Yeah, yeah, far from it. Um but no, like these these teams like for for mana had a solid league performance and for where Ruscomman really didn't Rush Common struggled in the league.

unknown 11:35

Yeah. And and like but i you know, as as I said before, they they've come at the right time and they're they're ready for it. I don't know. Like like for Manna, uh they're in the All-Iland final two, they won the juniors two three years ago.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Um the time before that when they'd won it and come back down, um I think I don't think I think that was during COVID or now, not 100% sure. I don't think it was in Coldwork.

SPEAKER_02 11:58

No, but yeah, but it it's it'll it'll come down to who was the nerve on the day. Okay, Amor Smith has the nerve, okay.

unknown 12:06

She's got the talent.

SPEAKER_00 12:07

Um, but she's gonna need her players around her, okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:10

Because I'm sure I'm sure Finn Barrigan has his homework done on Emer in Amor Smith, okay.

unknown 12:16

Um likewise Barry's gonna have his work done on on the on the the Roscommon forward. And it'll be you know, it'll be it'll be a good game.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

Um but I I would I would it's uh I kept I would say for mana there if they can keep Emor quiet, if they can keep Emor quiet, Roscommon win the game. Simple as that.

SPEAKER_02 12:33

That's exactly it. Now Antrim, I was there the last time Antrim won the All Ireland, and it was actually a replay up in your um home county, up in the athletic grounds in Armagh, and um I got to know Emma Kelly very well and have a good friendship with her. And I was there for the semi-final against um Sligo, a great game of football, and they're playing a Carlo site who I saw in the Division IV final against Longford, and I was very impressed with them. And to me and to a lot of people, this is what we expected. No disrespect to the other counties, the teams that we did expect to be in the final was going to be Carlo and Antrim. And I think this game is going to be extremely tight. And I don't know, I just have this feeling that maybe this year, maybe this year, that Carlo, because everything that seems to be going right with them getting finally over the uh the semi-final stage, that you know they might actually do it.

SPEAKER_01 13:25

Yeah, look at Marie O'Neill has been absolutely in fire.

SPEAKER_02 13:29

Amazing, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

Um I was actually over from Manna the last time Antrim the last time Antrim won the All Ireland, that was in the Athletic Grounds in a replay. Yes, and uh we had we actually had Antrim beat in Clow Park. But I uh I remember I remember well we we were a point up at 45 50 seconds left in the game, and I told I was shouting out to the guards, and again this the the club park back there because it's it's it's tough. You're trying to get instruction out on the pitch, and I was trying to tell the guys to hold on to the ball, do not kick the ball, you want to ever guys kick the ball. We lost possession down the field, and as the hooters went off um or the printer's kicking the ball over the bar or uh for a draw, so we had a go, we went to a replay two weeks later and I ended up I got married in the middle of that and uh it was it was um chaotic, but Ed Bork has done an unbelievable job um in Carlo. Ed Bork's got a lot of experience. He was there before, he left, he went to temporary, took temporary to a quarter final, all at a quarter final, and uh and then something happened there with temporary and he walked away from that and he's back in Carlo, and it's their benefit because he's a good manager, he knows the game, he knows the systems. Um Carlo, Carlo have a lot of uh firepower. I still think Antrim's tough. They've been doing this show before. Um as you and Emma Kelly was there with them for a couple of years. Emmy Kelly's done an unbelievable job at Antrim for a couple of years.

unknown 14:54

Um and it it's again, it's tough.

SPEAKER_01 14:57

I still see uh maybe I'm biased towards those sort of teams here, but I still see Antrim uh Pippin's uh Carlo, but it would be nice to see Carlow um getting advancing past that and getting up, and I think it it would be good for the football for for football in Charlotte, okay, and uh you know it's it's it's good for those smaller counties to to get up and play intermediate football, and that's what it's all about.

SPEAKER_02 15:21

When you do think of it like they're the only representative from Leinster in it as well, Patty Hunter from Thyrone, Paddy was covering the games in Clonus, and he was hoping then that Armagh would do it and that we'd have a whole Ulster uh lineup for the finals, but unfortunately we don't. Ladies football, you would be known as a ladies' football manager, and from even talking to Long for players down to the years, a lot of them likened you, and I think this is a compliment, I don't know how you would take it, to Diana Hora in the way you you're like you're no nonsense, but you know you had that no-nonsense approach, but you had that soft side as well to you. I know that, and I've told you before that Sarah Tierney said to me she played her best football under you. You never called her, I don't think you never called her Sarah, it was always Tierney. And I remember that division four final when she was brilliant and you were singing her praises. But ladies' football, it's always been a thing for you, hasn't it?

SPEAKER_01 16:15

Yeah, look, and I got involved in ladies' football way, way back at me. Okay, I took I took our minors to an all-Ireland title in 2011, and then I went on to a big chip minor 2012, where we were Division III intermediate at the time, and I stayed for four years, and in that time we had one division, we won promotion up to division one, and we we won the intermediate All Ireland in 2012, won the Ulster senior championship in 2014, and uh and that was a big, big thing. Um we took we took a big chunk of players out of that team, that minor team, um there's still two of them there, Lauren McConville and Ethan McCoy are still the stalwarts of that team. But I got myself involved at least football. And you know, I've done a wee bit of the men's game here and there, but I've been you usually involved with how to teams and and I I I I'm Donnie Gausnow is is a big profile job, but I always felt going to I went to a long floor to the cabin and then you're you're you're looking at even for a man at the time, you're thinking, you know, you want to go and and build something and try and bring build something up.

unknown 17:16

Um the the game has changed these so much. A lot of it's changed for good. There's better facilities for the girls, the girls are taking taking better care of, and that's all down to the charters that sort out. Apple Pro Park, they've been very, very good. Um and the girls get the girls get everything.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

Um bar maybe that precious bit of um travel money, which I I can tell you in Donegal, Donegal uh uh league uh kind of board are very good. They give their players a nice big chunk of money every uh after after uh after the league and then after the championship. So that's not the yeah, that's not and that's not the crowd money, that's the money that they fundraise themselves because they want to like you don't realise Donegal needs until you go and be a part of something up there. The travel we have girls we travel in convoy and we have girls who travel for an hour and a half, up to two hours, just to get to training, you know. And that is for me, that is massive commitment. No matter where you are in Armagh, you're never in more than 45 minutes to any other place in Armagh.

SPEAKER_02 18:14

And even Cabin would have been the same, you know. They're all kind of yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

And um but look at I just love the ladies' game and I I I I'm happy the way it it has improved.

unknown 18:23

But you know, you some girls need that proverbial armor in the shoulder. Um some other girls respond better than you know with the with the with the verbal kick in the arch. But it's different, and you have to learn.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

Like Sarry Kierney was such an experienced player for us if he shows to come up with the goods when when it was needed, and uh a super girl and a super player. And I I had spun over there, really enjoyed Longford, but it was 110 miles each way, and it got to a point where it was just it it just got too far.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

Um and I even I know one of the lads, um Stephen Henderson, used to manage our soccer team, and he was down in Cork, and he said if Longford was near or if we had been up in Dublin or something, no problem. But everyone seems to love Longford, but where we're positioned and an awful lot of the time with managers, it it's a good journey away.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

Well, it's far, it is far, and and again where I am now, I I manage to make it all now. I go to Conway three times a week, 38 miles each way, and it's it's not it's not bad, you know. I'm saying when that 110 miles from Longford, I had to go through Longford, that was a long trip in, okay, and you were going against the traffic um a lot of the times, and it was it was taking maybe two and a half to three hours when you're going through when you go through some of the towns I need to get through. So it was it was rough.

SPEAKER_02 19:41

Um now um and that was before the bypass and Killy Doon as well.

SPEAKER_01 19:46

Yeah, well there there you go. That's I I didn't know I didn't know about that.

SPEAKER_02 19:49

Well you'll you'll have to come you'll have to come down sometime because Sarah's um always on about you and she said to me that she probably played her best football under you. And then I'm looking at players there, you know, Michelle Farrell and then obviously Claire Farrell and all those players and look at them now. Like Claire is now has a dream job. Well, a dream job me and you would actually like. She's um a nutritionist over at Liverpool.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

Oh, very good, very good.

SPEAKER_02 20:12

Yeah, she's uh we myself and my friend went over to the uh parade um last year, and we were more excited about seeing Claire on the bus than we were about the team. It was the fact that it was a a long for girl that we knew on the bus, and then actually my friend Sarah got a lovely photograph because as the bus was passing where we were, Joga Jotta was actually holding holding the Premier League trophy. So, yeah, you know, that that that was a memory. That's another love of yours. Obviously, Jill and your children would be big loves of your life, but um another love of your life is uh the mighty reds at Anfield.

SPEAKER_01 20:46

Sometimes it's a it's a it's a it's a labour of love, go on, say it. Oh my god, like I I remember watching them last year after winning the league before you were thinking to yourself, like I I I I come January, February last year, I was thinking like I can't wait for this league to end. So frustrating so hard, you know. But yeah, look, it's it's one of those things you you you you pick a team and and I've been following Liverpool now since I was since I was a wee boy and um I absolutely love my my son now, he's uh he's he's he's twenty maybe twenty-eight years old and he's I I I I got him on Liverpool and he's just an absolute freaking fanatic. Okay, that's my son Ryan, and um like he like I mean he he lives out in Dover, he's a school teacher out in Dover. And I would have he'd be but texting me back and forth. I said, Ryan, I'm not watching him. I'm not watching him. He'd be ringing me up there and texting me, Did you see this crap and did you see that crap? I said, No, no, not watching them, too bad, you know.

SPEAKER_02 21:35

So um that'd be like my brother. Yeah, my brother Sean is. Yeah, Sean is the same now. Sean, well, I got Sean into Liverpool and Mummy said to me, There's a lot of children around Granite that I got into into Liverpool, but now I see him going over there. Now he goes over a good few times with um his friends, and then obviously because games are normally always clash with something, so it's very hard a soccer match here, League of World. But um now Sean has got two little boys, um Liam and Shamey, and they're um Liverpool Liverpool Celtic. Well they're Monhead men, but they say Liverpool Celtic and Granage they support, so at least you know uh they know where their priorities are. Would you support Martin O'Neill's boys as well?

SPEAKER_01 22:18

Oh of course, yeah, of course. That's uh you you you grew up I suppose where you are, yeah. Yeah, I grew up in South Amai, yeah. You you you you were a Celtic man uh by at birth, you know. Um didn't matter who like my dad and my brothers all supported United, I supported Liverpool, but everybody else uh on that on that front we all supported Celtic.

SPEAKER_00 22:38

Celtic.

SPEAKER_01 22:38

Uh and still have so and and uh I got what it did some season last year.

SPEAKER_02 22:43

You talk about Liverpool and at Christmas last year I was saying, that's it, I'm not going to a game, I'm not going to a game. Then it was like, Alright, I've got a ticket for the Libbleston game, right? I might go to it, I might go to it. Libbling get a penalty to draw, that's it, that's it. Never going again. Then the ox pops up, scores the goal. That's it, great. Then it was going on and on. Then someone gave me the opportunity to go to the cup semi-final. I don't know. I don't know. Look, and I'll go over and I bang the uh the spare jersey as well as the granar top in the case, and then it was just maybe there's that little bit of belief, and then it was just absolutely it was probably one of those seasons where my gosh, well it made up for um Liverpool kind of everything. But when you were involved with Clan, you weren't Clan's fair first boy, were you really? Because that was J Beatty.

SPEAKER_01 23:29

Oh Clanners.

SPEAKER_02 23:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:31

Yeah, yeah. Well I I managed Clan Clanners on my club, I manage Clan.

SPEAKER_02 23:37

Yeah, I remember.

