Think Kerry-Cavan has no history in Dublin? Think again
The green and gold have a habit of cuckooing pubs in Dublin, The Palace in Temple Bar, being a Tipperary pub annexed on big football weekends at least by their Munster brethren.
The Boar’s Head owner Hugh Hourican is a proud Cavan man but then he has made no secret of his love affair with Kerry.
Two years ago, he wore the county jersey behind the bar for the All-Ireland final with Dublin. More for the craic than anything else. Yet the following morning, several of the Dublin management and players were patronising his establishment.
It’s become a growing tradition for the All-Ireland football winners to visit The Boar’s Head the morning after the final.
The late Páidí Ó Sé started it, convincing Kerry players to make the pilgrimage in a testament to the county’s relationship with Cavan going back to the 1940 and 1950s.
Having bought the pub with his wife Anne in 1994, Hourican met Ó Sé and the relationship developed from there.
“He was one of my first customers. We just became pally and it turned into a long-term friendship. He would ring you out of the blue for a chat to talk football or who would win the All Star and whenever he was in Dublin he’d pop in for a pint or a pot of tea. He was a man who would have played a huge part in cultivating the pub into a GAA one. Come All-Ireland final time, he’d give us a mention in his newspaper column. He loved the All-Ireland football final weekend. He’d head from Kerry to Dublin for it no matter who was in it.”
He didn’t make last year’s decider but was on the phone to Hourican that Monday morning in late September to make sure Donegal were in residence. “He loved taking credit for things,” laughs Hourican.
In latter years, Ó Sé also made appearances the morning of All-Ireland finals. Dressed immaculately in a suit, he’d hop balls with fellow customers and sing a song or two, taking great pleasure in singing the infamous “Ballad of Tomás and Gooch” prior to the 2009 decider. “For us anyway, it wasn’t All-Ireland final day until Páidí came through the door. He’d such a presence about him.”
Hourican, via Ó Sé, met the Kerry players at the 1997 National League game between Cavan and Kerry in New York to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the All-Ireland final in the Polo Grounds
And there was the bit of craic too. “There was a big function and someone turned around and introduced me to PÓ not knowing I knew him. “Sure doesn’t he cure me on hairy mornings,” was PÓ’s reply!”
After the 2009 final, a handful of Kerry players and management along with Páidí made their way to Capel Street.
“Darragh came in and said, ‘You’ve a run to do for me. When I say we’re going, we’re going and you have to bring us’. So after a while he gave me the heads-up and I brought some of the Kerry lads off to meet Billy Morgan in The Sunnybank. It was a peace treaty. Jimmy Keaveney was there too. They all had one drink as a mark of respect and after it they shook hands.”
After Cavan’s win over Derry in the qualifiers last month, Hourican’s phone lit up with texts from Darragh and Tomás.
“Paul Galvin was on earlier this week saying he was looking forward to Sunday and mentioned the history between the counties.”
When the draw was made over the radio last Saturday evening, a huge roar enveloped the pub and Hourican was peppered with jibes about who he would be cheering.
“There was a lot of slagging about divided loyalties and the thing is it’s known as a Kerry pub. The day is going to be great because there’s so much history. Darragh’s spoken about the noise level in Croke Park in ‘97 and Ronan Carolan said it was so loud it was coming through his boots. The first man I thought of after the pairing was Páidí. The banter we would have. I can imagine what he’d saying now, that Cavan are looking for revenge for ‘97 but Kerry are looking for revenge for ‘47.”
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