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John Twomey – still defending his patch

The recently appointed GAA Chief Superintendent at Blanchardstown can lay claim to a bit of sporting fame. The man in question is John Twomey and he is the only man to captain the Dublin senior hurling team in a Leinster hurling final since the county’s last provincial victory back in 1961. For good measure he managed this feat twice, in 1990 and again the following year when Dublin came within a whisker of making the breakthrough. Far from the madding crowd – Former Dublin star John Twomey in his Blanchardstown office

These were among the high points of a lengthy career in the sky blue jersey which began as a minor back in 1979 and finished in the mid ‘90s after more than a decade as a regular. The bulk of his Dublin career came in the half-back-line but he also had stints at midfield and - in latter years - in the forwards. During his time he came under the influence of a number of managers and speaks very highly of them now that he looks back.

“The first manager I had with Dublin was Jimmy Boggin from the Crumlin club. He was manager for a good few years in the 1980s and he did some amount of work for Dublin hurling. He was involved with the county board as well and lived for it really.”

During these years came what John describes as the blackest day of his career and one of the blackest in the entire history of the GAA in Dublin. It was during a National League game in November 1985 against Laois in Croke Park that the young Good Counsel player, Paul Mulhere was struck accidentally as he blocked down a shot from a Laois player. Paul died three days later.

“It is one of those things that puts sport into perspective. It was a terrible time for everyone especially Paul’s family of course but also for the Laois player involved. One of those freak things that happens and certainly the lowest point.”

It is with great affection and enthusiasm that John speaks of his time under the management of Lar Foley who took over as Dublin manager in the late 1980s and presided over an immediate resurgence in the county’s fortunes with the Dublin reaching the 1989 League semi-final before bowing out narrowly to Galway. Lar himself, of course, was not stranger to success and high ambition having won two All-Ireland senior football medals and played in the 1961 hurling final also. This ambition rubbed off on John and the rest of the players.

“I was captain around that time and I had a great relationship with Lar. He was great for the team and really upped the intensity of it all. With a little bit of luck here or there we really could have done something. I know you make your own luck to a large degree but you need the bounce of the ball on occasion and perhaps we didn’t get that. But Lar did a terrific job with us.”

Dublin made headlines for the wrong reasons on one occasion during those years when they played Wexford in a draw and replay in the 1994 championship in Kilkenny. The game was what might be euphemistically described as a torrid affair in which four players were sent to the line. That the four players were sent off in separate incidents underlines the consistent ferocity of the exchanges and the frayed tempers.

John smilingly refers to it as “not your everyday dispute” but says that he has never considered inter-county hurling a dirty game. “Obviously it is a full contact sport and can be very physical. But that’s the way people want it, both players and spectators. But certainly I couldn’t say it is dangerous or dirty. Take our match that is mentioned here – that’s thirteen years ago and with the possible exception of the skirmish between Cork and Clare this year, I can’t recall any major incident over those years. That’s not a bad record for any sport but especially one that is naturally physical anyway.”

Like any inter-county player, regrets – as the songs says – he’s had a few. Chief among them are two Leinster Final defeats. Dublin beat Wexford in the 1990 semi-final before losing to Offaly in the final. A year later Dublin ended Offaly’s three-year reign as Leinster champions but were edged out in the Leinster Final against Kilkenny.

“We had the chances that day, without a doubt. I remember Seanie McDermott bearing down on goal when we were a point down and it just didn’t happen for him and from the subsequent attack they scored and we went from being level to two points down which in that game was crucial. Then I remember a long range free just bouncing the wrong side of the posts. When you are trying to make a breakthrough you need those little breaks.”

John played his club hurling with Erin’s Isle winning a county medal in 1983 - the same year he joined An Garda Síochána – and achieved a notable dual feat in also winning a football medal ten years later. Mention of dual feats brings us nicely on to John’s hurling pedigree. It could hardly go further back as he explains.

“My grand-father was from a little place in Cork called Aghabullogue. Tom Twomey was his name. In those days the club champions represented the county and he was a member of the team that won the hurling All-Ireland for Cork that year.”

That was a year of a Cork double as a Midleton selection won the football title and of course it was repeated - with remarkable regard for anniversaries – one hundred years later when the Rebel County again achieved this feat. In same year John returned to his grand-father’s native area to play in a match commemorating the 1890 achievement. The Cork connection obviously has left its mark as when asked what hurlers he admired growing up he quickly speaks of Gerald and Justin McCarthy and the great Cork team of 1976-78.

While he may work in Blanchardstown he lives on the southside of the city where his children are now involved with the Cuala club - something he talks enthusiastically about. “When I finished hurling I hardly touched the sport for about three years. I pursued other things and I think I needed that break after being so heavily involved for so long. But then when children come along it drags you back in. I managed an area team from this part of the city which played in the Dublin championship last year so I am involved at a number of levels at this stage.”

He is optimistic about the future of Dublin hurling. “I certainly would be upbeat about it. I remember going down to Nowlan Park last year to see the seniors play Wexford and I thought Dublin did all the hurling but lost narrowly and probably undeservedly in the end. But only for that Dublin would have been in Leinster finals at all three grades - minor, under-21 and senior - last year.

“But I see it over in Cuala too. The amount of young people hurling there is huge, and this is south Dublin which wouldn’t be a hurling heartland by any means. It is strong rugby territory. I think the GAA has little to fear from other sports as the product the GAA has is too good.”

John was appointed to Blanchardstown last October and says that the Garda Síochana has been good to him. He spent a couple of years working in the training college at Templemore and is now back closer to his native heath. He cites the camaraderie of the Gardaí as a strong point and says that it is has a great sporting side to it as well. “It may have its critics as an organisation from time to time but fundamentally it does a great job.”

John Twomey as he did on the field many times does an impressive job in defending his colleagues.

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