SPEAKER_01 23:38

Um I remember Jay yeah, Jay Jay Beattie is uh he is the true uh super self. Yeah. Um and like uh look look at we all love Jay, he's great lads, and uh like he never he he used to be there in my training with Clannar and all the time.

unknown 23:52

All the time down for the crack, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:55

Um and uh and I look at all the Clanner and girls, uh all the Cannon girls absolutely loved him, you know, and uh but uh look at a great lad, like you know what I mean. And and uh but he was uh look at every time I pick up social media, she is on there or something about the Celtics, you know.

SPEAKER_02 24:11

Yesterday Mark made a video up of him, um and there he was standing so proud singing around Naveen, and it was just and I I damaged tendon in my hips, so I couldn't go to the Celtic game at Talca Park. Um my cousin came over from Scotland with her dad and she texted me that Erin, and obviously she texted a pic took a photograph of Callum McGregor, and I went, bitch, because Callum's my favourite player, and then she said the best part was I got a photo with JBC. That was it. That was the best part of the whole thing, was and I think that's what everyone does is they want to get a a photo with JBC. When you were reared, you know, you you talk about our map, and you know, you you you grew up in a time where it was a lot different for your own children, whereas they wouldn't have had to go through I remember and it was only, you know, I was only a sh a young child, but I can remember when we're gonna even go over to Clotter Markets and it was just across or even if we're going up to Clonus, we had to go across the border and the border checks and that. So it's a difference between your youth and then your children's youth.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

Yeah, we look we grew up, we grew up like where I am is is right out in the middle.

SPEAKER_02 25:17

It like it's South Armat's, it's it's it's known as as bandit country over the years because up until after even after the Good Friday Agreement, police didn't come around here in the police cars, they came in in helicopters.

SPEAKER_01 25:31

So um we grew up l with that and that harassment uh on a regular basis. And uh and we you know if you y you didn't know anything different, and then you know the the Good Friday Agreement comes along and that that is that has silenced a lot of that stuff and and uh and it's it is it is a different it's a different world.

unknown 25:51

My my kids grew up here and they wouldn't have known anything uh about any of that sort of stuff. Um so a lot of that stuff was was in your face.

SPEAKER_00 25:59

Like in even a b a big big part of my early teens was uh the hunger strikers and and all the support for the hunger strikers and and there was there was a whole lot of that.

unknown 26:09

And uh and I you look back and and I think like you know, so so many so many of those lads who died for for for what they wanted and and uh it was uh it was remarkable to for those men to do those things, you know. Um but it was as you said, Denise, it was different times, um, and there was like a lot of shenanigans on went on around the border. And uh I remember I was I was only 20 years old, he used to be selling at Christmas thing he was selling slabs of beer out of the back of the car.

SPEAKER_01 26:36

Um you bought Ben and Uri and all the all the southerners were coming up.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

The fireworks. Do you remember that? We used to go up Tennessee Dillon. Sorry if any of the guards are listening. Yeah, we'd go up or go up to the uh across the border uh when you're coming over Claw Her. Yeah, you go up there and yeah, you get your uh fireworks up there, so it'd be no problem. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:55

Yeah, well right look right. Well, Jones Jones.

SPEAKER_02 26:57

You were sorry, you were a bit of a dell boy, were you then?

SPEAKER_01 27:00

Well, look at we when you lived in when you lived in South Armai, you yeah I you even get flagged about it today, like with the dodgy diesel and and uh and everything else. Like, you know, if you if you found a way of s making a few pounds more, look at it, it you you've done what you had to do, you're only 19, 20 years old. Um when I was 20 and then when I hit 21, I I was gone. I was gone to England for six months and then I went to America for ten years. And um and by the time I come back, a lot of that stuff had been resolved, and there was a there was it was a karma place. Now Jones were market was still there selling all the dodgy CDs and DVDs and vodka and cigarettes and all that kind of stuff, you know, but such as such was life around the border. Um a lot of that stuff's gone now, uh, where the almighty uh evidence paid with a card and a tap and very little cash about anymore. So you have you have to you have to be a good player.

SPEAKER_02 27:51

I remember reading um Ushim Convil's um autobiography and about um, you know, the the the helicopters, you know, circling round when Ross McGlenn were training and that. Would you have experienced that? Because um a song that always comes to my mind and I absolutely love it, and my mum gets very emotional about it, obviously, is Aidan McInnesby and about him going. And that wasn't just you know, one of my favourite songs is Let the People Sing, because we're singing about our songs that actually did happen, and that was that actually did happen. So would you have had that experience of if you were going to Gaelic training? I suppose Cross McGlen was was different, but would you have had some of that experience of going to football training?

SPEAKER_01 28:30

Yeah, well look at like my dad was from Cross McLean, he was a Cross McGlen man, and we ever went to we we went to play games. We I've seen us many of the time go uh going to play games in Cross McGlenn and and the helicopter landing right beside us and like you just pass no remarks of it. Um where I where I lived in Jonesburg Village, um our pitch was about a mile over the road and and like many of the time you're walking over there and there'd be there be there'd be soldiers on the road and stopping you and asking you questions where are you going and you know, just just being a pain in the arse more than anything else, you know.

unknown 29:00

But but you did see a lot of that, you know. There was like it was it there was dark days back then and and there was a lot of trouble in the north and and and um and like look at f for the for the for the better now for the better now it's it's it's it's gone. You know. But I I think uh you know, that's a lot of that stuff at the time had to take place and it had to happen. And uh, you know, it's a lot of people can shout from the outside that this they shouldn't have done this and they shouldn't have done that.

SPEAKER_01 29:24

Well look at you know, when we can we can we can all we can always talk about you know where England's been where they shouldn't have been and what they've done, what they shouldn't have done, and all of all of those things, you know what I mean? And and that's that was a big part of it.

SPEAKER_02 29:35

My mum always said to myself um that if we had been born up there, more than likely we would have been in organisations and we probably would have ended up in jail. So I can well believe, you know, because Mam obviously Mam's from Ullhorn and they would have had relations over the border, so you're hearing stories and and then just talking to yourself, talking to you know, Patty Hunter as well, but pad Patty Hunter and and I love listening to your stories because you're talking from an experience and did it toughen you up in some ways. I don't know, toughen you up.

SPEAKER_01 30:10

Well, yeah, look at we we we grew up with one perspective, Denise, that that the British shouldn't have been there at the end of the story.

