In the name of the fathers

WITH the rise of the Clare team in the mid 90’s, when the county won its first All-Ireland hurling title in over 80 years, came the rise of the clubs.

Even as Clare won the All-Ireland senior hurling championship in 1995, the Clare clubs took a grip on the Munster championship and didn't let go, not for the next six years.

Most spectacular during that period of dominance, especially in Munster, was the emergence of St Joseph's Doora Barefield and, common to both club and county, central to both club and county, were three towering figures. These were centre back Seanie McMahon, generally accepted nowadays as one of the all-time greats in that position; midfielder Ollie Baker, who patrolled north and south, east and west with an indomitable will, imposed himself on every big occasion, every opponent; and 'Jamesie', Jamesie O'Connor, the full title, but the flying, razor sharp, laser accurate wing forward who is one of those privileged few for whom one name is sufficient for instant identification. Three guys who, as they rose through the ranks with club and county, brought success after success, peak after peak.

Their story isn't complete, however, without the story of the fathers. Prior to this current crop, the Doora Barefield club was one of the poor relations in Clare, itself then also one of the poor relations in hurling. They didn't even operate in senior ranks, not since the glory decade of the 50s when, shortly after amalgamation in 49, two senior titles were annexed, along with two Clare Cups. It was a big parish, with Doora stretching out the Quin road, Barefield heading north for Galway and circling eastwards around Ennis with Roslevan in the middle. It was big, but not very heavily populated. Then began the trickle, young couples coming in from outlying areas and building close to the county capital, Ennis, a trickle that eventually became a flood.

One of the earliest was Sean Baker: "Crusheen was only eight miles over the road, but I was working in Our Lady's Hospital and in the 60s, eight miles was still a long way to have to travel. We had no cars then, so I built here, within a mile and a half of the town. We still didn't want to live in town, just close."

Next came Tom O'Connor: "I came here 38 years ago, working, and the family moved down about 20 years ago. Jamsie was ten when we moved, from Ballinakill." Ballinakill, not even in Clare, Jamsie not even native Clare, but from across the boundary in Galway.

Last of the three paters, Michael McMahon, tells a story, a statistic that explains the sudden spurt of success for St Joseph's Doora Barefield. "I'm from Kilmaley, but when I got married I settled here. I was working in Tulla, and this was only 15 minutes from there. Really what we were doing was coming to live in the suburbs of Ennis. I'm only two miles from the town centre and the same would apply to the others. But we're not the only ones, I suppose you could nearly call us all blow-ins. Of those on the present team, only two, I think, have fathers who would have played with Doora Barefield Lorcan Hassett and Noel Brodie. This is an area that has seen an awful lot of growth in the last 20 years, being on the borders of Ennis."

Sean Baker illustrates that point perfectly: "At the time we built, we were still very much in the country, but the town has extended out a bit since. Ours was the first house on our little road, now there are 19."

It doesn't always follow of course that population growth leads automatically to sporting success. Big or small, no club will win without hard work and dedication and St Joseph's Doora Barefield isn't any different to anywhere else. But it is no coincidence that Seanie McMahon, Ollie Baker and Jamsie O'Connor became the players they did, no coincidence either that St Joseph's Doora Barefield became the club it is. Michael McMahon, Sean Baker and Tom O'Connor were all dedicated hurling men themselves and all embraced, still embrace, the ethic of hard work.

In the way of the GAA, each maintained his loyalty to his home club but, also in the way of the GAA, each got involved with their sons in their new club. And as those sons grew, so grew that club. "When Sean and Ollie and those were playing underage, they would have been in the B division and, all through their years up along, they were up against the Wolfe Tones from Shannon," says Michael McMahon. "Ger Loughnane was involved with those, as were the Lohans, and they cleaned up everything at underage. The breakthrough year was 1990, our first success, when we won the minor A final. After that, we won the intermediate championship in '93 and we've been senior since."

It was enough to get the show on the road, a show that culminated in the biggest day of all for any club and the biggest win. St Patrick's Day, 1999, St Joseph's Doora Barefield became All-Ireland club champions.

Did they see it coming? Did Tom O'Connor, when he finally took the decision to move his family south, anticipate the day when two of his sons (Christopher was the goalkeeper) would play in Croke Park with their club and win an All-Ireland? Did he hell.

