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Tommy Conlon On Sean Boylan's Meath

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Sean Boylan is the most respected former manager in the game. By all gaa people and those beyond that too. There is a few begrudges (few ex players etc) for the most part those who were beat by Meath or beat them all know the greatness of sean. I've met a few former players who played against his teams. The one constant is their absolute respect and dare I say reverence for sean. Anyone meet him anywhere and he will stop and chat. Gentlemen is a term that was made for sean. I have not nor will I read that vile piece of gutter journalism. But if mr Conlon is planning his staycation I'd advise him to keep a good distance from the royal county.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 11/08/2020 21:36:29    2287277

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Replying To catch22:  "Don't know what you are referring to when you say crap stirring at all. Speak about the comments on Sean Boylan or go way home for yourself ladeen."
What had a thread about Dublin and Parnell Park got to do with Kerry winning handy All Ireland's because of refs but you still went out of the way to post that didn't you boyo.
You've a terrible lack of awareness don't you.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 11/08/2020 23:01:18    2287284

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I thought Tommy raised somd valid points. Like it is kind of hard to tie in the way the nan comes across and the teams he managed.

gahfan (Wexford) - Posts: 636 - 11/08/2020 23:50:48    2287289

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Replying To TheHermit:  "What had a thread about Dublin and Parnell Park got to do with Kerry winning handy All Ireland's because of refs but you still went out of the way to post that didn't you boyo.
You've a terrible lack of awareness don't you."
The irony you obviously cannot see is that all your posts are about how terrible so and so was for Kerry or how Kerry were hard done by. Jesus , cop on will you.

catch22 (USA) - Posts: 2148 - 12/08/2020 10:12:05    2287310

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Replying To carlovia:  "I read the article and thought it was unfair to drag in the second team that Boylan built 96 on as being dirty as they were a young team that played good football.

The 80s team was dirty but in their defence football was much tougher back then and all teams got away with stuff that would be jumped on these days."
I always though the Meath team of the late 80's early 90's were hard I would not have called them dirty. I remember Liam Hayes writing that the Meath team hated facing Roscommon even in challenge games as he they know from throw in to final whistle it would be a physical battle. My club team were know as being a fairly hardy team and one of the club transferred to a club in Meath and he said that our team was nothing compared to the teams in Meath. I have always wondered if Meath lack of success in recent years has had to do with some of the rough and tumble in the game having gone out of it.

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 12/08/2020 10:23:02    2287312

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I haven't read Conlon's article, it's bad enough reading free rubbish, nevermind rubbish you have to pay for!

But anyway, I would always defend Sean Boylan to the last, aside from all the success he brought to Meath, our family would know Sean personally and a nicer more genuine man you couldn't meet.

As for his teams being 'dirty', look quite often people don't like winners, especially when they're not expected to win and have a habit of inflicting heartbreaking comeback defeats on the opposition.

Sean Boylan never sent his teams out to 'do a lad' as was often implied if not outright stated, but they were sent out to be themselves, assert themsleves, don't give an inch and never give up.

I don't think that's unreasonable to be honest, especially back then when football was a lot more physical than it is now. I mean both Dublin and Cork for example had very good, tough, hard teams back then too and they would have gobbled us up every year if we took the duck and cover approach.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 12/08/2020 11:42:00    2287336

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No Meath supporter who remembers that time would argue that that as well as being a great team these Meath teams were not tough. Gaelic football was a tougher sport back then and that aspect of the game was compelling.
Sometimes, while not planned things go further than they should, its a contract live sport, it happens.
We had players of great skill back then. But we also loved the manliness of our teams back then. They never gave an inch, could give and take big hits, never gave up. There was no playing for frees, staying down longer then necessary when fouled/ hit or whinging when we lost by our players.
But this guy tried to **** all over Boylan/ his players achievements back then, that what's annoying.
Similar to Boylan's Meath teams since then I have seen similar traits in Ger Loughnan's Clare teams and Brian Cody's Kilkenny teams and I have admired them for it.

