NAME: Brian O'Connor DATE OF BIRTH: 10/7/72 HEIGHT: 6' WEIGHT: 12st 7lb CLUB: Fr. Manning Gaels COUNTY: Longford HONOURS: North Leinster with Moyne Community College Senior Division 2, Under 14 League, Feile & Championship INTER-COUNTY DEBUT: 1991 v Louth PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Longford Post Office TOUGHEST OPPONENT: Paddy O'Rourke FAVOURITE GROUNDS: Ennis, Co. Clare FAVOURITE POSITION: Midfield SPORTING AMBITION: To lift Sam DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS: Long jump, high jump, soccer BOYHOOD HEROES: Jack O'Shea and Pat Spillane BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: Declan Rowley BEST GAME SEEN: 1977 All-Ireland semi final, Dublin v Kerry PLAYERS WITH A PROMISING FUTURE: Patrick Davis, Fr. Manning Gaels HOPES FOR 1993: Do well in Leinster and win Under 21 Club Championship TELL US ABOUT YOUR CLUB FR. MANNING GAELS: Fr. Manning Gaels was formed in 1969. Up until that year it was called Drumlish FC. It celebrated it's centenary year in 1984. We are currently in third place in the League Division 1 Senior. We are in the Under 21 Championship final and have a very strong minor team who will be out to win the Championship for Drumlish for the first time ever YOUR HOME TOWN OF DRUMLISH WAS MADE FAMOUS BY DECLAN NERNEY'S SONG THE 'MARQUEE' IN DRUMLISH. HAS DERMOT ANY GAA CONNECTIONS WITH THE AREA: Dermot is a good supporter of the GAA. He often plays at functions to raise money for the club and has a good interest in the parish in general FR. MANNING GAELS ARE THROUGH TO THE 1993 LONGFORD UNDER 21 FINAL: Yes, there's a good buzz around Drumlish at the moment. It's been 10 years since we won the Under 21 Championship and we don't intend to let this chance slip without a huge effort from everyone involved. We are training very hard at the moment and we are all looking forward to a very tough game from Slashers. It was also Slashers who we beat in the final 10 years ago CLUB SUPPORTERS TELL US YOU ENJOYED A FANTASTIC GAME IN THE SEMI-FINAL: Well, I wouldn't agree with that, it was probably the fact that I had just got in from Florida the day before and nobody knew what to expect after being away for seven months. So they were probably just glad to see me home YOU HAVE PLAYED FOR LONGFORD AT EVERY LEVEL: I have played for Longford at every level from Under 14 to Senior but I only managed to play one year at each underage level until Under 21. I have played four years at Under 21 level. I was never good enough to make an underage team two years in a row. So if you don't make it this year try again next year, never give up trying YOU ATTENDED THE LOCAL MOYNE C.S. THE TEACHERS THERE ARE DOING GREAT WORK WITH REGARDS GAA COACHING AND GENERAL INTEREST IN THE GAME: Moyne is full of sporting activity, especially GAA. Moyne have four football pitches and are involved in competitions for every age group, male and female YOU ARE A BIT OF A ROVER. BORN IN ENGLAND, REARED IN DRUMLISH BUT YOU ARE OFF TO WORK IN AMERICA ONCE LONGFORD AND FR. MANNING GAELS ARE OUT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP: Yes, I'm going back but I'm sure within a few years (when I finish college) I'll be back in Longford and trying to get back on the county team EMIGRATION HAS BADLY HIT YOUR AREA OF NORTH LONGFORD: Yes, it's been very bad in the last decade. We won the Under 21 Championship in '83 and only one player remains on the senior team today (James Breslin). The rest of the team all emigrated HAVE YOU ANY TEAM MATES ON THE PRESENT COUNTY SQUAD? Yes, Colin Hanify, he is a nephew of Jimmy Hanify who played on the '66 team for Longford. Also an ex team mate Frank McNamee, he was a Fr. Manning Gaels man but transferred to the civil service in Dublin. But rumour has it that he is coming back to Drumlish next year and he will be a great boost to the club ANY FORMER LONGFORD GREATS FROM THE AREA: Richie Culhane played with St. Mel's of Longford and went on to play with Louth for a number of years, he is now playing with Longford Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 14th May 1993 Vol 3 No 19 Tweet

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