O'Reilly, Seamus
March 14, 1997SERVED DONEGAL AND MAYO FOOTBALL WELL
Connacht football re-emerged from the shadows of their more illustrious counterparts in 1996 courtesy of the heroics of Noel Connelly and his Mayo comrades. Munster and Ulster were forced to take a back seat as the champions of the West prepared to do battle with the Royal brigade from Meath. Long regarded the poor relation in footballing circles, its representatives took the championship by storm and in the process dismissed claims of inferiority as rubbish writes Shane O'Brien.
The whole of Ireland (barr of course Meath) rowed in behind the men from Mayo with their full support. The scenery the men from Mayo with their full support. The scenery on All-Ireland day, the college of green and red was enough to make even the heartless of neutral tremble with excitement.
Watching from the comfort of the Cusack Stand, ex-Mayo stalwart Seamus O'Reilly would have given the proverbial right leg to be out amidst the thick of the action. Settling for a supporters role instead, the 43 year old as in his playing days was not found wanting in his respects.
Talking to the Hogan Stand from his home in Bundoran, Seamus was quietly surprised with what he saw unfolding before his eyes. "I must admit to have been pleased with the performance of Mayo, particularly the first day. They completely outplayed Meath and really should have won.
John Maughan had them focussed to a tee and they were extremely unlucky.
"The melee had a big bearing on the result in the replay. I would have to question the referee's judgement in sending off Liam Mchale. In the drawn game a fracas developed under the new stand but he took no action. He created a precedent for the replay. But in saying that he had to send someone off but I cant for the life of me understand how he singled out McHale. Maybe if he had sent John McDermott off as well it would have evened things up a bit", opines O'Reilly.
"Fair play to Meath however they kept plugging away. I think their experience in Croke park over the last ten year or so was vital. They had one or two forwards who could sneak scores. Mayo had no forward they could rely on at crucial time when the chips were down".
Seamus joined the ranks of the Garda Siochana in 1974. On his graduation from Templemore Training College he served in Lifford, Co Donegal. After nine months he was transferred to the seaside resort of Bundoran and has been ensconced in picturesque town ever since. In 1986 he was promoted to Sergeant and first served in Pettigo before returning to bundoran a year later.
A prosperous underage career in Mayo began with Ballina club, Ardnaree. He lined out for their Under 16 and minor teams as there was no club in his native Lacken at the time. "Joe Collins and I Travelled from Lacken to play for Ardanaree." A team mate of O'Reilly's at the Ballina club was Johnny Culkin who was later to accompany him on far greater conquests.
Seamus transferred to Killala, a club neighbouring Lacken and played with their Under 18 side for a year. In the interim Lacken GAA club had reformed and put out an Under 21 and Junior team. A North Mayo Junior championship and Intermediate league medals were the height of O'Reilly's achievements with the local club. They were defeated in the county Under 21 final in 1974 by a Claremorris outfit which included J.P Keane, Michael 'Tick' Higgins and Mickey Maloney.
O'Reillys endeavours on the intercounty scene makes interesting reading. A former Mayo stalwart he later swapped the green and red for the green and gold of Donegal. Work commitments forced him to switch allegiances to his adopted county.
But not before All-Ireland Minor and Under 21 souvenirs were garnered with his county of birth. Making John Tobin from Galway on his intercounty debut in 1971, the full back went on to play a major role in the Western county's All-Ireland triumph in September.
Playing Cork in the final that year, the young O'Reilly had the unenviable task of trying to contain Jimmy Barry Murphy. "He only scored a point and that was from a free so I was fairly satisfied with my own performance", recalls the Mayo man. "It was a fantastic feeling winning that game as Cork had been made overwhelming favourites before the match".
Two years later the majority of that team progressed to the under 21 decider. This time Kerry were to provide the opposition and with a host of future senior stars amongst their ranks, the Kingdom proved too strong for O'Reilly and his Mayo colleagues. "The final was played in Ennis and I remember we were six points up but they came back and beat us. I'd say eleven of that team went on to win All-Ireland senior medals in '75 when he took over the senior team. The win over us sparked off a glorious era for Kerry football."
But defeat did not signal the end for the promising Mayo XV. They returned in '74 more battle hardened and got their just rewards with a hard earned victory over Antrim after a replay. "Winning against Antrim was one of the highlights of my career. The National press described it as the game of the year. It was a great match of free flowing, attacking football.
Another satisfying aspect was that it was practically the same bunch of lads that had won the minor. The team spirit was incredible having contested three All-Irelands in four years". The 21 years old performances that year earned him an All-Star nomination. Competing against established full backs such as Paddy McCormack of Offaly and Sean Doherty of Dublin illustrated the talent of the Lacken man.