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1337 - 12/08/2020 14:14:58    2287369

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Nobody's perfect, and that goes for Boylan and Conlon, but for me Sean Boylan to be admired and Tommy Conlon to be ignored. As for the programme itself the bit where Darren Fay was so obviously genuine in his gratitude for Sean Boylan's influence on his overall development gave me a real insight into what motivated Boylan and how he built a winning team.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 674 - 12/08/2020 15:23:08    2287375

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My advice to people getting wound up by one fellas opinion piece is to just stop being so sensitive. I understand the OP is a Meath fan and in all likelihood adores Sean Boylan, and the vast majority of GAA people think the same I would imagine, but its okay to maybe not hold that same opinion or for your opinion to be a bit left field.

Everyone has a brain and can use their brain, based on their experiences and what they have read, seen or listened to, to form an opinion on a subject matter, and so long as it isn't offensive, . There is no obligation on to then grand!

I personally don't remember Sean Boylan. I was too young in the 90's. The very limited knowledge I have of him is that he was/is a Meath great, their most successful manager and whats more, he is, by all accounts, a gentleman. That's more important than anything he or any of his Meath teams achieved in fairness.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 13/08/2020 10:13:28    2287407

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Replying To Galway4ever:  "I wouldn't pay too much attention to Conlon , stopped reading anything he had to say years ago, always thought he had a chip on his shoulder- think he's from Leitrim which might explain some of his bitterness.
Boylan and his Meath teams were a credit to themselves, it's footballs loss that they aren't there at the top anymore."
Why would being from Leitrim explain his bitterness? Seems like a cheap shot there. Boylan's mother was from Leitrim and Meath's greatest ever player was from Leitrim. Meath is held in high regard down my way.

republicofcloone (Leitrim) - Posts: 375 - 13/08/2020 10:31:07    2287409

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Replying To republicofcloone:  "Why would being from Leitrim explain his bitterness? Seems like a cheap shot there. Boylan's mother was from Leitrim and Meath's greatest ever player was from Leitrim. Meath is held in high regard down my way."
Graham Geraghty is not from Leitrim.

catch22 (USA) - Posts: 2148 - 13/08/2020 11:36:12    2287418

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Replying To brian:  "A Kerry man tries dragging another topic off track and diverts it into a poor Kerry post. And not a Dub in sight to be blamed for it.

What has what Liam Hayes wrote about Kerry got to do with the Sean Boylan documentary. Nothing but as usual a Kerry poster has to try and drag it into a discussion about how Kerry were wronged.

On the piece a very poor article by Conlon but not unexpected. Some people will always have an axe to grind. He lamented the great Kerry team of 75 - 86 yet didn't provide any balance in that the exact same Kerry team were as dirty, cynical and confrontational as anyone else. They were of their time, as were Meath in the late 80's early 90's. Just go back and watch any of the 70's/80's matches on TG4 and you'll see that. Meath were as good and skillful as that Kerry team. But they were labelled a dirty team yet rarely if ever started arguments. Finished plenty of them yes but that team never went looking for trouble."
Brian, I was at every All Ireland final the great Kerry team of 1975-'86 played. I was at every All Ireland final the Meath team of 1986-''91 played. I was at the All Ireland semi final in 1986 when an ageing Kerry team convincingly beat an up and coming Meath team. Believe you me Meath were in no way "as good and skilful as that Kerry team." It was a first class Meath team with an exceptional full forward line but that great Kerry team were on a different level to Meath.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 13/08/2020 12:35:25    2287424

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Replying To republicofcloone:  "Why would being from Leitrim explain his bitterness? Seems like a cheap shot there. Boylan's mother was from Leitrim and Meath's greatest ever player was from Leitrim. Meath is held in high regard down my way."
Well I suppose Meath's best player is a matter of opinion, maybe Leitrim's best player? is a Dub!

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 674 - 13/08/2020 19:25:08    2287457

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It shouldn't surprise anyone to read anything at all anymore in online or print media; controversy is the order of the day and Meath is one of, if not the most controversial topics, particularly when you go back through the years. Journalists pull the Meath card every so often.
Comparing Meath and Kerry teams of 40 and 50 years back is apples and oranges. Using this topic to rattle on with the endless Dublin/Kerry thing is power for the course, its empty noise.