IF anyone told me James would win an All-Ireland, I'd have laughed at them. Even when we went on holidays back to Galway and they came for him for trials for the Tony Forrestal U-14 tournament in Waterford, I told them it was only a waste of time. I didn't think he'd make it. I don't know why I thought that, just couldn't imagine him getting to that standard, I suppose." He pauses, thinks, and the next statement is all proud father: "You know, I never thought I'd have two sons who would win All-Ireland medals. That's a great achievement, wonderful achievement. They've won everything."

Sean Baker also had two sons on that All-Ireland winning club side, Ollie and Greg, and he speaks too of pride, not just in his own, but in the whole team and in the whole parish: "Definitely, no doubt about it, and there are still times when we can hardly believe. With Clare, I didn't think we'd ever even win a Munster, never mind two All-Irelands, but then to follow that with the club winning the All-Ireland and reaching another final it went over our heads a bit I think; I have to pinch myself at times. You think of all the times we were so unlucky and it makes you really appreciate what we've done."

With all the success however comes a danger, to which many have succumbed, of resting on laurels and basking in the success. But this won't happen in Doora Barefield and isn't happening with the sons, who this weekend go in chase of their third All-Ireland title, hungrier, leaner and meaner than ever. It won't happen with the fathers or the club.

"I think Jamsie would give up all his medals to win this one," reckons Tom O'Connor, illustrating the inherited focus and drive that still propels the sons. Tom is still involved "only selling club Lotto tickets now, in the two shops", his own description. Also involved in that Lotto draw is Sean Baker. For years, he was club secretary, but around the boom, that got the better of him. Ticket problems arose.

"It was so hard to turn people down. They mightn't always have been heavily involved with the club, but they'd always put their hands in their pockets for you when you were fundraising and you had to disappoint them."

Now he helps out in the field, promotes the club lotto and gives up every Saturday evening to the draw.

The money goes into development, a 26-acre lot that was purchased with typical foresight several years ago. That foresight also sees the club holding on to their existing ground in Roslevan, grounds that would probably realise a small fortune now from any of the many developers in the Ennis area. "It's our strong intention to hold onto that," says Michael McMahon, currently club chairman. "It's right in the centre of a very highly developed area with houses all round. The youngsters from those housing estates can walk along the paths there to the field, whereas if we only had Gurteen, they would have to be driven. That's a huge advantage and we intend to keep it. It's important to keep a presence in the local area, especially where the population is high."

There is another danger here of course. Focus too much on structural development and you could, literally, lose sight of the ball. Just up the road, in Newmarket, the hurleys are still crossed in the window of O'Neill's, the sliotars still fly inside, but the only colour photographs on the wall of the hurling mad pub are of Clare. Black and white images record the glory of the past while outside the counter, middle aged mid-girthed, medal laden men lament the lost years. Through the '60s, '70s and into the '80s, Newmarket were winning county titles for fun, 13 in all. But not since 1981 has the Canon Hamilton Cup made the short journey down the N18; its absence is sorely felt.

Mitigating factors like choked development due to sewage and water problems are accepted, but the main talk is of over emphasis on structural development to the detriment of the game and three soccer clubs taking the interest of the kids. Michael is well aware of that danger and is already involved in the delicate balancing act.

"If I were to be strictly honest, we are a bit disappointed about progress on the playing field at underage level. We've been prominent at senior level now for several years but, even though we have big numbers, we're not winning a lot of underage championships. There's huge emphasis on development at the moment, but there has to be. We had only one pitch, badly needed another and, after a lot of looking, we finally found a place. Already we have two fields out there, but it's taking a huge amount of effort with fundraising and everything else. That can have an adverse effect on the playing situation, but we're aware of it and doing our best to guard against it."

Patience is what it will take, in the sure knowledge that all the hard work, the dedication, the foresight and the attention to detail will eventually pay off. The three sons too have had to do their own developing over the years with marriages, houses, kids and mortgages. But they've kept pace on the field and this Sunday it pays off with another All-Ireland final in Croke Park. With the fathers still involved, the same can happen, will happen, to Doora Barefield.