Páidí’s Promised Land

When you arrive to the scenic Gaeltacht village of Ceann Trá and its 450 or so residents along the R559 from Dingle, you are greeted with great history.

Among them the beehive house of Kilvickadownig or the beauty of Rahinanne Castle. In 1939, the U35 German submarine dropped off 28 Greek sailors it had rescued from the sinking Diamantis ship during the Second World War.

But in many ways, it could be argued that no German ships or Greek soldiers can outdo the fame associated with one local – Páidí Ó Sé.

Páidí was born in 1955 and named after Kerry football legend, Paudie Sheehy. After school, he went on to join the Gardaí. While stationed in Limerick, he played rugby for Young Munster while continuing his drive with Kerry football.

Stories around his time in An Garda Siochána are often recalled with great mirth, such as napping in the squad car in a field only to be awoken by the Superintendent.

After persuasion from his brother Tom, Páidí took on the lease of Kruger Kavanagh’s pub on the Dingle Peninsula, a village famous for some of the scenes from the Far And Away movie in 1992 or as the burial place of Peig Sayers.

On the GAA field, an illustrious career of 53 championship appearances yielded extensive accolades and medals for Páidí. All of these were won in the Kingdom backline, except for three games where he deployed in midfield.

In 1975, Páidí became part of an iconic GAA moment in the Munster championship. A ball was played into Cork forward, Dinny Allen. As ever, stuck to him like glue, was Páidí. Referee Brendan Cross blew for a free against Páidí just as Allen’s elbow catches the Kerryman in the face. Next thing, Allen is laid out by a left hook from Páidí. Then the referee slips on the turf coming in to survey the situation.

In today’s world Páidí would be looking at time in Mountjoy, a hefty fine and some sort of forced social media apology to say how he has let down his family, his friends, the parish, the universe. Surely, he got the line at least? But no. Cross talked to the two men, they shook hands, holding the grip just enough as they trot off to let each other know they haven’t forgotten. And away the game went.

Kerry ran out easy winners. Páidí supposedly said to Allen later in the game. “If I am going off, you’ll be coming off with me”. Humour didn’t leave his side even with the jersey on.

Ó’ Sé continued in his trade as a publican when Kerry life ended on the field – for now. He had opened Páidí Ó Sé’s pub across from the home place in 1985 to much fanfare. The pub would become an iconic landmark in West Kerry, and indeed the country and beyond.

Dolly Parton was the recipient of one of Páidí’s jerseys. Tom Cruise, Ron Howard, and associates were visitors during their stay of filming of Far and Away. Nephew Tomás even tells the story of how Hollywood star, Martin Sheen, arrived – a man Páidí was not familiar with. Within moments of the revelation of the esteem of the man in question, Páidí was soon chatting to his new friend. He had a way with the words. He even got away with saying to Sheen, a recovering alcoholic, “you’ll have one”.

After a successful playing and management career that included a combined 10 All-Ireland senior county medals, Kerry and Páidí parted ways in late 2003 in somewhat acrimonious circumstances. Within a week, Westmeath Football Chairman Denis Coyne had Ó Sé unveiled as manager. He had gone from a team with more All-Ireland medals than hot dinners to a team devoid of any at that level.

Westmeath’s men’s teams had achieved success at various grades – All-Ireland minor in 1995, U21 success in 1999, and Division 2 league titles in 2001 and 2003. But this was new territory for Páidí and the Lake County. Ó Sé was facing something different in the midlands. Incredibly, he kept Westmeath in the top tier of the National League - a 2-16 to 2-10 win over Mayo enough to stay up.

Then came the 2004 championship. The first test was Offaly in Croke Park on a May afternoon. A one-point victory (aided by the Brian Morley point that wasn’t) and a first win over their rivals in more than half a century set up a showdown with the Dubs. It came at a cost, as Rory O’Connell was given a 12-week ban for an alleged stamping incident; after a strong Westmeath appeal in the High Court, he was eventually cleared and played in the Leinster final.

