The Mighty Quinn Jack was a legend in Meath football. The Quinn brothers were Royal County and Kilbride heroes It was the evening of the National Football League Final in 1975. Meath had just shocked Dublin in a memorable match and the celebrations were in full swing. The music was loud and raucous in one of Dunshaughlin's fine pubs, a favourite watering hole for Meath supporters. All the well known ballads were being slaughtered in the most jovial way possible. An old timer in the corner shouted up at the Master of Ceremonies: "give us the one about Jack." The MC looked perplexed. "You know, the Mighty Quinn," said the old timer. "Right," said the MC and away he went with his assorted group of fellow musicians. Green and gold flags and caps waved in the air. One line was repeated over and over again. "You ain't seen nothing like the Mighty Quinn." It was Bob Dylan who wrote the song (The Mighty Quinn) but many Meath supporters would have needed a lot of convincing that it was not written in honour of the towering Kilbride full back, especially on that evening, eighteen years ago. It was belted out with great gusto on that balmy occasion. The Quinn family hail from Kilbride, in the parish of Dunboyne and have been farming in the area for generations. They say that it's only three and a half miles from Kilbride to the main runway at Dublin Airport, and nine miles from O'Connell Street, as the crow flies. It has two claims to fame. The least important of the two is that the local chapel and pub became familiar to television viewers throughout the country in the sixties and seventies as the focus points of 'Leestown', the fictitious village in the long running RTE series 'The Riordans'. That the area produced the Quinn brothers is a much greater characteristic, particularly in the eyes of Meath gaels. Three of them gave sterling service to the Royal County, Martin, Gerry and Jack, while Jimmy completed the quartet that backboned the club's phenomenal rise from virtual obscurity to the pinnacle of Meath club football. Their father James was a native of the area and played with the club during one of it's many lean spells. While working as a barman in Dublin, coincidentally, in a pub called Quinns in the Liberties area, he joined the Banba club, as most of his trade colleagues did. But when his brother Martin died from the ravages of a particularly vicious flu that swept the country in the thirties (James was close to death as well), he took over the running of the family farm. He and his wife reared six children, two daughters and four strapping sons. Gertie was the eldest of the family, followed by Martin, Gerry, Jimmy, Jack and Brenda. They attended the local national school but because of the small numbers attending, football was not well organised. In fact, the Quinns played no juvenile football at team level. "But we were always playing at home. Martin was 'stone mad' on football and we played virtually morning, noon and night. I would say, without the slightest reservation, that he was by far the biggest influence on my career. We would often be sent down the fields to fence, or cut thistles, and Martin would have the ball hidden in a ditch from the previous night. It was in such an environment that we learned most of what we knew about football. And we had our idols at the time. Footballers that we only knew about through the radio, like Paddy O'Brien, Jim McKeever, Sean Purcell, Mal McEvoy and Sean Quinn." Jack's first experience of organised team football came at under 16 level with Dunboyne and he also played minor football with Dunboyne and Kiltale. His days at Kilbride NS over, he was sent to the local Technical School in Dunshaughlin, more than ten miles away. On his first morning, the bicycle was placed in the boot of the car and he was driven to the village of Dunshaughlin. He was feeling somewhat nervous and apprehensive as he cycled out the road to the school when he spotted another youngster in similar mood. They teamed up and walked in together. Ten years later, they teamed up again on Meath's 1967 All-Ireland winning team: Jack at full back and Noel Curran at full forward. Jack received a few trials for the county minors and was unlucky not to be selected. But as a nineteen year old, he played at full back on the county junior team that won the All-Ireland in 1962. Kilbride had come from nowhere to win the junior championship in 1960 and took the intermediate title two years later. Martin's performances had earned him the no. 3 jersey on the county team and it was only a matter of time before Jack joined him. In the spring of 1963 he played his first competitive game at senior level for the county when he was introduced as a substitute for midfielder Seamus Clynch in a national league play off in Drogheda against Cavan. For the following thirteen years, a Meath team without Jack Quinn was unthinkable. The Quinn brothers will always remember 1964 with bittersweet feelings. In July Meath, with Martin at full back and Jack at centrefield, bridged a ten year gap when they dethroned Dublin, the reigning All-Ireland champions, in the Leinster Final. For his performance against Kildare in the semi final, Martin was named as the Sports Star of the Week. But ten days before they were due to face Galway in the All-Ireland semi final, their father passed away. And the game against Galway ended in controversy when Jack's brilliant goal was disallowed by referee Seamus Garvey from Kerry. Meath also missed a plethora of good scoring opportunities and the players were devastated. There was some consolation in the autumn when Kilbride, with Martin, Gerry, Jimmy and Jack to the fore, brought the much coveted Keegan Cup to Kilbride. It was a