Billy aims to grab second chance

Either way, the former Austin Stacks player is in no way bitter about his failure to get the opportunity he has received from Mick O'Dwyer with Laois.

Now, he is looking forward to achieving what he could only dream about last year as he looked on from the stand as Kerry beat Dublin.

Four years ago Sheehan made his senior debut with Kerry, away to Tyrone in the NFL and though he played in a number of league games he "never managed to break through to the championship panel."

Last year he got a teaching job in Dublin and joined the Emo club in Laois. Ten months on from being called into the Laois panel he's happy to think that he's starting to repay the faith in him placed by O'Dwyer and his co-selectors Declan O'Loughlin and Gabriel Lawlor.

"I had him in training since last October and we made him fight for his place,'' O'Dwyer recalls.

"He did that pretty well. He proved invaluable for us on Saturday. He got a great goal and he got it at the right time. It was the difference in the game.........

"After he got a transfer from Austin Stacks he joined Emo. He decided he would give it a go with Laois and see if he was good enough. So I said fine. I told him, 'if Kerry don't need you, we'll give you a go.' I saw him playing with Stacks and with UCC and I always rated him very highly. His workrate and all that is outstanding and he is a wonderful carrier of the ball.''

Sheehan, now on the look out for a teaching post in Dublin appreciates his 'good luck' in being selected initially. He was named as a sub for the home League game against Limerick in O'Moore Park, but gained a starting place in the half-forward line after Chris Conway was ruled out through injury.

"From the start there was no certainty that I would make it with Laois,'' he commented. "It was just luck that they picked me. Things have improved considerably since that day.

"I had never played in Croke Park before this year. To have played there four times so far is unbelievable.''

In his first appearance there, he came on as a substitute against Offaly, when O'Dwyer inspired a remarkable victory. He started against Kildare and was again in the team for the Leinster final against Dublin.

"Running on to the field and going past 'the Hill' was something else, but at the end of the day they were only all side-shows because we didn't perform on the day," he said of the latter outing in the Leinster final.

"It looked like that would happen again on Saturday, but the likes of Tom Kelly and Joe Higgins gave us a stern talking to during the break. We were determined to go out in the second half and produce the goods and we did. It was a great win, especially since the pundits didn't give us much of a chance, just like before the Kildare game.

"This time last year I sat in the stand watching the Kerry/Dublin game. To be on the field for an All-Ireland quarter-final (against Armagh, on Saturday week), I'll be ecstatic!''

Billy aims to grab second chance

Jim O'Sullivan

DEPENDING on how you look at it, Billy Sheehan either slipped through the net in Kerry or wasn't considered good enough to make the grade in his native county.

Either way, the former Austin Stacks player is in no way bitter about his failure to get the opportunity he has received from Mick O'Dwyer with Laois.

Now, he is looking forward to achieving what he could only dream about last year as he looked on from the stand as Kerry beat Dublin.

Four years ago Sheehan made his senior debut with Kerry, away to Tyrone in the NFL and though he played in a number of league games he "never managed to break through to the championship panel."

Last year he got a teaching job in Dublin and joined the Emo club in Laois. Ten months on from being called into the Laois panel he's happy to think that he's starting to repay the faith in him placed by O'Dwyer and his co-selectors Declan O'Loughlin and Gabriel Lawlor.

"I had him in training since last October and we made him fight for his place,'' O'Dwyer recalls.

"He did that pretty well. He proved invaluable for us on Saturday. He got a great goal and he got it at the right time. It was the difference in the game.........

"After he got a transfer from Austin Stacks he joined Emo. He decided he would give it a go with Laois and see if he was good enough. So I said fine. I told him, 'if Kerry don't need you, we'll give you a go.' I saw him playing with Stacks and with UCC and I always rated him very highly. His workrate and all that is outstanding and he is a wonderful carrier of the ball.''

Sheehan, now on the look out for a teaching post in Dublin appreciates his 'good luck' in being selected initially. He was named as a sub for the home League game against Limerick in O'Moore Park, but gained a starting place in the half-forward line after Chris Conway was ruled out through injury.

"From the start there was no certainty that I would make it with Laois,'' he commented. "It was just luck that they picked me. Things have improved considerably since that day.

"I had never played in Croke Park before this year. To have played there four times so far is unbelievable.''

In his first appearance there, he came on as a substitute against Offaly, when O'Dwyer inspired a remarkable victory. He started against Kildare and was again in the team for the Leinster final against Dublin.

"Running on to the field and going past 'the Hill' was something else, but at the end of the day they were only all side-shows because we didn't perform on the day," he said of the latter outing in the Leinster final.

"It looked like that would happen again on Saturday, but the likes of Tom Kelly and Joe Higgins gave us a stern talking to during the break. We were determined to go out in the second half and produce the goods and we did. It was a great win, especially since the pundits didn't give us much of a chance, just like before the Kildare game.

"This time last year I sat in the stand watching the Kerry/Dublin game. To be on the field for an All-Ireland quarter-final (against Armagh, on Saturday week), I'll be ecstatic!'' the Kerry panel.

"Fellows like Paul Galvin, Eamonn Fitzmaurice, Ronan O'Connor, Kieran Donaghy and Declan Quill have kept in contact with me. Along the way I got text messages and wishing me good luck.

"Being from Kerry, people might say that I have a grudge against the manager or whatever, but I have none. I believe that there are more players in Kerry who would be better than me who are not getting a look in either. It's just the standard down there."