By Paddy Heaney
First Published March 24, 2009
When the professor of veterinary science at the University of Kentucky performed the autopsy on Secretariat, he discovered that all the horse’s vital organs were normal, except the heart.
Considered by many to be the greatest racehorse ever, Secretariat’s heart weighed 22 pounds. The heart of a normal thoroughbred weighs about eight-and-a-half pounds.
It’s all about the heart.
This was the idea that Adrian McGuckin left with the footballers of St Paul’s, Kilrea as they prepared for the Ulster U16 Vocational Schools final at Casement Park.
It was the first time the school had reached a provincial final. St Paul’s are minnows when compared to their competitors. With a roll count of 307, they are often pitted against rivals with twice, and sometimes three times, as many pupils.
So, when they secured a dramatic extra-time victory over St Malachy’s, Castlewellan in the Ulster semi-final, the three-man management team of Mickey Boyle, Paddy McGurk and Stephen Murtagh left nothing to chance for the Arthurs Cup final.
Realising that Adrian McGuckin, the managerial maestro of colleges’ football, resided in the neighbourhood, they asked him to come and speak to their squad.
‘Big Adrian’ obliged. He arrived with his laptop and powerpoint presentation. New tricks for the old dog, but the message was still the same.
For 40 minutes, the boys sat enraptured under McGuckin’s spell. In earthy tones, they were told to forget about the glory, and to cast aside any silly dreams about beating three men and roofing a long distance pile-driver. Instead, they were told to focus on the basics – taking a catch, securing possession, staying strong in the tackle, finding a man.
Adrian finished his speech by focusing on the heart. When faced with a worthy opponent, who has trained as hard and is just as talented, it can become a test of character. The team with the players who are willing to keep going and suck up the most pain, will emerge triumphant.
The boys hung on every word. Adrian’s presentation ended with an image of a beating heart.
The management team’s preparations only started with McGuckin. Aware that their young players could be distracted by the novelty of a first appearance in Casement Park, they wanted them to get a test run on the west Belfast ground.
Phone calls to Antrim county chairman John McSparran and secretary Frankie Quinn paved the way for a preliminary visit a few days before the final against St Ciaran’s, Ballygawley.
The programme for the day of the final also presented new challenges. St Paul’s had a set routine for their pre-match warm-up. It wasn’t possible to adhere to the usual schedule because their game was preceded by the U14 final.
A new plan was required. Paddy McGurk had a contact at St Gall’s. The Belfast club instantly agreed to allow Kilrea to use their pitch before the game. However, the St Paul’s management still wasn’t sure about the best way to conduct a warm-up under these new conditions.
The players would be running about, then stepping on a bus, before going to sit in a changing room. The weather forecast was also awful. Unsure of how the players could avoid cooling down and stiffening, the management team sought the advice of former Armagh and Derry trainer John McCloskey.
McCloskey provided a detailed itinerary. It was recorded and heeded.
On the day of the final, everything went pretty much to plan. Despite being reduced to 14 men after star forward Gary Keane was sent off, St Paul’s, Kilrea won fairly comfortably.
A first Ulster title for the small Derry school. It’s like Sunderland winning the Premier League.
Obviously, Kilrea are well coached, but their management team would be the first to acknowledge that this group has been successful because it has a bit of bling among the rank-and-file.
That diamond quality was supplied by centre-forward Benny Quigg and full-forward Gary Keane. But Keane was suspended for the All-Ireland semi-final against Clonakilty.
Could the Kilrea boys cope with the loss of Keane’s scoring power against the Munster champions? And would the players be able to reset their sights on an All-Ireland title just a week after creating history for their school?
Paddy McGurk scoured the internet searching for information and old match reports about Clonakilty. Stephen Murtagh rang the local papers in Cork and sweet-talked their sports reporters. The game was in Tullamore so Mickey Boyle recruited Maths teacher James McCormick and put him in charge of logistics. He looked after the hotel and travel arrangements. School caretaker Fergal O’Rawe assumed sole control of the kit.
