A unique link between Kiltoom and Dingle

It might be hard to imagine that a club based in South Roscommon could be linked with a club deep in the Gaeltacht region of West Kerry ahead of this Sunday's eagerly-anticipated encounter in Croke Park.

However, former Roscommon player and captain of St. Brigid’s championship-winning team of 1997, Tom Óg O’Brien, represents the bridge that links both clubs, which are separated by nearly 300 kilometres.

O’Brien played for Daingean Uí Chúis and West Kerry between 1989 and 1996, scooping a Kerry Senior Championship medal in 1990 with the divisional team.

But he describes his background with Dingle as “accidental.” Having finished college in 1988 — a period where he balanced his studies with playing for Roscommon in both the 1985 and 1986 Connacht finals (along with an appearance from the bench in 1989) — following graduation, limited job opportunities brought him to Dingle of all places.

“There was an interview for a Norwegian company down in Dingle,” Tom Óg told the Roscommon Herald.

“I went down for it, and it was ‘as Gaeilge’. I had another job lined up in London at the same time.

“I didn’t really want to leave (Ireland), but it was a different time. So I said I’d go down to Dingle for six months. While I was there, the manager of the place left and they offered me his job.” 

Tom Óg spent the 1989 season rehabbing a knee injury in Dingle. Then, in 1990, the legendary Páidí O’Sé approached O’Brien to play for the West Kerry team he was managing, and so his playing career with Dingle began.

In his playing time with Dingle, O’Brien became well-accustomed with the near-religious approach to football in Kerry.

“The culture is very strong. There’s no soccer down there, it’s GAA all the way, and it’s not just that — it’s that all the people buy into it. The Sunday when Dingle have a home game, lots of people go to that game from the surrounding community as well.

“And that’s not just Dingle. The West Kerry peninsula, Corca Dhuibhne, starts with Annascaul, Listowel, Castlegregory, then there’s Dingle and an Ghaeltacht (who contested last weekend’s intermediate club final). So the whole GAA culture is very strong.”

Tom Óg still maintains a strong relationship with Dingle to this day, and is close friends with the Geaney family. He attends two or three of their games every year and even joined the celebrations last year when Dingle ended their 77-year county title drought.

When Tom Óg returned to play for St. Brigid’s in 1997, he organised a few challenge games between the clubs in the following years. He has also attempted to organise games between underage teams he was involved with over the years.

While not giving himself the title of a “Gaeilgeoir”, O’Brien said he was “fairly fluent” in Irish from his time in the Kingdom. However, his daughters are both Gaeilgoirs, due in no small part to their attendance in Gaelscoil de hÍde, which he helped to establish.

O’Brien’s connection to the late Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, via his nephew Murt who he played alongside, led to the legendary commentator officially opening the Gaelscoil.

Dingle native Daithí Devane taught in the school for two years and ended up playing for St. Brigid’s, being a panel member of the successful 2011 county title winning team.

Having maintained his link with Dingle and coaching St. Brigid’s underage teams, O’Brien has a unique insight into both sets of players ahead of this weekend.

He has nurtured talented players like Robbie Dolan, Paul McGrath, Seán Turndle, Ruairí Smith, Ruaidhrí Fallon and Shane Cunnane at U-16. But he singles out another of his players, Conor Hand, as crucial to St. Brigid’s success thus far.

“There are different guys putting their hands up on different days (for St. Brigid’s). Conor Hand is improving so much and his confidence is getting better,” noted O’Brien.

His strong relationship with the Geaney family means that O’Brien is also well aware of their talents, describing the five Geaneys involved as the “heartbeat” of the team.

“You have the three brothers — Dylan, Conor and Niall. Dylan was on the Kerry senior team last year and Conor was on the panel.” He also highlighted AFL player Mark O’Connor’s constant improvement as he returns from Geelong for each game, while he also singled out Paul Geaney and Tom O’Sullivan as the key players Brigid’s will need to keep tabs on.

Like most people, O’Brien thinks it will be a close game between two good footballing teams, but he feels that Brigid’s have the slightly stronger defence.

Despite his close links with both clubs, however, he was under no illusion as to who he wanted to win at the weekend.

“People have asked me that but I’m Brigid’s through and through. But if we’re to lose to a club in the country, I’d pick Dingle!

“Let’s just go and have a great weekend, and may the best team win. Whatever happens on the day, I just hope it’s a cracking game,” he concluded.