The Boys in Blue hadn’t won an All-Ireland since 1995 and were not the force they are today. Páidí had built a team which was built on from his predecessor, Luke Dempsey. Players like Dessie Dolan, Fergal Wilson, Brian Morley, Denis Glennon and Alan Mangan led the forward line with pace and accuracy, aided by the immense height and catching skills of Rory O’Connell and David O’Shaughnessy.

A defence built around the tight marking and speed of John Keane, Damien Gavin, Michael Ennis and James Davitt, among others, was marshalled at the back by the giant boot of the passionate Gary Connaughton.

Under Páidí, Westmeath entered with nothing to fear. His assistant, Tomás Ó Flatharta, himself a native of An Ghaeltacht, had also tasted success winning the All-Ireland club title with Dublin side Kilmacud Crokes. Jack Cooney, who only this year led Westmeath to the inaugural Tailteann Cup, was a selector.

A rampant Dublin burst ahead as Westmeath struggled early on. Despite their lead, Dublin came out to a different Ó’Sé side in the second half. As time progressed, the gap closed. Then having levelled through Gary Dolan, substitute Joe Fallon pointed in injury time and the county and Ó Sé dared to dream.

The final whistle sparked scenes of unbridled joy for the maroon men while Páidí’s adversary, Tommy Lyons, exited the field to an onslaught of verbals from the blue faithful. Victory followed in the semi-final against Wexford and history was in sight. With the county at fever pitch, Ó Sé took the men to train in Sligo, his mother’s native county. It was a chance to escape but also get the team prepared for the most vital 70 minutes of their lives.

The Leinster final arrived – only the third in Westmeath’s history. The first, a defeat in 1931 in “the Battle of the Doyles” – Kildare’s Paul hitting 1-5 to Paddy’s 1-2 for Westmeath. The second in 1949 to neighbours Meath in a one-sided affair.

This July afternoon in Croke Park was tense. Páidí faced his old mentor, Mick O’Dwyer (Micko) and Laois. Two Kerry men looked for their kingdom come, many miles from home. But they would have to wait, as the sides finished level on the day – 13 points apiece. Westmeath cruised ahead 0-12 to 0-6 in the replay before the Laois fight back materialised. The tension in Páidí’s demeanour was evident in his pacing up on the sideline.

Injury time. The ball came to Kevin Fitzpatrick. He had only Westmeath’s number one, Gary Connaughton, to beat. A goal would level it. Hearts stop. It shot across the goal and wide. Who knows what Páidí was thinking at that moment? But it was over. Elation.

A pitch invasion followed – what do we do? Run on? What if the stewards stop us? Feck the stewards! We’re going on! The greatest day in our county’s Gaelic games history had come. For many, including Páidí, winning a provincial title was the minimum in some counties. For us, this was our Everest and he and Tomás were our Hillary and Tenzing. Páidí’s campaign would end at the hands of Derry, but the seed of victory had been sown.

Unfortunately for Páidí the opening defeat to Kildare the following season was the beginning of the end. Defeat to Clare finished things off, and the dream had died.

I had been to Páidí Ó’Sé’s pub before. Inside the door was a large collage of his time at Westmeath. But the pub was like an institution of who’s who, with locals scattered among pictures of taoisigh, A-list celebrities and GAA memorabilia to beat the band.

Tragically, on December 15, 2012, Páidí bid a sudden farewell to this world. He was only 57.

There was hardly a person in the country who didn’t know the name. Páidí’s funeral down home at Reilig Catríona was an outpouring of grief from every walk of Irish life and beyond. The following evening, his name was shown at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in the “in memoriam” of sports stars. An amateur put alongside professional sportspeople. Surely, he was a name that would not have been familiar to those in the audience that night, but one that many might soon have learned a little more about.

On what would have been Páidí’s 60th birthday, many came to the pub to watch Micko unveil a statue of the great man.

At the unveiling, Páidí’s daughter Neasa stood proudly with her new daughter, Fia. She will learn of her grandfather’s impact on the country and the GAA in time – from Kerry to Westmeath and beyond.

But for now, we simply remember what Páidí brought to our game, to the midlands. To Westmeath. A decade without, but memories forever.

Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann.