Super Sub Paddy Downey The St. Brigids Clubman who made a stunning impact on the All-Ireland final of 1963 The crowd on Hill 16 were going wild with ecstacy, a deafening crescendo of noise filling the Croke Park arena as the Dublin supporters amongst the 87,106 official attendance toasted a memorable 1-9 to 0-10 victory over the Tribesmen in the premier fixture on Ireland's sporting calendar. The year was 1963, it was September, and the most prestigious game of the Gaelic football season had just concluded with the Dubs being crowned All-Ireland champions for the seventeenth time in the history of the competition. The exhilarating performance of the team of '63 meant that the tone had been set and the celebrations were going to continue around the banks of the Liffey for many's a night. From the comparative peaceful tranquillity of the dressing room Paddy Downey could decipher the smothered din of festivities which reached his ears, sneaking down the tunnel and through the hazy fabric of the towel he had draped over his sweat-coated head. Downey's appearance in the final as a replacement for the injured Paddy Holden had been the decisive factor in swinging things Dublin's way, the St. Brigid's star exuding great class as his strength and skill combined to quench the contribution of Galway's Mattie McDonagh from the moment his studs their mark on the Croker turf. Despite his crucial contribution on that never-to-be-forgotten day, Downey didn't loiter around after the match wallowing in the acclaim of the Dublin faithful. You see, Paddy Downey is a man to whom the simple things in life appeal. He retired to the dressing room, placed a towel over his head and lit up his pipe, savouring the moment in his own inimitable manner. The memory of Paddy Downey coming into the fray in the centre back position and turning things around is something which will not be easily forgotten in our capital city. Of course, it wasn't always in the defence that he excelled. He played almost exclusively in a midfield role for the St. Brigid's club in Blanchardstown for whom he played between 1947 and 1982, save for a brief spell with St. Patrick's Palmerstown ('78 -'81) although he occupied many different positions for Dubs, Downey was essentially a midfielder, the fact that he lined out a centrefield for the 1963 quarter-final against Meath putting his excellent performance in the Championship final into perspective. The latter day utility man also on occasion took up centre half back, corner back and even full forward duties. Even though it is his exploits in the '63 final which will ensure that he gets a place in G.A.A. folklore, Paddy also took part, albeit briefly, in the '58 decider. He was a resident midfielder with Sean Murray during the League Campaign that year, but didn't play in the Championship until the final. He recalls coming on with fifteen minutes remaining and receiving a welcoming box on the jaw! " 1963 was a different story though. I played in all our Championship matches except the semi-final against Down, which suited me as I had got married the week before. For the final I was sub, Holden got injured and I had to come on. I played the best game of my life at just the right time. It was regarded at the time as being a superbly fast game. I remember going onto the field as a very determined 28 year old. I knew I had to mark McDonagh who was having a star match. I never saw or heard the crowd. There was a ball out there that I had to get my hand on." The rest, as they say, is history. But perhaps a little more than history to Paddy Downey, his team-mates and the legion of Dublin supporters who packed Croke Park to capacity that heady afternoon in mid-autumn. The limited degree of success with which Downey met at club level was modest when compared with the two All-Ireland medals he picked up in the sky blue jersey. He won Intermediate and Junior Leagues with St. Brigid's and helped the club reach Senior status by winning the 1958 Intermediate Championship. The former player has very little involvement with football these days. "As a club St. Brigid's are huge now. They have fine premises and fine grounds. But I'm really too busy to get involved," he explains. Apart from his work commitments as Managing Director at the Evo-stick in Swords, Paddy confesses to being a "fly-fishing addict". He also likes to stay fit and gives himself to a lot of training, working out as frequently as four or five nights a week during the winter months. The fitness fanatic made his Senior Championship debut in the 1957 Leinster final against a Louth team which was to go on and win the Championship outright. People in the Wee County still harp back to '57 to find the last time their footballers made any impact. After winning the All-Ireland final, Downey and the team of '63 went on to record a victory in the home final of the following year's National League before losing out to New York in the State. The St. Brigid's man's Gaelic football career gave him the opportunity to see a bit of the world, at a time when cars were a luxury and not a necessity. In the swinging sixties a trip to America wasn't quite the formality it is during these technically efficient times where a man can freely roam around the face of the moon checking out the contents of the numerous craters. Football provided the Dublin player with a very memorable visit to New York and he also availed of the opportunity to see Dallas, Texas and Florida. His footballing days also brought him on numerous journeys to London. "Thirty years ago was a time when people didn't travel very much. Even going down to the likes of Cahirciveen was a real excursion," he points out. 1963 final apart, there is another match which sticks out vividly in Downey's sharp memory. It was a 1958 League match in Ballinasloe, the opposition being provided once again by the Tribesmen. At the offset of the match snow began to fall and after seventy minutes the pitch was bathed in a blanket of white. Dublin's midfield that snowy day comprised of Paddy Downey and Jim Crowley (a player Paddy holds in very high esteem) and they were up against Galway's Frank Ivers, possibly the best midfield man in the country at the time. the versatile former Dublin player played for his county as a Minor in 1953, the Dubs going down to his bogey team Louth, in the provincial semi-final. He then played Junior football for Dublin for a couple of years, collecting a Leinster Junior Championship medal. He won an O'Byrne Cup medal in 1956 during his first stint on the Dublin Senior team. As a player Paddy had the honour of playing alongside some of the great names in Dublin's football. He feels particularly privileged to have played alongside fellow midfielders of the calibre of Jim Crowley. Cathal O'Leary (who has a lot to say about security in Dail Eireann these days as captain of the Guards), Des Foley and 'Yank' Murray. Murray and Downey formed what was regarded as the best midfield partnership in the county during the 1958 League campaign before the 'Yank' vanished entirely from the inter-county scene. Amongst the best players he came up against during the course of his career he lists Galway's Mattie McDonagh and Frank Ivers, Kildare's Larry McCormack and former St. Brigid's captain Johnney Brophy (who played his county football for Carlow, a forward who Downey believes didn't get the recognition he deserved). Like many other notable sportsmen Downey didn't confine his exploits solely to those of a G.A.A. nature. He displayed great prowess as a boxer at underage level, winning a Junior Championship and Dublin Leagues. He found himself in the position of having to choose between boxing and his studies. Boxing got the proverbial boot and Paddy ventured instead into the fascinating but complex worlds of chemistry and physics. In his time the Gaelic footballer also dabbled in a bit of soccer and rugby. Paddy currently resides in Palmerstown with his wife and family and describes himself as "a happy family man". He is married to Ina and has two daughters, Cliodhna and Aoife, one son, Fergal. Fergal Downey is presently completing a PHD in Chemical Engineering at Cornell University in upstate New York. Although his busy schedule has deprived him of the time to go and see Dublin in action for the past couple of years Paddy remains a committed follower, taking every available opportunity to watch the Dubs on T.V. or read about Pat O'Neill's team. "Last year was very disappointing. In the Donegal/Mayo semi-final you couldn't pick between the two teams. Then Donegal came up with a superb performance in the final". Downey felt that the Dubs were looking very impressive this year until they came up against a defiant and immovable Derry on Sunday. Dublin won't win the All-Ireland the year - but few people will forget the heroics of Paddy Downey and the team of '63. Written by the Hogan Stand Magazine 27 / 08 / '93 Tweet

Most Read Stories