Boylan was a man who saw the best in what he had available to him in human terms; there was never any machoism BS, false modesty, or excuses made, none of the usual inferiority crap seen outside Dublin and Kerry, none of the auld begrudgery seen in many counties; his teams were physically and mentally sound. They were winners because he made them winners in every way, and always very worthy losers. They were awesome. Thats why us Meath people just bloody love the teams of the past and what they stood for; get in, get the job done or fall short in a blaze of glory but never leave anything to regret. We were lucky to be the county to have had this man and his troops for as long as we did. Meath was and still is an above average county on the pitch and will always be thereabouts every new generation or so, but the 80s and 90s was something very special and Sean Boylan will be remembered a lot longer than this journalist (whose name Ive conveniently forgotten!)

Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 587 - 13/08/2020 20:34:26    2287466

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Replying To sligo joe:  "Well I suppose Meath's best player is a matter of opinion, maybe Leitrim's best player? is a Dub!"
Gerry Flanagan is a dub!!! surely not!!

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 14/08/2020 11:35:50    2287504

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Replying To Rosineri1:  "Gerry Flanagan is a dub!!! surely not!!"
You spelled Ollie Honeyman wrong ;)

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 14/08/2020 12:41:51    2287520

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Replying To Young_gael:  "It shouldn't surprise anyone to read anything at all anymore in online or print media; controversy is the order of the day and Meath is one of, if not the most controversial topics, particularly when you go back through the years. Journalists pull the Meath card every so often.
Comparing Meath and Kerry teams of 40 and 50 years back is apples and oranges. Using this topic to rattle on with the endless Dublin/Kerry thing is power for the course, its empty noise.

Boylan was a man who saw the best in what he had available to him in human terms; there was never any machoism BS, false modesty, or excuses made, none of the usual inferiority crap seen outside Dublin and Kerry, none of the auld begrudgery seen in many counties; his teams were physically and mentally sound. They were winners because he made them winners in every way, and always very worthy losers. They were awesome. Thats why us Meath people just bloody love the teams of the past and what they stood for; get in, get the job done or fall short in a blaze of glory but never leave anything to regret. We were lucky to be the county to have had this man and his troops for as long as we did. Meath was and still is an above average county on the pitch and will always be thereabouts every new generation or so, but the 80s and 90s was something very special and Sean Boylan will be remembered a lot longer than this journalist (whose name Ive conveniently forgotten!)"
Good post!! Boylan provided Meath people with their glory days. Their record since and you could argue for decades before his arrival shows the magitude of the man's success. Meath is an average footballing county like 7 or 8 others - in a group with a few of the Ulster counties, Cork, Galway, Mayo etc. They'll always struggle to consistently maintain that type of success and in truth might never witness that relentless period of success again. I don't think anyone will ever match his success in Meath in the generations to come. A bit like Big Jack and the Irish soccer team, Meath people around during the Boylan years should count themselves fortunate.

sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 14/08/2020 13:19:31    2287531

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Replying To brian:  "You spelled Ollie Honeyman wrong ;)"
Ollie worked in Meath in the 80's. Sean was a gentleman in all walks of life. Teams that win AI's will always have one or two guys who would not be on the 'saint list' and I'm not aware of many exceptions. Folk love losers and hate winners -isn't that what the GAA is about!!

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 14/08/2020 13:23:31    2287533

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Replying To brian:  "You spelled Ollie Honeyman wrong ;)"
I actually had Ollie as Number 2.

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 14/08/2020 15:08:56    2287553

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Replying To Rosineri1:  "I actually had Ollie as Number 2."
Didn't the late great Leitrim player, Fergus O'Rourke send out his kid brother, Leitrim born, Colm, to battle with the Royals, and for a few years Declan Darcy's dad dragged him up the road to play for Leitrim until young Declan saw the light, can't beat a bit of cross pollenation, adds to the mix, was Colm Meath's best player or Darcy Leitrim's, dunno but both up there.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 674 - 14/08/2020 19:05:07    2287581

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