‘The ould fella has got his award at last’
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE: Michael ‘Spike’ Fagan
When Michael ‘Spike’ Fagan began his walk to the podium as this year’s recipient of the Hall of Fame Award, there was a ripple of excitement in the room.
It had been generated by the glowing citation sports editor Damien Maher had read out, which confirmed for those who already knew Spike, and informed any of the many young people present who didn’t know him, that a genuine sporting superstar was in their midst.
As he made his way up, everyone rose to their feet to provide the honour of a standing ovation for a legend of football for Mullingar Shamrocks, for Westmeath and for Ireland against Australia in the Compromise Rules series.
Addressing the gathering, emotion clear in his voice, Spike said he was “a bit put out by the feeling around here – it brings back memories”.
“I am delighted and honoured, to receive the award. I follow in the footsteps of the great Terry O’Dowd, who won this award last year, and the slaggin’ has started already… ‘the ould fella has got his award at last’… I hope to God Heather Humphreys included me in that when she talked about the young sports people.”
He went on to detail how his sports career began. “In 1973 Terry O’Dowd was manager at Mullingar Shamrocks, and it was him that led him me on the path to football fame. Terry was involved for a good few years and he’s still involved with the club, and it’s thanks to him and many others, including the likes of Leo Dowling, Richie Donohoe, Sean Cleary and several other county managers.
“It started for me on the 1st of January 1986. I was a bit hungover after bringing in the new year, which you can understand. So, I sat with a friend of mine, who’s dead now – he was afraid to go home to the mother! We sat down the next day trying to cure ourselves. He said to me, ‘what’s your goals for the year?’. I thought he was off his rocker, I said ‘what do you mean?’. He said, ‘well, I’m studying for accountancy, I’m going to do my final exams and I’m going to pass’. So I had to think for a few minutes and there was a little bit of chatter about Ireland going to Australia in 1986.
“So I said, sure lookit, I’m going to get with that team by hook or by crook’. So, that’s where it started. I trained hard, played a bit of rugby, and that stood to me trying to get on this team. And each time I met Kevin Heffernan, all I wanted to do was get into the next group. So, eventually I got the call-up, and travelled to Australia.
“We arrived in Australia on a Monday evening, 7 o’clock, after hours and hours of travel. We took sleeping tablets, trying to get our body clocks in order. But at half nine, five of us went down to the bar to have a drink – as you do. We ordered a pitcher of beer, five glasses. And we were just sitting down around the table, having a chat, and who walks in, only Kevin Heffernan.
“Now, none of you probably knew Kevin Heffernan, but he was one hell of a man. He knew how to push you to the limit, how to encourage you, how to give you a kick up the arse when you needed it. He walked in that night, put his head between two lads and says, ‘did I bring you here to drink or to play football?’, and just turned and walked out.
“I got up off the chair to leave, and Mick Holden God rest him, put his hand to my shoulder, he said, ‘stay there, stay there for a minute, finish your drink’. We finished the drink, left and went to bed. I am full sure Heffernan was hiding somewhere, looking to see what was going to happen. And he probably thought to himself, ‘message delivered’. When he saw us leaving, ‘message received, no problems, we’re going places’.
“Heffernan was very strict in his discipline, and surprisingly enough, when we were playing for the Australians, he never once shouted at us. And you’ll see [others] shouting and roaring – he never did that before a match. He did plenty off the field, at the training ground. But he certainly had his head screwed on. And it was the thanks to him that I got where I was.
“That probably started in 1984, when Westmeath played Dublin. I played quite a good game that day, and Heffernan probably had me in the back of his mind. When we were training for [the international matches], we trained every second or third Saturday. You went to Dublin, you trained for about two hours, two and a half hours, physical training, back in, soup and sandwiches, chat, video, to see how they played. And back out on the pitch for another two hours of football.
“I was so tired, I used to sleep in the car beside Paddy Collins. And at night, I wasn’t able to go out for a drink.
“But coming to the final shakedown, he [Heffernan] stood up on a Saturday, and said, ‘right lads, we’re not training next Saturday, because the all-Ireland semi-finals are on. We’re training the next Saturday, who has a problem?’ Three hands went up in the audience. First man was asked, ‘well, what’s your problem?’ ‘I’m going to Rome that week to get married.’ Heffernan, ‘when are you getting married?’ ‘We’re getting married on Monday.’ ‘We’re training on a Saturday,’ he says. ‘Right, who else?’ Two hands came down pretty fast.
“So, that gives you an idea as to how Kevin Heffernan approached team management. And God rest him, he certainly is my number one manager.
“For me, I played with some of the best players on the globe, in the county, and in the country, and also against them. And I have great friends, and I still have some loyal fans out there. And I know some, as I said earlier, are going to abuse me, that I’m at the old age when you get a Hall of Fame Award.
“I had a huge time, the time in my life. I’ll certainly never get back there again. I would just say to all the younger players and nominees here today, well done, and hopefully within the next 20, 30 years, you’ll be up here joining this exclusive club of Hall of Fame Award winners.
“Thank you for your time.”