The Wonder of DULLY.
25/12/2009
A FAVOURITE son.
Heffo's Army was the spur.
"When they won the All-Ireland in '74, all I wanted to do then was to play for Dublin," recalls Kieran Duff.
"I had the bug then. My first ambition was to play for the county and the second was to win the All-Ireland."
That happened in 1983. "That was the highlight. It's hard to believe we have only won one since.
"A lot better footballers than me have never won the All-Ireland, so I'm grateful.
"You have some of the Kerry fellas with seven and eight All-Ireland medals. Of course you'd have liked to have won more.
"But, ultimately, it's such a honour to have an All-Ireland medal. It's just fantastic."
Kieran was only 16 when he made his senior debut for Fingallians.
Dublin Senior Football Championship glory eluded them. "We had a smashing side then, but we just couldn't make the breakthrough.
"We always seemed to go out in the quarter-final to the eventual winners."
But there was success in the League. "We won Division 2 and the following season we were Division 1 champions.
"That was a major achievement. I played with some great players. And there was none greater than Harry Keegan."
Prior to being hooked by the magic of the Blues, Kieran's life revolved around soccer.
"When I was 10, 11 and 12, I played only soccer. I played for Swords Celtic for a good few years and I was lucky enough to get a trial for Manchester United.
"I went over there for two weeks. I played in two games. I scored a goal in the first one.
"But it didn't work out and I came home. That all happened in 1983.
"It was a fantastic experience at United. It opened my eyes to professionalism. It would have been brilliant to get paid for playing football. To get up every morning and go training.
"It was lovely to be training with the likes of Bryan Robson and Ray Wilkins. Kevin Moran was there at the time and he was a big help to me.
"Paul McGrath was also there. I don't know would he remember me now but we spent a couple of days training together.
"He was struggling with his fitness and he couldn't understand how I was so fit. But we were only after winning the National League with Dublin.
"Yet it was so ironic. Here was I so fit, and Paul hated training, but he went on to have a massive career and I was on my way back to Dublin."
Mr Bojangles, Ron Atkinson, was the United manager at the time.
"We had to call him boss. It was never Ron or anything like that.
"One day in a training match, I clattered right into him. Maybe that's why I didn't get signed," quips Kieran.
Kieran got to know another manager a bit better, Pillar Caffrey.
"I enjoyed that spell so much. Nothing beats playing as they say, but the next best thing was being with Pillar and the Dublin management team.
"The amount of work that went on behind the scenes was incredible. So much of it people wouldn't begin to know.
"It was fulfilling preparing the team for the Leinster Championship and the All-Ireland series. At the end of the day I felt we were unlucky not to have made the breakthrough."
Back at base, Kieran is proud to see Lawless Memorial Park as it stands today.
"There was always a good pitch there. It was one of the best in Dublin.
"Now it's terrific to have all the facilities like the all-weather, floodlights, the Ball Wall, running track, etc.
"It's been a fabulous effort. And all credit to the people who made it happen and who give their time for nothing.
"They are ensuring the future of the children and the future of the club. They are great people and they sum up what the GAA is all about."
Kieran was born and reared in one of the seven cottages opposite the Swords Celtic ground in Balheary.
On the streets of Swords, Dully's footsteps will always echo to 'The Wonder of You.'
|