SPEAKER_02 30:17

Um and like I'm um I was 60 at the weekend there and I know um you got a lovely um happy birthday sung by your grandchildren, which I thought was lovely. Yes, right, yes.

SPEAKER_01 30:28

And uh but it it's it's um um I'm a lot older and a lot wiser and I I have the same thoughts that like England all those years ago England created a monster um and and they can't they can't fix it.

unknown 30:42

Um like they're they thought the coming in in 69 with the so bringing the soldiers in supposedly to help the Catholics, you know what I mean, and it just it went the other way and we can we can look back at all the things that have happened and go back to Bloody Sunday and go back to you know, there's there was a lot of dark days, you know what I mean, and on both on both on both sides of the thing. And then then you go into the early 80s, uh 81, where you've seen the the ten hunger strikers basically hunger strike until they died. Um and uh it was it was um it was it was brave and and it was such a big thing at the time and it was it was there was a lot of you know controversy but you know, with them the the the Brits wanting to be there at the funerals and trying to pick out the the the boys with the guns and stuff like that there and um it it it caused more problems than than it needed to, you know. But it was one of the it was just it was part of life back then, you know, and I was saying I went to I went to England um uh in in 1986 and didn't really like it to be honest and they came back and went to America. Um I I was brought over by football at Tyrone.

SPEAKER_02 31:47

Tyrone in New York brought me over there in in 1987 and I played for them out there and and um it was like a sorry um sorry you put on the red hand on you, the quest. I know it was New York, but you were still playing for were you actually allowed back into Armagh? 'Cause I know that there's that little bit of rivalry now between yourselves and Tyrone.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

Yeah, right. Yeah, but no, look at uh it was actually an Armand man who brought me out here. Brought me out. Uh he was he was very involved. He would have been a brother-in-law of Pat Pat McGuire would have been a brother-in-law of the great Frank McGregor.

SPEAKER_02 32:20

Oh, Lord I liking him, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

And yeah, and uh they brought me out and I went to New York um and I played for I played you love you loved this, I played for Tyrone, then I played for Calvin and then I played for Westmead.

unknown 32:32

Okay. And um I I I played out there for about seven or eight years and and loved it.

SPEAKER_01 32:38

Um but w when you're out there a while, real life is is more important because it's more important to you know be able to pay your bills and you know, and and and um my wife, Laura Retker, she uh you know, that's I met her out there, okay, and that's the kids and all this. Yeah, yeah. And uh yeah, and uh we had uh we and we we had we come back here because I basically also wanted to come back to Ireland and raise my kids in Ireland and a lot of that was to do with Was she originally from Ireland? No, she she was of Irish descent. Um her her grandparents um one was Irish, and Mum's head was Irish and they were from I'm from uh sorry, Belfast, the Malachese church in Belfast. Um and uh got away when my wife was here we found we'd done a lot of searching and found baptism records and all that kind of stuff um about her about her family.

unknown 33:30

And uh but she you know the first thing she came to Ireland, she came with me and you know we moved back here and and and she absolutely loved it. And whenever she came home here, then she got very, very involved in the local club and then she became secretary of of the she became Secretary of the Obama uh ladies' county board and so she threw herself into that, you know what I mean? And um, but unfortunately she passed away in 2014. And um but it was um when I brought the kids back here and I brought Anne back here, it was it was a different island. Uh you know, there was it was the Celtic target was starting to roar and uh yeah it was a good it was a good time to come home and you know I I owned a business, uh my brother owned the business and I brought into the business with him and we've been working as Jones for Glass. Um we we do work all over the country and uh we we've been we've been running that now for for about thirty years, you know. So look at this.

SPEAKER_01 34:22

I I I've seen plenty and uh I'm uh you know getting into the news now, but maybe I need to hang the hang the hang the the cap up and let somebody else have it.

SPEAKER_02 34:32

I can't see I can't see you doing that. You know, you mentioned Anne and obviously she passed away from cancer and you've done an awful lot of work for cancer. But how did you find, if you don't mind me asking, you all of a sudden were a daddy, because it happened my my uncle, but his wife had had MS and she got at an early age and then she obviously got breast cancer and she passed away, but her family always said that they were lucky because my cousin Sean had this great relationship with her dad. So, yes, she was gonna miss her mum for certain things, but you had that relationship. So, how did you find then all of a sudden you were this single dad?

SPEAKER_01 35:06

Yeah, well, uh one of the big things for Anne moving back here too was that both Anne's parents were deceased, or she lost her mom from breast classes when she was 15 and her dad died from a massive horror.

unknown 35:16

So I can think she was only three.

SPEAKER_00 35:18

So moving back here, well, she had a small family over there, where I over here, we had a big, big family, and she came over and she really embraced that.

unknown 35:25

She loved it. But um we knew Anne Anne had struggled. Uh she had breast cancer for roughly five years, and when she finally died, you know, you you were never prepared, Denise. You think you were, you think you knew you were going to be prepared for it.

SPEAKER_01 35:39

But it was, you know, I I I had a lot of good friends, and and you know, after she passed, I had a lot of dark days and and and definitely you you you really find out who your friends are. Your family's always gonna be there for you.

SPEAKER_02 35:51

But your friends, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:53

I had I had a few a few really good friends and they really stood up for me and helped me.

unknown 35:57

And like when I when I I was over Armagh uh uh uh Monday in 2014, a week before a week after um a week after we won those two championships, we beat Monaghan and Clonus, stopped Monaghan winning five in a row, um and uh uh John Morrison was over Monahan that day, Nord West John. I did I was gonna pull the pin then and the Armagh girls come up and said, no, look, give it another year, we need you there for another year to be so you know. And I think it was they were they were looking to look after me, I think, a wee bit. Um I so we stayed on for another year, we got to another All Ireland semi-final and we lost to Cork and I sorry to Dublin.

SPEAKER_01 36:32

We lost to Cork the year being born, we lost to Dublin.

SPEAKER_02 36:34

Um but you beat you beat us as well. But when you beat Longford as well when Diane was there.