A senior debutante versus Wicklow in the league of '74, the Bundoran residents senior career failed to provide as many memorable moments as he had become accustomed to. A Connacht final defeat at the hands of Sligo in 1975 was the closest he came to an All-Ireland senior appearance.
"That was the biggest disappointment of my career. With so many of the All-Ireland winning sides on the team we were favourites to win but we just fell apart on the day. It was a pity though because it broke up a very promising young team, only three or four continued playing senior after that".
But one of the outstanding memories Seamus has of lining out for his native county was playing alongside the late John Morley, a Garda colleague shot dead on duty. " It was a pleasure and a privilege to play alongside John. Not only was he a terrific footballer but also a terrific person", comments O'Reilly.
In 1977 Seamus left his home club Lacken to apply his trade in the Donegal club scene with local outfit Bundoran who were amalgamated with Ballyshannon under the name of St Josephs at the time.
The following year they broke connections with Ballyshannon and went out on their own. Success was imminent with the intermediate championship and senior league title being annexed that year.
In a team brimming with talent such as Brian McEniff, Mick Burke from Cork, Brendan McHugh and Christy Murphy from Sligo it wasn't going to be long before the tourist resort was celebrating a senior triumph and sure enough it came in 1979.
In 1980 led by Seamus, the Donegal champions undertook a tour of America and played two exhibition games against a Garda team from Dublin in New York and a selection in Toronto. "It was a very enjoyable trip and a great experience for us. Unfortunately the club has gone downhill since that, a couple of Intermediate finals has been the closest we got to repeating that success".
The Donegal side converted their Mayo import from a hard no nonsense defender into a opportunist attacker and it wasn't long before his displays with the club attracted the attention of the county selectors.
In 1979 he made his first appearance for Donegal against Tyrone in Omagh. Monaghan defeated the Tir Connaill side in the Ulster decider that year. The following year Seamus finished the county's top scorer but a first round exit at the hands of Tyrone killed off their title aspirations. Seamus's clubmate Brian McEniff assumed control in '81 but again a first round defeat put paid to their hopes, this time Armagh proved too strong. In 1983 they finally made the breakthrough when a 1-14 to 1-11 triumph over Cavan bridged a nine year gap with the Anglo Celt cup returning to the North Western county.
The Mayo native was on the substitute bench for the provincial victory and Galway proved their masters at the penultimate hurdle of the All-Ireland series when winning by a point. 1984 marked the end of Seamus Reilly's intercounty career, as he put it himself "I couldn't settle in the bench so I opted out". But he continued togging out for Bundoran up to as recently as two years ago. So how are the Donegal club progressing without the Mayo man?
"We're struggling to stay in Division 1. The GAA calendar presents a lot of problems for us. With Bundoran being a seaside town the summer months are the peak tourist season, so its difficult to get lads out training and playing matches", comments Seamus.
Having managed Under 16, Minor and Under 21 teams in the club Seamus was approached to become a selector on the Donal Reid trained County Under 21 side three years ago. The Ulster title was claimed two years ago when Cavan were accounted for in the decider. However a semi-final exit at the hands of Kerry dashed hopes of All-Ireland glory.
Entering his fourth term as county selector, they Tir Connail Under 21 side face a difficult opening assignment against reigning champions Cavan on the 9th of March in Cootehill. "They'll be hard beaten. I think they have something like eleven of last year's side still available. And with Martin McHugh in charge of them it adds an extra bit of spice to the occasion. But we're quietly 'confident' our preparations have been going well".
A keen golfer, the 14 handicapper admits to not playing as much as he'd like "I usually only get to play in team events. I played in the Donegal GAA classic with Barry's Hotel from Dublin. I'm friendly with the owner John Deane, he's a good GAA Man."
Married to Rosaleen form Clonne, Co Leitrim the couple have three children Lauren (9) Rebecca (6) and Stephen (5). With the start of the 1997 All-Championship only a matter of months away, what about the prospect of a Donegal/Mayo semi-final? What colours will Seamus O'Reilly be wearing?
Prior to the All-Ireland semi-final 1992 he was faced with a dilemma, a familiar dilemma faced every time the two counties meet.
"I was neutral that year. May the best team win is what I said and on the day I taught Donegal were the better team so they deservingly won. If they were to clash in an All-Ireland final my heart would probably say Mayo but my head would tell me Donegal. It would be a happy situation either way come five o clock on the 3rd Sunday in September. You wouldn't hear me complaining".
Taken from Hogan Stand magazine
14th March, 1997 Tweet
