Padraig McGarrigle Donegal Dual Player Therapist and Radio Broadcaster. Almost four years after the event Padraig McGarrigle still gets emotional when he thinks of Donegal's victory in the 1992 All-Ireland final. It was a dream come true, like winning the Lotto, and somehow words are inadequate to describe how he felt when Anthony Molloy held the Sam Maguire aloft that pleasant September afternoon. Padraig had followed the Donegal football team for over thirty years and was beginning to wonder if he would ever see the day when the famous trophy would be carried over the bridge of Ballyshannon. As a schoolboy he had heard his teacher - a Kerryman - saying that someday it would happen but Padraig could be forgiven for wondering if that prediction was a mite too optimistic. False dawns had appeared from time to time only to be blotted out by the dark clouds of reality. In the early 1960s Padraig played minor and Under 21 football for Donegal and also turned out for the Senior county hurling team. "They were stuck so they asked me to stand in the corner", he modestly says. He went on to win a Senior county title with Ballyshannon club Aodh Ruadh in the swinging sixties (they then operated under the name St. Josephs, as they were amalgamated with Bundoran) and played football in Meath, Cork and Dublin. He remains as passionate as ever about football (particularly Donegal football), was a key figure in setting up the Donegal Supporters club and remains the Chairman of the Dublin branch. Padraig is a resident of Lucan, an area found on the western fringes of the capital, and it is from there he runs his own transport company - Grayline Transport - which is involved in the completion of two main contracts. "We have a contract with Finches, the drinks distributors and also with Donal Flanagan and company who are the distributors for Burtons Biscuits", he adds. In his spare time Padraig practices as a sports massage therapist and it is in that area he is gaining a growing reputation. The number of people and teams he has worked with makes for impressive reading and includes the All-Blacks Rugby team, the Down and Offaly Senior football sides and the Donegal Ladies football squad. Sports injuries have spawned a whole new industry and Padraig treats people for a variety of muscle strains and tears. It is some time now since the Donegalman discovered he had an intuitive skill in detecting tensions and strains in muscles and curing them. He has since cultivated this natural talent with various courses in massage therapy, reflexology (described in the Oxford Dictionary as "a therapy based on the application of pressure to reflex points on the feet, hands and head used to relieve tension and treat illness") and bio-energy therapy which involves the relief of tension by breaking through the magnetic field surrounding the body. Padraig has also worked with teams in preparing themselves mentally for big games, ensuring "their frame of mind is right for the big occasion". Padraig's own positive attitude has seen him succeed in a number of occupations. Born in Ballyshannon he attended school locally before going on to complete a course in agricultural science in Warrentown College in Meath. He joined Erin Foods as an agricultural advisor and went on from there to take up a position with Golden Vale in Charleville in County Cork and increased his educational qualifications by completing a diploma in dairy science in U.C.C. From there it was on to work as a sales rep with Case, David Browne Machinery moving up to become manager of the company in Dublin. Finally, he set up Grayline Transport and hasn't looked back since. Padraig describes himself as a "G.A.A. man, heart and soul, my life is centred around gaelic games". As a youngster he showed himself to be a footballer of considerable ability, good enough to gain selection for the Donegal Minors and Under 21s. The Ballyshannon/Bundoran amalgamation of St. Josephs won the Donegal County title in the mid 1960s with Padraig McGarrigle in the side: among his team mates were two of Donegal's best known players of modern times Brian McEniff, Pauric McShea and Mickey McLoone, who he regards still as one of the finest footballers ever produced by Donegal. St. Josephs went on to prove themselves to be among the best in Ulster by winning the provincial Championship in the 1960s. Also, they went on to win the last unofficial All-Ireland Club title. Hurling was another game Padraig enjoyed and he played for the county team for two years. His skill in hurling was matched in his ability to treat injuries; a talent he discovered almost by accident. "I always had the feeling that when somebody got injured I should be helping them and when I stopped playing I remained involved with Lucan Sarsfields, the clubs I ended my career with and found out I had a natural flair for treating injuries and helping people in that way. I started doing courses and I qualified in massage therapy. I later discovered my grandmother had the same capabilities which was very interesting as it is something that clearly runs in the family, it would appear I have healing hands". Padraig finds it hard to explain how exactly the process of healing works. He can sense where the problem in a muscle is and through massaging relieve that tension. "I can sense the area where the tension is, I would know by looking at a muscle whether it is tight or not. Bones are a different proposition altogether, I won't tackle a bone problem", he adds. How did he end up as the masseur to the All-Blacks. "It was during the 1991 World Cup when a few games were held in Ireland. They were looking for somebody and I was asked if I was interested in acting as their masseur, and I am glad I did take up the offer because they were great to work with. Then they played Australia before that I would be inclined to support Australia but I discovered that the rivalry is very much like Ireland against England, with Ireland, like New Zealand, the smaller country. They had a wonderful powerful attitude to their game, they believed they were the best". The Donegal man also worked with Brendan Hackett when he was manager of Offaly. "I am proud of my connection with Offaly, my heart bleeds for them in their current plight. I learned a lot from Brendan as he is a highly qualified psychologist himself". Down and Errigal Ciaran also received the benefit of Padraig's knowledge. He knows how vital a tough mental attitude can be in sport with the proper frame of mind often making the difference between success and failure. "What you want to do is get people thinking in such a way that they won't accept second best. It is like the Olympic athlete who won't accept second place, so he pushes himself on to win the race". In more recent times Padraig has shown his talents in a different area - that of radio commentator. Asked to act as a match analyst for North West Radio for the Dublin, Donegal National League clash last year he has continued to give his views for club and intercounty games. "It is something I enjoy and they keep asking me back so I keep going back. I work closely with Phonsie Travers who is the regular North West Radio commentator. I think local radio promotes G.A.A. at club level in the same way Micheal O'Hehir did on a national basis from the 1940's up the '70's." Padraig is married to Kathleen, a Meath woman, and they have five daughters - Ailish, Caitriona, Michelle, Nessa and Patricia - all of whom are avidly interested in the G.A.A. and play Ladies football and camogie for Lucan Sarsfields. There was question of any rivalry in the McGarrigle household when Donegal played Dublin in the 1992 All-Ireland final, everyone wore the green and gold. Donegal's victory looked unlikely when they were defeated by Dublin in the quarter final of the League a few months before and in a sense losing that game helped us to win the All-Ireland because when we played them in the final there is no doubt they were a little complacent. But we had a very good team which was very well prepared," adds Padraig. The Ballyshannon native is very optimistic about the prospects of the current Donegal team being reconstructed under the watchful eye of P.J. McGowan. The team, he feels, could go on and win the Sam Maguire in the near future. It is something Padraig McGarrigle would dearly love to see but nothing is likely to compare with that unforgettable and emotional victory in 1992. Another ambition close to his heart is to see Lucan Sarsfields win the Dublin Senior Football Champion (a club of which he is a past Chairman) and with Paul Kelly (the former Donegal player) and ex-Meath midfielder Liam Hayes at the helm, he feels this can be achieved in the very near future. Written by the Hogan Stand 5th March 1996 Tweet

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