O'Hanlon Cathal
October 16, 1992
NAME: Cathal O'Hanlon
DATE OF BIRTH: 3/3/71
HEIGHT: 5' 10"
WEIGHT: 14st
CLUB: Clan na Gael
COUNTY: Louth
HONOURS: Two county championships and three county leagues
INTER COUNTY DEBUT: versus Meath, National Football League Quarter Final 1987
PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Bank of Ireland, Carrickmacross
TOUGHEST OPPONENT: All are tough
FAVOURITE GROUNDS: St. Brigids Park, Dundalk
FAVOURITE POSITION: Corner forward
SPORTING AMBITION: To win an All-Ireland
DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS? Soccer, rugby
BOYHOOD HEROES: Paudie O'Shea, Jack O'Shea
FAVOURITE PLAYERS: Eamon McMahon (Blayney Faughs)
BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: My father
WAYS OF IMPROVING THE GAME: Improving referees
DISLIKES ABOUT THE GAA: Ticket allocation for important matches
BEST GAME SEEN: 1977, Dublin versus Kerry (All-Ireland semi)
HOPES FOR 1993: To finish in top two in our National Football League division. To get to Leinster Final and not to get injured
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR CLUB: Our club was founded in 1916 by a few of the local lads in Castletown where most of the present team come from or have relations there. We have large clubrooms, a social hall and a playing field situated just off the Castletown Road, on what's locally called 'The Ecco Road'
CLANS WERE OBVIOUSLY UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE GOING INTO THOSE GAMES WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURS FROM THE GAELS. AFTER ALL, YOU SUPPLY OVER ONE THIRD OF THE PRESENT LOUTH COUNTY TEAM AND HAD LOST OUT IN THE LAST TWO COUNTY FINALS, DESPITE STARTING AS WARM FAVOURITES: True, but we were only beaten by two scores in both finals. We have got a big representation on the county team and are always under a little pressure but we have to live with that
THE ATMOSPHERE AMONG GAA FANS IN DUNDALK PRIOR TO THOSE TWO FINALS MUST HAVE BEEN ELECTRIC: True, especially since it was the Gaels first final in forty years and they were the underdogs. We all know each other well and specialise in the same areas
WHO ARE THE OTHER CLAN NA GAEL COUNTY MEN? Peter Fitzpatrick, Niall O'Donnell, Stefan White, Kevin and Seamus O'Hanlon
OF COURSE, KEVIN AND SEAMUS O'HANLON ARE BROTHERS: True
THE O'HANLONS ARE A WELL KNOWN SPORTING FAMILY, KEVIN AND SEAMUS HAVE QUITE A COLLECTION OF OTHER AWARDS: We did play a lot of sports when we were younger. Kevin won numerous boxing medals which included two All-Ireland medals. He also has All-Ireland medals for athletics. Seamus likewise has two All-Irelands which he also won at the Community Games in Mosney, Co. Meath
ARE THERE ANY OTHER O'HANLONS READY TO WEAR THE WEE COUNTY COLOURS? Well, I have a brother called Brian who is 14 years old and is almost six foot, so he is shaping up well and is very keen
THREE GOALS IN THE LOUTH REPLAYED FINAL AGAINST GAELS - YOU MUST HAVE BEEN HAPPY WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE: Yes, especially since I have been criticised by most of the local media for bad performances in the Leinster Championship
YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY DO WELL IN THE LEINSTER CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP: Yes, we have got a quarter final match with either Longford or Wexford. We are preparing well for this match, so hopefully it will go well for us
BY NOW, YOU MUST HAVE BUILT UP QUITE A RELATIONSHIP ON THE FIELD OF PLAY WITH CLUB AND COUNTY ATTACKING TEAM MATE, STEFAN WHITE: Stefan has come to our club and done very well. We get on fine and hopefully we can 'click' together on the field come the championship next summer
STEVE STAUNTON, THE PRESENT ASTON VILLA AND IRELAND FULL BACK, PLAYED FOR CLANS IN A COUNTY FINAL: Steve played all his football with us and unfortunately for Louth, he was snapped up before he got a run with Louth. He played with us in the 1985 final versus Roche Emmets and scored the only goal of the game
STEVE STILL TURNS UP AT MANY CLANS AND LOUTH MATCHES: Yes, Steve tries to get home at least for the important matches and always watches for our results both with club and county
THE STAUNTON BROTHERS ARE ALSO INVOLVED WITH CLANS: David and Thomas played with us this year in the final. Both are very promising players and are unlucky not to be involved with the county team
QUITE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTIES REGARD DUNDALK AS A SOCCER TOWN. THIS IS HARDLY TRUE, WITH SIX THRIVING GAA CLUBS IN THE TOWN? True, Dundalk has been known so, but nowadays things are different and with the soccer side not doing well, gaelic has taken over as can be seen through crowds at matches
PEOPLE TELL US YOU WERE A MORE THAN USEFUL SOCCER PLAYER AND HAD TRIALS WITH GLASGOW CELTIC: Yes, this happened in 1987 when I was playing soccer with the local schoolboys. I also had trials with Liverpool and Man. City. However, i felt I may have been a little young and things didn't materialise
MANY FELT THIS SUMMER THAT LOUTH WERE JUST TWO OR THREE PLAYERS SHORT OF WINNING A LEINSTER CHAMPIONSHIP. ONE SUCH PLAYER COULD BE DAVY MCDONNELL, WHO LOOKED A VERY PROMISING PLAYER PRIOR TO A BAD INJURY A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK. DAVY HAS MADE A COMEBACK AND WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE, ESPECIALLY IN THE DRAWN FINAL FOR GAELS: Davy is a fine player and his injury jinx seemed to have cleared up and hopefully he can show the same form for Louth which he showed for Gaels this year
LOUTH HAD AN IMPRESSIVE LEINSTER CHAMPIONSHIP. ARE YOU TRAINING FOR THE FORTHCOMING NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE? Yes, the Clans and Gaels players have just returned to the panel which has been preparing for a few weeks previous to this. We had a nice little run in the championship but a very poor league last year and we hope to improve on this
AGAIN, YOU GOT THE HARDER PORTION OF THE 1993 LEINSTER CHAMPIONSHIP: Well, this is true but at the rate of things, any draw in any section is going to be tough as no longer is there an easy championship side. We have Laois again this year which is not new, but as in all our matches in the past few years, it will be close
CAN LOUTH BRIDGE THAT 36 YEAR GAP AND CAPTURE THAT ELUSIVE CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE SUMMER? We are hopeful and if we get a good run in the league and confidence is high, who knows?
Taken from Hogan Stand magazine
16th October 1992
Vol 2 No 77
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