memorable success story for the Dublin border outfit. The junior, intermediate and senior titles in the space of four years. Unprecedented in Meath club football. Because of their proximity to Dublin, Kilbride played most of their challenge games and tournaments in Dublin. "Playing against the Dublin club teams was a great help to us. Many of those games were played in a championship atmosphere and they prepared us well for the Meath championships," said Jack. Following their brave performance against Galway in the e1964 semi final. Meath were red hot favourites to emerge from Leinster in the following year. But a disastrous performance against Longford put paid to their ambitions. Worse was to follow. In the 1965 county final against Skryne, Martin was ordered off by the referee but refused to leave the field. The match was abandoned and Skryne were declared county champions. "There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that Martin was victimised on that occasion. We were hard done by and Martin's suspension may well have cost Meath the 1966 All-Ireland." Gerry had now joined Jack on the team and turned in a powerful exhibition in the first round of that 1966 championship against Wexford. One of the most intelligent footballers of his era, Gerry's great sleight of foot and hand, along with his great ability to distribute the ball accurately, made him a threat to any defender. Meath progressed to the All-Ireland final, thanks to a vintage display against Down in the semi final. Jack was outstanding on Patsy O'Hagan while Gerry contributed one of Meath's goals. By this stage Jack had adapted so well to his new role at full back (during Martin's enforced absence), that he was being seen as the real successor to Paddy O'Brien and hopes were high that the '64 defeat by Galway would be avenged on All-Ireland day. But Meath were well and truly beaten long before Martin was called from the bench and Jack moved to centre field. "It was a particularly sickening defeat as we did not do ourselves justice. For the first time in my life I was completely fed up with football and I knew that it affected my performances in the three game saga against Gaeil Colmcille in the county final." Many people felt that this particular Meath team was finished and that they would depart the scene as the 'nearly team'. But in 1967 Mick White, Terry Kearns, Mattie Kerrigan and Mick Mellett came into the side and the Sam Maguire Cup was captured after a thirteen year absence, when Cork were beaten in the final. Jack was in his now familiar full back role while Martin and Gerry were among the substitutes, as were their Kilbride colleagues, Pat Rooney, Pat Bruton and Murty Sullivan. The six Kilbridemen completed a memorable year when the club took the Keegan Cup for the second time later in the autumn, and in the following spring, they helped to make history by travelling to Australia to take on the Aussies in the initial Compromise Rules series. But Meath's stay at the top was short lived. Bogey team Longford ended their hopes in Mullingar in 1968 and it wasn't until 1970 that they emerged from Leinster again, this time with Jack as captain. But there was no Sam Maguire Cup for Kilbride. Din Joe Crowley's goal for Kerry ended Meath's hopes. But Kilbride, who had won their third senior crown in 1969, added another in 1970 and completed a marvellous hat trick in 1971. It was the last hurrah of a superb club team. With Martin in the full back line, Jimmy in the half back line, Jack at midfield and Gerry in attack, the Quinn contribution to Kilbride's success was all-important. But that victory over Skryne in the 1971 final was the green and red's last appearance at Pairc Tailteann on county final day. They have since slipped down the ranks and despite the best efforts of long serving officials and other heroes of the glory days such as Austin Reddin and Tommy Mahon, the club is now struggling at junior level. Throughout the first half of the seventies, Jack continued to lord it at full back, a prince of the no. 3s and a household name, not only in Meath, bit throughout the country. His last great day was against Dublin in the '75 league final but just when expectations were beginning to mount again, Louth caused a major shock by dumping their neighbours out of the Leinster championship at Croke Park. An injury sustained against Ballivor in Trim ultimately finished his career. Diagnosed as cartilage trouble initially, it really was his ligaments that were damaged. He made several attempts to return and almost succeeded. He was on the bench when Meath went narrowly under to Dublin in the 1976 Leinster Final and there were many who felt that had he been called into action in a forward role in the last quarter, Meath might well have taken Heffo's men. His last game for Meath was against Galway in the following national league when he scored a point playing at full forward. In training the following week, he tore the ligaments again and decided to call it a day. His reaction at the time - "I've had a good innings, and I can't complain. It could be much worse - I am 33, but what if I were only 21." With his wife Mary, Jack is now the owner of the well established premises Teach Scurlog, just a mile outside Trim on the Dublin Road. The pub has a tremendous reputation in Meath for it's hospitality and it's football discussions. Eldest daughter Maeve is now seventeen while Sheila (15) and Ann (9) are also keen football followers. And then there is John, who is now eight and who, one day, might well fellow in the illustrious footsteps of his father. Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 30th April 1993 Tweet

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