SPEAKER_01 36:41

Diane was that was a good Longford team, but this is an Armageddon team that had dropped down from season year.

SPEAKER_02 36:45

Yeah, senior year. Yeah, we just knew it was one we went into that game knowing that it was going to be very tough against. Obviously, uh, you know, Ulster football is always going to be tough, but ladies Ulster football tough as well, and you were after coming down from senior, whereas we never had that experience of playing senior football. That was a good Armagh team that beat us.

SPEAKER_01 37:04

Yeah, and we were after taking we were after taking at the time nine off the the minor panel.

unknown 37:10

Okay, and at that time in in in that we were probably starting seven or eighth, and like it was a very we had great leaders in Caroline O'Hannel and Sharon Real, Kiva Marley, Sarah Marley, you know, Cloder, Clover, Clover Cloder, Cloder. Oh I can't think called the second name now.

SPEAKER_01 37:29

Mags McLinden, the late Laura Brown, God love Laura, Sean O'Hagan. We had a lot of experience, but the new the youth brought in legs and and and and they were a very, very good team.

unknown 37:40

Um and we bounced right up. We we went up into into senior and thinking uh 14 and 15 we got to know the semifinal both years. Um and we won the championship in 14. Um and uh based on that that that minor team that that was really, really so good, you know. And uh but after Anne had passed, I took a year out and I took out 2016. Um I got talking to Kathleen Darcy um in Longford and and Kathleen says, Look at what you come over and have a chat with us about taking over the longest. And she's persuasive? Yeah, she was, and it was funny. I drove over that night and I met Kathleen in um at the meeting and I brought my son Ryan with me at the time. And Ryan was only 16 or something at the time.

SPEAKER_01 38:23

He came over with me for the crack and we didn't know where we have tea and biscuits with Kathleen and all the committee. And we came out of there and I thought to myself, I I can't come here, it's it's just too far, you know what I mean? And like Ryan is out head on young shoulders. He says, you know.

SPEAKER_02 38:39

Tell Ryan, I like him. We're all like that in Longford. Tell him thank you.

SPEAKER_01 38:43

He says lovely people, you know. And I said, You know what?

unknown 38:46

You're right. So I'm thought about it, and I had I'd been contacted actually with the about the Westmead job that year, and I'm down to meet West Mead. I just you don't want to hear this, I just didn't like how the meeting went. Uh and the the the the the treasurer was asking me in the meeting.

SPEAKER_01 39:04

I I had a a bit of a reputation on the sidelines of a bit of annoying referees and getting I never saw that side of you, James. Never and uh and uh he kept he kept saying I just we're not gonna be able to look forward to fines that you're gonna call it. And I just said he said, you know what, if this guy's worried a few pounds for fines, I'm gonna I'm gonna have a problem getting dinner for the girls after training. So we actually decided to go to Longford and and uh I I really I really love this. Um you you you mentioned a few girls out like Michelle Farrell. Like what a what a player Michelle Farrell was like and played again this year. Yeah, what a player do you know do you know what used to do played me nuts though, Denise with Michelle?

unknown 39:43

We played now if you remember that that league final where we beat Wake. Okay, it's the baseball. Michelle hit the waterwork five times. Okay. Because she's been in on goal, but she wants to see the roof the net hit. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 39:56

I see Michelle just rolled the ball along the ground past the key, but no, Michelle wants to get around the key again.

SPEAKER_02 40:01

But that's the soccer in Michelle. That was the soccer in Michelle because she was a very good international, underage soccer player, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:08

Yeah, and like we there was great job like E for Darcy and I mean really, really good kids and good and young, but so passionate about playing for Longfort. But Anakin, we used to stay up, but I think they only get relegated.

SPEAKER_02 40:20

That was if we stayed up for so long, like you uh you and Diane, what you done for Longford, and I'll always say that then obviously, you know, me Hobohan deserves a a mention as well because of the All Ireland, like we were getting hammered at that time in that All Ireland junior final against Antrim and he made changes and uh the rest of the sales history. But I suppose the Longford game, it came then, obviously you took the year out, and with everything that happened in your life, you know, things happened for a reason and it happened for you and it happened for Longford at the right time.

SPEAKER_01 40:50

Yeah, and and I the reason I went to it because you you know, after I'd lost Annan, you're you're you're spending a lot of time at home on your own and the kids were you know, the kids were at the time uh sixteen, eighteen, and twenty, you know, and uh one of them was in university and you you you you know you you needed something you needed something else, you know.

SPEAKER_02 41:10

Uh partly spending time with the thoughts.

unknown 41:13

Yeah, exactly, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:14

And and uh so that's why and uh it was a good fit, yeah. Like Longford were in the had had doing the law earlier the year before, um and again, just some of the names just come back to me now. Just sent a gravy.

SPEAKER_02 41:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:27

Um like Michelle Michelle was.

SPEAKER_02 41:31

Um Michelle Kakelli, then there was um Michelle Kakenny, that's it. Yeah, it was uh Murray Reynolds.

SPEAKER_01 41:37

Murray would have played. Yeah, and I and yeah, uh good judge, good team, very, very passionate about it. But I it just comes down to it for me then it was it was it was too far, you know what I mean, and and at times you you're like, no, no, I you're you're going over the road and it's it you're you're you're blinking to keep your eyes open to head.

SPEAKER_02 41:57

I was gonna say that, James, because at the end of the day, no matter what, and you may love a job and that's yeah, but your own health is important. Yeah. And if you're you know you're you're taking so much out of your life and everything, then things happen for a reason, and that I love that you you mentioned it earlier on about the um unfortunately losing the replay about getting married again. You found love with Jill.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

Yeah, yeah, uh very, very fortunate um to find somebody is is uh had a wonderful wife and then to think to I met this wonderful woman from Belfast.

unknown 42:27

Um met her online, met uh met Jill four years after Anna died. It was just, you know, uh to be fair, I just thought from the minute I met her, I knew I knew it was right that she was she was a good person, she was a nice person. We we she came from the same. She had she had lost her husband. Um six years before that. Um he was a young man as well, he was up to 43 at the time, and he had cancer and he died.

