O’Donovan family keep focus on Corofin
He was the most impressive player on view and deservedly collected the man of the match award. The 31-year-old captured his seventh senior medal while younger brothers Barry and Colm claimed their first.
Down in Skibbereen, some Cork football experts will have heard of these exploits and wonder what if John O’Donovan had settled a little closer to home. It’s a topic that Alan is well accustomed to discussing.
He explained: “Mum [Breege] was nursing in Cork city back in the 70s and dad was with Telecom Eireann when they hooked up. The first three of us were born in Cork and we lived in Ballincollig until I was six.
“Mum swung a site then,” he smiles, “off the grandparents in Corofin and that was that. Dad got a transfer and we headed for Pollinore in Galway. Three of us have 100% Cork blood in our veins and then two more arrived — [Barry and Colm]. They have mixed blood. We don’t consider them Corkmen! So we’ve a good bit of banter in the house.”
That Rebel connection remains vibrant. “Dad never misses a match with Corofin. But he is still a Corkman, — I don’t think you can ever take Cork out of a Cork person.”
And that love affair with the Rebels has passed onto the next generation. Alan admitted: “I support Cork in every sport unless they are playing Galway. We went to see O’Donovan Rossa in the All-Ireland series when they won the All-Ireland club final in those games against Eire Óg in 1993. I love going down there.”
All the O’Donovans, including the two other siblings, Sharon and Brian, love their football, their soccer … and their dancing. However Gaelic is number one.
Barry (24) broke his arm six months ago playing inter-firm with Medtronic and is only coming back to full-fitness after the episode. He works nights now, so that he can play with the club.
“I was offered the evening shift a few months ago with Medtronic in Galway city. I turned it down, as it would mean not being able to train with the club. I was out of work then for six weeks or so as they had nothing for me. I could not imagine now being able to play football with Corofin. Thankfully an opportunity came up for the night shift. I now work from 11.30pm to 7am which means I can train hard and try and get back on the starting fifteen.”
At 21, Colm is the baby. He is not just talented with a ball and has won numerous awards for Irish dancing and the banjo. Currently he is a professional dancer with Mystic Force at weekends and teaches music in Galway city.
“I love dancing. Check us out on YouTube. It’s worth it. We were on Got to Dance last year on Sky One and we do weddings and social events. It is great travelling around the country doing something you love. I used to get a lot of slagging for the dancing when I was younger and you’d have boys shouting in over the fence – “C’mon Twinkle Toes” – when you’d be playing. But once I started making a few euro out of it, I got over the slagging.”
All the lads play soccer, with Alan featuring in the League of Ireland. He recalled: “I had a season with Galway United in 2005. I had been with Mervue United for a few years and Stephen Lally took me in with Galway United when he was manager. I loved it there. But I missed playing with Corofin and the following summer I went back to GAA. I could have stayed with Galway United and was getting money too, but they would not allow you play football if you were on contract. So I went to Athenry and am still with them. Soccer is grand and I have five Connacht junior cups with Mervue and Athenry. You get sick of football now and then and it is nice to go out and play some soccer. But if I had to choose it would be football every time. Football comes first with us all.
“However myself and my wife Elaine are expecting our first child in three weeks. She loves going to matches and has not missed a game in 14 years. The baby will be a big change and I may not have as much time for everything then”.
Alan was captain when St Brigid’s beat them in the 2006 Connacht final. He would love to reverse that tomorrow.
“Karol Mannion scored a sensational late goal in injury-time to win that one. They are a very good side and could have won the All-Ireland final against Crossmaglen last March. We will need our big guns down the middle like Kieran Fitzgerald, Damien Burke, Greg Higgins, Gary Sice and Alan Burke to go well.
“The club is huge to all of us. Our sister Sharon is a fanatic and has a load of scrap books over the past few years. And our older brother Brian trains the ladies teams in the club and is a selector with the U21s. We were beaten in All-Ireland semi-finals in 2008 and 2009 by St. Galls and Kilmacud Crokes so we would love to get out of Connacht again and have another crack at going a bit further. You cannot expect to win provincial titles without beating the best teams in the province, and that is what we will have to try to do.”
