O’Connor’s return is good news for Kerry

SO THEY never come back? Well, that might apply generally but there are several examples from Muhammad Ali all the way down to Jack O’Connor, who was installed as the new Kerry manager last night.

Of course it’s much easier for a manager to make a successful comeback than an athlete. Managers improve with age and experience, an athlete’s career heads downhill sometime after 30.

O’Connor’s return is good news for Kerry, and probably bad news for their main rivals. Jack’s record since he began managing teams as a young man at school level can be summed up in one word — success.

Despite his achievements with club, school and county U21 level, many were sceptical about his ability to deliver at the highest level. Jack didn’t have any ‘in All-Ireland finals we did this, that, and the other’.

This was something many of his predecessors could say, given All-Ireland medals are two a penny in Kerry: great players-turned-managers like Paidi Ó Se, Ogie Moran, Mickey Ned O’Sullivan, Mick O’Dwyer, Johnny Culloty, Jackie Lyne and Dr Tim Brosnan had bags of All-Ireland medals which gave them a head start over O’Connor when it came to managing a team to win Sam.

It didn’t guarantee success, though, and it didn’t deter the bould Jack in his quest for glory. Neither did the fact that he came from one of Kerry’s smallest rural clubs, Piarsaigh na Dromada, deter him either.

People who believed that a man from a small rural cub with no All-Ireland medal in his pocket had no business managing Kerry were in for a rude awakening. Like the patriot Padraig Pearse, whom this club is called after, Jack faced the task ahead of him with courage and confidence — “an rod seo romham m’aghaidh do thugas” — as Pearse put it.

O’Connor was so successful during his three-year tenure that once he retired, he became top of the list of desired managers whenever a vacancy occurred at intercounty or club level, from Dublin to Dromid. So when Pat O’Shea decided to step down, Kerry immediately turned to O’Connor. No word now about the lack of All-Ireland medals or small club background.

That Jack O’Connor has returned is somewhat surprising to many, but what was more surprising is that he should have returned so soon, just two years after stepping down.

He obviously feels that there is some unfinished business, and, judging by his record over his first three year term, it would be a brave person who would bet against him repeating the same heroics from the Kingdom over the next three or four years. No wonder other counties fear his return.

The only downside for Jack is that there was some resentment amongst the players and general public to some of the revelations in his autobiography last year, which I had the honour of launching for him in June 2007. But when one decides to write a book you have to tell the story as it occurred, otherwise it’s a boring and pointless exercise, as, unfortunately, many so-called autobiographies are.

Still, that’s all water under the bridge now. The Kerry players will know that they have got one of the most desired and admired managers in the game, and by working with him, their chances of success will be greatly increased. That will focus the minds and any reservations about revelations in the book will be put on the back burner.

Once again the keys of the Kingdom are in the hands of the intelligent Colaiste na Sceilge teacher. They couldn’t be in better hands.