SPEAKER_01 42:53

So we I had three kids, she had three kids, the six kids get on really well.

SPEAKER_02 42:57

Um It was meant to be James.

SPEAKER_01 43:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look at there's there's there's a bit of that in it too, you know.

SPEAKER_02 43:03

Actually, I'm an old romantic, you know, even though I'm still single. I'm still single, I'm still I'm still an old romantic. Gaelic football, obviously a bit like myself, and then obviously Liverpool Celtic. Anything else that James Daly, you know, something that we might know. Do you like to um watch documentaries on wildlife or how does James Daly James Daly relax?

SPEAKER_01 43:24

I'm boring when it comes out. I like I just like box sets on on on on uh my illegal box or on on Netflix or whatever, you know. Um one thing that Jill has taught me uh is about living life properly.

SPEAKER_02 43:37

I thought you were gonna say crochet or something like that.

SPEAKER_01 43:39

I was gonna say No, but we we go on holidays as often as we can now.

unknown 43:45

Seeing that the football season is very narrow, so um we do tend to squeeze a lot into that. Like my daughter lives in Chicago, um, and we're gonna out to her now for for two uh we're going to we're going to the States in in September for two weeks, but it's It's not it's good.

SPEAKER_01 44:01

It's it's uh I I I enjoyed it. I I I was over on my boys, minor boys uh uh two years ago with him in New York. We've got to the All-Inland final and we lost the Gary and All Iron final, we lost uh Gary Dusty final both games. Um that was a that was a that was something different. Um he didn't ask me to get involved with him and I just wanted to go and get involved in a a really good men's setup to see if there anything I was missing and needed to do better.

unknown 44:24

And I I just learned that you know they do it they they they just have more money. That's the only difference between this men's setup and the women's setup. They just have more money and it's never an issue can you get money or do you need money? But it's you just it's there for you. With the women's yeah, with a women's. Now saying that I'm I'm telling you right now the Gunny Gall Penny Board are super, super, super, super when it comes to anything like that.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

They're they're really, really good and they're really helpful all the time. Um and anything we need, anything we need. But I I I'm very I've been very, very involved with the club for the last couple of years. I've back involved the club again because he hadn't worked a big man in our club and he hadn't pulled me back in. And I've taken a couple of the uh good underrated teams and we've won championships and uh great great bunch of guards coming through with drum and tea at the minute.

unknown 45:10

Um but it's tough, it's tough when you're trying to do when you're in Dunning Gaulle three nights three nights a week, and then you're spending some of some of them other nights doing different things with with you know meetings and one thing and another and then trying to run um trying to run a business, made my brother run the business.

SPEAKER_01 45:26

And that takes a lot of travel and a lot of and then unfortunately when I was over the minister a couple of years ago, I broke a disc in my back. And if for anybody who's seen me lately, I I look like an old man who's drunk, and I am an old man, but I'm not drunk.

unknown 45:39

I just broke a disc in my back and it's damaged the nerves and down into my legs.

SPEAKER_01 45:43

So so I just have to for my own sake, I'm gonna and I'll I'll should be having to step away from from one or the other next year because it's it's too much, you know. But I still really, really enjoy it.

SPEAKER_02 45:53

You mentioned your club, and I was just watching the homecoming for me. Oh, and you know, the excitement now of them brought obviously bringing Sam to the club. And I said to Daddy, because that's where it all begins. That's where they, you know, my little nephews, even though the Love Granard, every Saturday they're out there with their teammates playing football for Man and Harps, you know, six and four. That's where they've learned to kick their first football. That's where you learn because that's where it makes us all, isn't it? Is you is the club.

SPEAKER_01 46:20

Oh yeah, you look at Annik, we we've we've been a very good club for a long, long time, Denise, and we we haven't had a lot of success until that man again, Aether Rock, his brother Martin, a couple of more lads uh in their in our club and tuck it on their own back to put in a um to put in a uh uh an underage system. Anick in the last in the last ten years, like they when they started it ten years ago, we had never won a failer, boys or girls, we'd never won a uh minor championship, we'd never done all of these things, and and like since then we've won two boys' failers, two girls' failers. I was over one of the failures, yeah. We won two girls boys' failers. We won the the minor championship, division one championship last year, went on then and won the Ulster, uh, which has never been done in our club.

unknown 47:03

Um so it's it's it there's a lot of work as on in the club. Um and I and I a wee pet peeve I have beneath is is the AFL.

SPEAKER_01 47:12

Um and like I not not with the girls themselves, not with the AFL.

SPEAKER_02 47:17

Yeah, Frank and myself have these conversations go on, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:20

And Crow Park. Because if you're gonna bring let's use Blahim Bogue as a example, because we both know Blahine and I know she's a super footballer and she's a super girl.

unknown 47:30

But for me, uh like one of the first people who brought it brought it, one of the boys brought it from my club, Kevin Dyas. And Kevin came back with that injury, and um, but we look at Blah Blahine gone out there at the very, very top of the yeah, 22 years old.

SPEAKER_01 47:42

For me, her club in Australia, there should be something set up, a fee set up.

SPEAKER_02 47:48

Yes, subsidised myself and Frank have had this conversation. I'm trying to think who do we have this conversation with, and that was it because you're the ones that have actually it's like Kobe, Kobe's gone over there now. But you know, it's your club, Crossman. They're the ones that have taught him, have given him the skills to make him, and obviously my OGA as well, but it's the club at the start of it all, where they start off giving them them skills and honing it into them, and there should be some kind of sub they should subsidize them in some ways, yes.

