Twenty years not out
A quick reminder: Cork won the All-Ireland football championship that season, though Mayo would feel that they could have grabbed the title. It was also the year of the “Tony Keady affair” that still causes teeth to clench in Galway hurling circles.
Names like Pat Fox, the late John Kerins, Willie Joe Padden and Teddy McCarthy still ring a bell, idols in the world of GAA when the Irish soccer chant of “Ole, Ole, Ole” was only in its infancy.
Sports stars like those men inspired youngsters around the country, and some are still following in their footsteps, like Corofin stalwart and wing-forward Trevor Burke.
He lines out with his beloved club Corofin tomorrow in the Galway county final two decades after his senior debut in a county semi-final at the tender age of 16.
Twenty years later he’s still going strong and hopes to collect a ninth senior county medal at Pearse Stadium when his side take on highly rated Cortoon Shamrocks, inspired by former All-Star and double All-Ireland winner Derek Savage.
Burke won his first senior medal in 1991 against a star-studded Salthill side and two years ago in 2006 he picked up his eighth medal. He’s played in nine county finals since 1991 and has only lost one, by a point to Tuam Stars back in 1994. What’s the secret of his longevity?
“I have been lucky enough to have avoided any serious injuries which can finish a lot of careers when guys get a bit older.
“I did hurt my back when I was 23, however I did a lot of core work to try and get over that problem and while it is still sore on and off, I am nearly immune to the pain from it now.
“What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. From a selfish point of view it is a great way to keep the weight down and like a lot of ex-footballers,” he smiles and nods in the direction of my midriff. “I have a tendency to balloon if I don’t keep myself in reasonable shape.”
He, however, does keep himself in reasonable shape. During the GAA close season he plays indoor soccer and lines out with the local soccer team. “You have to keep the engine ticking over and if you take a few months off completely, it would be too difficult to get back the following year. You have to mind yourself in every sense and take care of your body. When you have been around a while, you learn to time your run each year and pace yourself a bit.”
Burke also lives near the home pitch, which allows him to get on the field five minutes after leaving his house. Second, he’s worked in Galway city with Merit Medical all of his working life, which cuts out the long commutes from the likes of Dublin or Cork that have finished off many a club career.
Most importantly of all, his wife Angela supports his playing career. They have two young children, Emma, two and a half and Aoife, one, so life is busy.
“Without Angela being so supportive, it would be impossible to keep going. With both of us working full-time, unless you had support, it would be impossible.”
Most observers would have seen Burke as one of the very best wing-forwards in the county during the 1990s and he was on the Galway panel for a few months under John O’Mahony in early 1998. Has he any regrets about not being involved that September? “No. Not really. I pulled out of the panel that spring and I don’t lose any sleep over it. Its water under the bridge now and it allowed me to give a greater effort with the club, which is perhaps one of the reasons why I am still involved.”
Regarding his immediate challenge, he’s learnt to take no team for granted.
“Cortoon are a very fine side. They have a super work-rate all over the team, and we will have to be at our very best to beat them. They have some top forwards like Derek Savage, Michael Martin and David Warde, so we will need our defenders to be on the top of their game. With the likes of Kieran (Fitzgerald), Damien (Burke) and Gary (Sice) back there we should cope. It would be nice to win another county medal, but no doubt they would feel the same about collecting their first.”
Galway SFC final: Corofin v Cortoon Shamrocks, Pearse Stadium, 3.30pm tomorrow (TG4)
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