Despite all this forensic planning, Kilrea started poorly. At one stage, they trailed by five points and Gary Keane wasn’t there to save them. But lads like Joe Morgan, Denver Johnston, Cahal Bradley and Enda McFerran stepped into the breach. Kilrea won with a few points to spare.
Next up was an All-Ireland final against Dunshaughlin Community College – another school that is twice the size of Kilrea. Efforts were redoubled. The players came into school and trained on a holiday. Adrian McGuckin, the veteran of four Hogan Cups, returned to dispense more advice.
Clones was another new venue. Ryan Feeney, a Derry man who works for the Ulster Council, was contacted. He made a call to Mick Ryan, the gatekeeper at Clones.
‘Would St Paul’s, Kilrea be allowed a quick session on St Tiernach’s Park?’
‘Absolutely no problem. Come down whenever it suits.’
Dunshaughlin were a good, honest, proud team. But there was only going to be one winner. Captain Tiernan Rafferty lifted the cup and read an acceptance speech that had been written in advance.
It will take some time before this crop of players from Kilrea, Dunloy, Rasharkin, Slaughtneil, Swatragh, Ballerin and Glenullin appreciate the full scale of their achievement. In due course they will come to realise how and why they progressed so far.
As in the sport of kings, bloodlines, owners, trainers, stable-lads and jockeys play a huge part in getting the horse into the best position on the final straight.
Similarly, the parents, principal, coaches, backroom team, supporters and the wider family of the Ulster GAA helped to prime the St Paul’s boys for every race.
But once on the back straight, the supporting cast disappears.
When the reins tighten to the sound of thundering hooves, it is all about racing eye-to-eye and winning the individual battle of wills.
Such conditions provide their own type of sporting autopsy, so no further tests are required of the lads from St Paul’s, Kilrea.
By winning the Derry, Ulster and All-Ireland titles they have shown that they have the heart – the heart of champions.
For young men preparing for a life beyond the classroom, it should be reassuring to know that this is what is beating inside their chests.
Considered by many to be the greatest racehorse ever, Secretariat’s heart weighed 22 pounds. The heart of a normal thoroughbred weighs about eight-and-a-half pounds.
It’s all about the heart.
This was the idea that Adrian McGuckin left with the footballers of St Paul’s, Kilrea as they prepared for the Ulster U16 Vocational Schools final at Casement Park.
It was the first time the school had reached a provincial final. St Paul’s are minnows when compared to their competitors. With a roll count of 307, they are often pitted against rivals with twice, and sometimes three times, as many pupils.
So, when they secured a dramatic extra-time victory over St Malachy’s, Castlewellan in the Ulster semi-final, the three-man management team of Mickey Boyle, Paddy McGurk and Stephen Murtagh left nothing to chance for the Arthurs Cup final.
Realising that Adrian McGuckin, the managerial maestro of colleges’ football, resided in the neighbourhood, they asked him to come and speak to their squad.
‘Big Adrian’ obliged. He arrived with his laptop and powerpoint presentation. New tricks for the old dog, but the message was still the same.
For 40 minutes, the boys sat enraptured under McGuckin’s spell. In earthy tones, they were told to forget about the glory, and to cast aside any silly dreams about beating three men and roofing a long distance pile-driver. Instead, they were told to focus on the basics – taking a catch, securing possession, staying strong in the tackle, finding a man.
Adrian finished his speech by focusing on the heart. When faced with a worthy opponent, who has trained as hard and is just as talented, it can become a test of character. The team with the players who are willing to keep going and suck up the most pain, will emerge triumphant.
The boys hung on every word. Adrian’s presentation ended with an image of a beating heart.
The management team’s preparations only started with McGuckin. Aware that their young players could be distracted by the novelty of a first appearance in Casement Park, they wanted them to get a test run on the west Belfast ground.