SPEAKER_01 48:19

Yeah, because if Stem has put all the time and the effort in and and nurtured these, you know, and they gave it but you you look at you look at Blahine Mackett, okay. Blahes top top player, okay. Blah he went out to Australia three, four years ago and was an absolute superstar, and she's a superstar of a girl, you know, I mean she's a great kid.

unknown 48:38

But like her club has suffered, you know, from that because they were competing at senior level, okay, where where they where there they haven't been now since she left and then poor Amy went out and then Amy got the half-senium. And and Amy's Amy has struggled with um with her knees in and and like it's it's unfortunate, okay. But but the thing is, you know, you don't want to put all this time in. There should be for me, there should be a set fee, okay. If you can put bring them out and play them, pay them all this money. What look what what is wrong with having a set fee for that club, £10,000 or or or or £15,000 Australian dollars? That if you bring a player out, oh bang, you you pay. Like whoever uh play pay tempo, $15,000 for for um for blind blow. And again, I know what the people's gonna say, oh, it's an amateur game.

SPEAKER_01 49:25

No, but it's it's not an amateur game at that level.

unknown 49:27

There's a lot of bills go out of the club.

SPEAKER_01 49:29

Like I'm I'm I'm going to meet somewhere at clubmates now at nine o'clock tonight or half nine tonight. We're talking about fundraising, okay? And you know, this is what I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_02 49:38

I I've been involved in our just our local minor club for many a year, and looking at coming in because you've everything you have obviously you have to pay your subscription fees, you then if there's an injury, there's there's so many things that you do have to pay for electricity and grounds. Like, yeah, people do think that and the thing about it is it's not as if the AFL are and they're they're really promoting it now, are stuck for money.

SPEAKER_01 50:02

No, and like like I know in our club now, and I get this is going above and beyond, like our club now have a full-time SC coach.

unknown 50:09

Full-time, okay, and and he looks after our senior team, men and women, um, minors, men and women, sixteens, uh boys and girls, and now next year it's going to be the 14s as well, okay? Because it's a gradual thing, and you you want to bring them along the best you can.

SPEAKER_00 50:23

And like that costs, that's often 20 grand for the year.

unknown 50:27

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 50:27

That's a lot of money, and that's a lot of money you have to get. And you can have all the fundraisers you want, you can do all those sort of things, you know what I mean. For me, that whole thing with the AFL, I'm dil I'm delighted. Like I there's two girls in Australia who should be playing for me in Donegal, okay, me McLaughlin and Amy Boyle. Two absolute superstars. Okay, but I won't have them because they're you know, they're tied. Some girls will play, you know, they they don't play for me, and and uh word has it that Amy Boyle maybe might play for she I don't know, would love to have her because she's an absolute superstar, you know. And but why why does um Neeb the Neam Lachins Club not get X amount or Amy Boyle cars club not get X amount just for taking your player? Because they they will whatever play for the county, they'll never play for their club.

SPEAKER_02 51:12

That's it. That is the big thing because right, we mentioned him earlier on. Well, I mentioned him earlier on about his book. You mentioned his former teammate. We have to mention another man from Armah who just absolutely I think this year with stories I found myself supporting Roscommon and with Smead, which is not natural. But Wicklow, the top I we all thought the Tolkien Cup final, nothing could beat it, and then obviously Mio had done it. But um Ushin and the job he's done with Wicklow.

SPEAKER_01 51:40

Well, look at you to mention uh you know um Wicklow now and Sam McGuire in the same sentence. Yeah.

unknown 51:46

Yeah, it's it's mad. Like like and and people people question Archine, what are you doing going down to Wicklow? He's down there cutting his teeth. Yeah. You know, he's he's proven that he he he can manage, he's done a an unbelievable job.

SPEAKER_01 52:00

Like whatever whatever he said to them boys at halftime in the Township Cup final, um, or maybe what uh I was I I was so I was so happy because they beat down, you know, because that's their massive arrival. Because at one point down were going to beat us with the All Ireland this year.

SPEAKER_02 52:14

The thing about it is down for me, like I see saw them playing against like an office. Wicklow should have beaten Longford, but they beat themselves in Division Four. But I saw down against Longford, I saw them against Leash, and they were just their presence, they were like they should have been in the San Maguire because they were just built for the San Maguire. There was everything about them. But the thing about it is, and we we know it now ourselves, James, and you look uh at um the thing about it is yeah, you can be built and you can be conditioned, and you can have these footballers and that footballers, but if you don't have that little bit of heart, you don't have that little bit of courage, like you know, the the Dean Haleys and the people like that who who pulled it out of the fire for Witlow that day.

SPEAKER_01 52:51

Yeah, and like look at Ushin played for Crossing Glenn and broke our hearts. My club's never won a senior senior championship, okay, and that'll be our next target. Well, uh but crossing Glenn beat us five in five finals in eight years or something like that, okay? Um one of them is after a replay, another one must be a point and two points, and but but the thing washing broke your heart, okay? Because like I I I mean we're playing Crossing Glenn when it was in Crossing Glenn the final was, but Ashing kicked a a a a point over the bar from outside the fifty promised sideline ball, you know what I mean? It was just it was just something else. And the the guy has that about him, like he's he's class, he was an unbelievable footballer. And the the thing about Ashing McConnell is Ashen McConnell has been there and done it.

SPEAKER_00 53:32

He's got county medals, Ulchester medals, all the club medals, yeah.

unknown 53:36

He's got all stars, he's got he's got everything, everything that you can get. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 53:41

Um he had his he had his problems a lot of years back and he he he faced them up and came out and spoke about it and and and is a better man for it today. Um but he's he's a top, top gay, and and there's nobody, you know, there's nobody can tell you anything like uh like Ashley McConnell's put himself in the shop window now to be a manager of a me of one of the top top uh teams in the country.

SPEAKER_02 54:01

Like, I did yeah. I didn't know whether or not Keran would was going to stay because I thought that, but I'm sure our mart are looking at everyone does step away, you're looking at an Andy Moore type for for Ushin going in there. But then sometimes it can be tough because you know yourself, sometimes you're not a hero. I remember Glenn Ryan going to Kildare, you know, and everyone thought things were going to go great, and sometimes those things don't go. Well, I think that could be the the ultimate probably for Ushin is to manage the Orchard County.

SPEAKER_01 54:29

Oh, of course, and and you could imagine Tony and John Mac uh are the same.

SPEAKER_02 54:34

Um and oh big joke.

unknown 54:37

Yeah, yeah, but but you but the but the thing is like look at I am I'll be honest with you, like a I was a massive fan of geezers, geezers was unbelievable player, leader, all of those things. Then you were starting to look at it thinking, oh Jesus Christ geezers it's nine years, ten years here now, and and then all of a sudden we win the other. You know what I mean? And and like he looked i i it it his his imprint is all over it.

SPEAKER_01 55:02

And what he's producing, what what what what Geezer's producing in Armagh is unreal. Okay, he's producing players that were but good club players, but they were coming in buying into his setup. I'll give you an example, Peter McGrain um from from Valley Hague. Peter McGrain was a good club footballer, okay.

unknown 55:23

But he made the county panel, and I was looking things like she's that man who'd be better off playing week in and week out for his own club and getting there.

SPEAKER_01 55:29

But then but he he done all he'd done the weights, he done he done he stayed with the program, bought into everything Geezer was doing, and now he's a starter, okay, and he's a he's a solid, solid starter for us, you know. And yes, Archine will be uh his eyes set on possibly being the Armagh senior manager for me it'll be whenever Geezer wants that way because it it's it's you know, he is you know he we we we kinda we we kind of caught in the hot wee bit with loud this year.

SPEAKER_02 55:56

Um and if Barmah played loud again tomorrow, those little things it's little look at you look at our look at Mayo this year. Monaghan should have gotten there was a point, it should have been a point for Monaghan. Sometimes, yes, you have to be a great team, and and yesterday they they totally deserved a win. But you know, you need that little bit of luck along the way.

SPEAKER_01 56:17

Yeah, and and like let's go let's go in a different direction. Then you look at Dublin, okay.

unknown 56:22

Dublin's a very, very hard dump by Kerry. Yeah, okay. And people talk about how gracious Jack O'Shea or Jack O'Connor was. Like uh wasn't a penalty, okay. It was a square ball, and the ball over the line, well, we can't, you know, we we're we're not sure about that one. Yeah. But the other two were dead shit. It wasn't a penalty, and it was a square ball.

SPEAKER_01 56:40

And that's that's that's a wee bit of the good lucky need um to to go and win championships and and and win all Ireland. And again, I mean I meant Arm out an 0-2. Ray Cosgrove kicked a 21-yard free kick wide.

SPEAKER_02 56:54

Okay, last kick of the game. Kick of the game for us to go. And we would have made it like Ray Cosgrove, if he'd his eyes closed or blindfolded any other day, he would put that over. I was expecting a drawing game, yes.

SPEAKER_01 57:06

And then in the final that day, I'm sitting marching the final that day, and like Kerry was so dominant in the first half of that 2002 final.

unknown 57:14

And it came out, but but again, whatever Geezer said to the boys at halftime, or they came out a different team in the second half. Who who gets who gets the big goal? Ushin gets the big goal. Um and and like it was like now I I'll I'll be critical of Armad. They won it in 2002, they should have won more than one. Okay, they won seven Ulsters in that period, but only have to won the loss of throne in 2003.

SPEAKER_01 57:39

Um but um no, look, it's it you said it, Denise, you do need a bit of you do need a bit of luck. Um you're not gonna win everything just by pure natural ability and and game plan. You need you need to bounce the ball because sometimes you're watching the game and you think you said, Fucking the ball just won't bounce our way.

SPEAKER_02 57:55

You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 57:56

And you would like to be able to do it.

SPEAKER_02 57:57

She looked at Mio yesterday, hitting the crossbar, and I thought, oh gosh, and those it's those and those fine margins, but look at Armad will always be you you're always going to put them there as a there or thereabout. You know, this year it was lovely that it was very much the underdog with Louds, with West Mead, with Russ Common, then Mio, um, this is the year of the underdog. Next year could be the year of the orange. Well, the year of the orange man I was gonna say, but hopefully not in Scotland, because seemly they're coming now, and Derek McGuinness is not gonna become runner up next year. He's gonna be a winner. Look at this for him as again. Exactly. Listen, James, I could talk forever with you. You know, um you see yourself on the sideline and you see James Daly and he's so passionate that. But you know, I did say it to you that deep down there, there's this big softy in there.

SPEAKER_01 58:45

Yeah, look at Carol, Carol, um Carol, my chairwoman over in cabin.

unknown 58:51

I can I can't remember her last name. Um Carol Carol always said that to me.

SPEAKER_01 58:55

She's took James, you you you you know, you're roaring uh like a lion. She's but at the uh at the back of it all you're a lamb. And uh and like we used to laugh about it. Um uh Carol Kieran. Um and uh and like I I yeah, I'm very passionate about the games and he's I want uh I want my team to win, I want my team to play well. Um but at the same time th these are a bunch of amateurs that you're dealing with, and you have to try and you know bring them along and and and be the right guy. I've I've definitely softened on that end of it in the last in in the last five or six years. Um you know, um I'm out funny we had a game a couple of weeks ago and we were playing Waterford in in a in a game and I I nearly got myself in trouble because I was out arguing with the referee at halftime, calls he made.

SPEAKER_00 59:42

Um and he actually apologized to me and I he he apologised to me and said to me, no, I may have got that wrong.

unknown 59:48

Um and it's the new rules. I love the new rules, but everybody's still learning them. Yeah. And I will always go I'll always go to bat for the girls.

SPEAKER_01 59:55

Sometimes he gives funny car and can, but they won't part of my background can was gonna kill me at halftime and she seemed he was gonna give us a 20-minute three against us. I love it. Uh I'm always gonna fight for my players. I'm there to represent the players. Um, it's a lot harder for them um to say I think. Um but it's it's uh that's that's that's what I like to do. I like to to to uh I I I can be tough, I can be loud, I can I don't I'm not as loud as I used to be, but um but I still love it, love it every bit as much.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:24

You sound like me.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:25

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:26

Whatever it is. Look at James, go off. I'm sure myself and yourself will be chatting during the season with um our boys at Anfield and our boys um at uh Celtic Park, and also enjoy your trip to Chicago. And uh you have to take that uh you kiddie dune bypass because you're always welcome down to that.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:44

That's right. Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:46

Take care of yourself.