Kildares bould O'Donoghue Paddy O'Donoghue is hesitant about extolling his own virtues and from past (bad) experience, cautious in his approach to being interviewed. Slightly reluctant to talk about his part in Kildare's win over Donegal, the centre half back nonetheless admits to being delighted with the result, considering every success along the route a bonus. "It hasn't really sunk in yet," he says speaking from his home just outside Johnstown Bridge. With a watchful eye of Emma (his Five year old) as she concentrated on her homework. Paddy was also keeping the two younger ones jane and Owen) occupied, when I arrived. Amused by the opinion of people in general as to his age, in some instances being on record as having reached 35, the (just gone) 33 year old maths and economics teacher says this is because of the nUmber of years which he has spent playing for his county. Fifteen years on the Senior side, the six foot plus O'Donoghue began, by playing Under-age with Johnstown Bridge. Playing Minor and U-21 for the county, he won two provincial medals in '75 (Kildare came from 9 points down entering the final quarter to oust a Colm O'Rourke inspired Meath) and '76 respectively. While at U.C.D. Paddy was part of the winning Sigerson cup teams and was successful at club level also. Johnstown Bridge won the Intermediate championship in '78 and were promoted. They won the Senior League in '80,'85 and '87 and the Championship in '83,'88 and '89. " Our biggest asset is that the club is very small, its very tightly knit and we are fortunate in that all our Underage levels are excellent," the long standing player remarks. The Meath border man is far too modest to admit that the O'Donoghue clan, including Eamonn who acted for a spell-as Lilywhite senior manager and younger brother Barry who played for the League finalists not long ago were at the engine room of this winning run. Paddy helped out with the Minors in the club from the early '80's and went on doing so for nearly eight years. "I wasn't involved in training, it was mainly organising the players for matches and that sort of thing." No doubt he succeeded in passing on some of his knowledge and experience of the game to the young players. A talent for training certainly exists proof manifesting itself in the form of a win in the Leinster Championship for his school, Edenderry's Senior B team, in their first year under his direction. A fact which the coach omitted when passing on this information is that the victor~ came after a sterile 18 years. In the eyes of the players he is~ hero, a tit1e he wears uneasily, happier being considered in less glowing terms. Two of those players have expressed the general feeling towards their teacher by saying, "He showed me how a trainer can have such an influence on how a team performs and he is a man who has gained great impact from the group of players (Richard Harnett), and Micko himself should go down well together. He is a man with tremendous know how and a great love of the game," (Gerald Crosbie). A colleague in the school, English teacher, John Osbome, says you should have seen the delight on the players faces when they won the title, it was marvellous." And referring to Kildare's success, "everyone on the staff is thrilled after all the effort Paddy put in, it is really great to see him getting recognition having been on the side for so many years." This feeling is re-inforced by Paddy's wife Eileen who incidentally is a sister of county corner-back, Davy Dalton, and who comments, "he has always been very dedicated, at no point did he feel like throwing in the towel, it is wonderful to have got this far and it shows that all the effort has been worthwhile." Again the man who has experienced regular inter-provincial activity over the past decade or so takes this new found success in his stride. "The two matches came so quickly together you don't appreciate that you're into a League Final. Having beaten Kerry it was a bonus to be there, there was no pressure on the team going into the match, and they way we won it was great." Being relegated to Division 3 was for Paddy, one of the lowest points of his career and unwilling to take anything for granted, is circumspect about making any predictions for the future. "When you go this far you want to keep going as far as you can, despite the euphoria we have a very difficult game ahead of us between either Louth or Longford on the 9th June, we still have to beat them and it won't be easy." This Kildare team is very well supported. Hundreds now attend training session and practically every household in the county will have a representative in Croke Park this Sunday. Interest in the side is at an all time high. Optimism and enthusiasm is once again present in Kildare football. Mick O'Dwyer has been the catalyst to fuel this increased excitement, being such a high profile trainer. "By the very fact of him being our trainer there is new interest in the county definitely," says Paddy. "Last September at the County Final there were over 10,000 people there to see him being officially introduced." As to his effect on the players, Paddy feels "that his influence has already began to show. The excitement has carried on and has filtered down to the players and is having a very positive effect all round." Surprised to have got on so well in the League, the teams primary concern only a few short months ago at Christmas, was to retain their position in Division 2. "Getting the points to stay there was our sole aim and we just went out and played every match as it came, we were there to play football and that's what we did," says unassuming Paddy. He derives a lot of pleasure from training for~ and playing the game he has enjoyed alt his life. "When you get to this level, and you're with a successful club at so you only really have time to concentrate on one sport." With his teaching, his growing family and his game, time is limited. Paddy doesn't enjoy discussing his earlier success or indeed speculating when he is likely to hang up his boots. Being more concerned with the here and now, the Bridge man prefers to live for the moment. His brother Ritchie, a teacher in Mullingar and who trained the local Shamrocks to a county title last September and their subsequent shock beating of fancied Navan O'Mahoneys, describes him as being difficult to get to know, but extremely friendly when you do. Paddy rates travelling around the country ("at the wrong time of the year") meeting people as one of the pluses attached to playing. A no-nonsense character who doesn't see the need to justify himself, it is plain that his service to the game and his alt round successful involvement speaks for itself. The flags are already out in Johnstown Bridge. White ones for Paddy O'Donoghue and Kildare. But this time there will be no surrender. - MARGARET RENNICKS. Taken from Hogan Stand 3rd May 1991 Tweet

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