Phone calls to Antrim county chairman John McSparran and secretary Frankie Quinn paved the way for a preliminary visit a few days before the final against St Ciaran’s, Ballygawley.
The programme for the day of the final also presented new challenges. St Paul’s had a set routine for their pre-match warm-up. It wasn’t possible to adhere to the usual schedule because their game was preceded by the U14 final.
A new plan was required. Paddy McGurk had a contact at St Gall’s. The Belfast club instantly agreed to allow Kilrea to use their pitch before the game. However, the St Paul’s management still wasn’t sure about the best way to conduct a warm-up under these new conditions.
The players would be running about, then stepping on a bus, before going to sit in a changing room. The weather forecast was also awful. Unsure of how the players could avoid cooling down and stiffening, the management team sought the advice of former Armagh and Derry trainer John McCloskey.
McCloskey provided a detailed itinerary. It was recorded and heeded.
On the day of the final, everything went pretty much to plan. Despite being reduced to 14 men after star forward Gary Keane was sent off, St Paul’s, Kilrea won fairly comfortably.
A first Ulster title for the small Derry school. It’s like Sunderland winning the Premier League.
Obviously, Kilrea are well coached, but their management team would be the first to acknowledge that this group has been successful because it has a bit of bling among the rank-and-file.
That diamond quality was supplied by centre-forward Benny Quigg and full-forward Gary Keane. But Keane was suspended for the All-Ireland semi-final against Clonakilty.
Could the Kilrea boys cope with the loss of Keane’s scoring power against the Munster champions? And would the players be able to reset their sights on an All-Ireland title just a week after creating history for their school?
Paddy McGurk scoured the internet searching for information and old match reports about Clonakilty. Stephen Murtagh rang the local papers in Cork and sweet-talked their sports reporters. The game was in Tullamore so Mickey Boyle recruited Maths teacher James McCormick and put him in charge of logistics. He looked after the hotel and travel arrangements. School caretaker Fergal O’Rawe assumed sole control of the kit.
Despite all this forensic planning, Kilrea started poorly. At one stage, they trailed by five points and Gary Keane wasn’t there to save them. But lads like Joe Morgan, Denver Johnston, Cahal Bradley and Enda McFerran stepped into the breach. Kilrea won with a few points to spare.
Next up was an All-Ireland final against Dunshaughlin Community College – another school that is twice the size of Kilrea. Efforts were redoubled. The players came into school and trained on a holiday. Adrian McGuckin, the veteran of four Hogan Cups, returned to dispense more advice.
Clones was another new venue. Ryan Feeney, a Derry man who works for the Ulster Council, was contacted. He made a call to Mick Ryan, the gatekeeper at Clones.
‘Would St Paul’s, Kilrea be allowed a quick session on St Tiernach’s Park?’
‘Absolutely no problem. Come down whenever it suits.’
Dunshaughlin were a good, honest, proud team. But there was only going to be one winner. Captain Tiernan Rafferty lifted the cup and read an acceptance speech that had been written in advance.
It will take some time before this crop of players from Kilrea, Dunloy, Rasharkin, Slaughtneil, Swatragh, Ballerin and Glenullin appreciate the full scale of their achievement. In due course they will come to realise how and why they progressed so far.
As in the sport of kings, bloodlines, owners, trainers, stable-lads and jockeys play a huge part in getting the horse into the best position on the final straight.
Similarly, the parents, principal, coaches, backroom team, supporters and the wider family of the Ulster GAA helped to prime the St Paul’s boys for every race.
But once on the back straight, the supporting cast disappears.
When the reins tighten to the sound of thundering hooves, it is all about racing eye-to-eye and winning the individual battle of wills.
Such conditions provide their own type of sporting autopsy, so no further tests are required of the lads from St Paul’s, Kilrea.
By winning the Derry, Ulster and All-Ireland titles they have shown that they have the heart – the heart of champions.
For young men preparing for a life beyond the classroom, it should be reassuring to know that this is what is beating inside their chests.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment