No taking Farrell for granted

I HAVE stated a few times in this column that people underestimate Dessie Farrell at their peril. Some people in the GAA saw him as a soft touch but everything he has done has proven those doubters wrong.

He has the predatory instincts and patience of the perfect poacher. He was that as a Gaelic player and a hockey player. Now he is that as an administrator.

He waited patiently for six years to deliver the Government grants or stipends or expenses — call it what you will for players. But he gradually backed all parties into a corner and they had no choice but to deliver.