Eamonn Fitzmaurice on Diarmuid Connolly: There's one ingredient that separates the best from the rest
MASSIVE TALENT: Dublin and St Vincent’s talisman Diarmuid Connolly was a complete half forward in the eyes of Éamonn Fitzmaurice. ‘He was strong with ferocious athleticism and was blessed with balance that only a select few have. He was two-footed with a near perfect skill set and possessed great vision,’ the former Kerry manager says.
- Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction
AS we went down the tunnel after the 2017 league final in Croke Park I heard my name being called from behind. In a Dublin accent. I thought: ‘Jesus, what is coming here?’ A month previously Kerry and Dublin had a tempestuous battle in Tralee in the league which ended in a draw.
I felt after that game we were painted as the bad guys and that there was a narrative being formed around us that was going to be unhelpful.
The week of the league final I addressed that in my press conference referring to the physical edge that Dublin bring every time they play.
I was keen to stress that I had no problem with it (in fact I admired it), that we tried to do the same but I also wanted to make the point that it takes two to tango.
It caused a bit of a stir in the lead into the game. Thankfully we won. When I turned around to see who had called me and half-braced myself for a few verbals — or perhaps more — there was Diarmuid Connolly looking me in the eye while extending his hand and saying well done. It struck me for two reasons.
Firstly he had been black-carded early in that game and must have been frustrated not to have been on the pitch during a tense endgame where generally he shone, yet he was sporting enough to acknowledge our win.
Secondly, and most importantly, the look in his eye was saying see you later in the season and let’s see then. The gesture was both gracious and challenging.
As I rounded the corner to our dressing room, not for the first time I smiled to myself thinking no wonder this gang have won so much. So many of them are brimming with personality.
For me personality is the key differentiator when separating the best from the rest.
Sure skill level, athleticism and all the rest are paramount also but it is the players with personality who stand out and live on in our memory. The public persona can often be different to what is bubbling under the surface and this personality can manifest itself in different ways in people but courage, determination, competitiveness, and an addiction to winning are the core ingredients.
Diarmuid Connolly had all of these and an ability to make them count in clutch moments. He was the complete half forward. He was strong with ferocious athleticism and was blessed with balance that only a select few have. He was two-footed with a near-perfect skill set and possessed great vision.
He could link, score, create scores and win primary possession and was often — along with Paul Flynn — a target for Cluxton’s long kickouts. He could take frees and penalties.
He also had a fantastic work ethic, which was perhaps undervalued outside the group. He forced one of the big turnovers at the end of last season’s drawn All-Ireland final which led to Dean Rock’s last-gasp free which gave him the chance to win the game.
Most neutrals probably appreciated his range of passing most and he loved to show this off when given the opportunity — as with the through ball he played to Ciarán Kilkenny in last September’s replayed final.
When I think of him I think of a specialist at doing the right thing at the right time late in games when the importance of every decision and every action is magnified.
As we neared the end of our 2013 All-Ireland semi-final, a point behind as the clock ticked into the 68th minute, Dublin were awarded a free on the right-hand side of the pitch in front of the Cusack Stand which normally would be handed to a left-footer.
At that time, Stephen Cluxton was still the man for those situations.
As he began his journey up the field Connolly waved him back and with the minimum of fuss converted the free with his left foot.
In the 2016 semi-final with them one ahead and as we pushed for an equaliser, the ball found its way to Connolly and he curled a great score over with his left foot from the left side to give them the breathing space they needed.
In the 2017 final against Mayo — in what was probably the most even of their battles — after coming on as a sub he came up with big plays late on including scoring a crucial point and winning the famous ‘GPS free’ that Dean Rock converted to win the All-Ireland.
While he had been used in more of a cameo role in the last few seasons, as a result of enforced absences and voluntary opt-outs, he still had a big say in many games.
Jim Gavin certainly trusted him to make a difference when he introduced him at half-time in the replay last season. Arguably his best performance in Croke Park was his display for St Vincent’s in the All-Ireland club final in 2014 when every facet of his game was at its peak.
The disrupter in him added to Connolly’s mystique and, I imagine, value within the group. A conformist he ain’t.
On occasion he did his own thing such as the wearing of a Leitrim top for the introduction to President McAleese prior to the 2011 final and the wearing of the famous vest top in 2017 which was perhaps a mini protest at not being started in that year’s final. He rarely engaged with the media and his various disciplinary raps added to the mystique.
The whole package meant he was a Hill favourite as was witnessed in the 2017 semi-final against Tyrone. So anxious were the Hill to welcome back their hero from his 12-week enforced sabbatical that they erupted at the sight of the number 12 entering the fray, mistaking Eric Lowndes for Connolly.
When Connolly was eventually introduced a few minutes later despite the energy already expanded they made sure he knew they were happy to see him back.
The timing of his retirement is unusual. With a condensed championship only a few weeks away one would have felt that he would have given it one more go.
He is a loss, particularly when added to the already departed Jack McCaffrey and Jim Gavin.
I am sure we have not seen or heard the last of Diarmuid Connolly. As before, when he has shone for St Vincent’s on the big stage, we will get to enjoy his talents on the club scene. I look forward to admiring his artistry while not having to curse or worry about its impact on Kerry.
For now though the championship in general and Dublin in particular are all the poorer for his departure.
