Karl O’Dwyer: The Lily who left the big pond

Karl O’Dwyer still has the letter from Páidí Ó Sé congratulating him on his 1998 All- Star. 

Ó Sé was often fond of sending heart-warming correspondence, but he might have been forgiven had he neglected to put pen to paper for O’Dwyer. For he was the one Ó Sé let off the reel that came back to sink his Kerry boat that year.

Resigned to the fact he would not improve on the three championship appearances he made in the green and gold over 1992 and 1993, nor the nine league appearances he made in ’93 scoring 3-21, O’Dwyer parted from Kerry in 1997.

A few months after he secured a teaching job in Rathangan - before moving to Confey where he continues to work today - he was a Kildare player under the management of his father Mick.

That February 1998 debut in a league game against Cork was a forgettable one but O’Dwyer kept faith: “’Himself’ said if you get into shape you’ll get a chance and I knew that as well.

“If someone else was in charge I was probably gone.” Six months later and he was helping to boot his native county out of an All-Ireland final spot, kicking three points. There were no hard feelings from his cousin Maurice Fitzgerald, whom he played with from underage.

Nor Seamus Moynihan nor Johnny Crowley nor Eamonn Fitzmaurice, all former teammates with UCC.

Nor Ó Sé, as it later transpired.

“At the end of that year, Páidí sent me a lovely letter after getting the All-Star, saying that I had a good year and all that kind of stuff. And I still have it. Páidí obviously wanted to win for Kerry but he was a decent man.

“In fairness to him, there was a lot of good talent coming through and I was 27 or 28 at the time. He was proven right winning an All-Ireland in 1997 so you can’t argue with that but I’d have loved to have had a shot at it.

“But if I got in with Kerry I probably would never have played with Kildare. So I certainly don’t hold any grudges.

“I had good friends on that Kerry team, so it was never going to be a feather in my cap or a thing I would gloat about. The big thing for us that year was Kildare winning Leinster. Anything after that was going to be a bonus. There was a four-week break from the Leinster final to the All-Ireland semi-final, so the Kildare lads could let off a bit of steam and enjoy it, whereas now you couldn’t do that and we probably wouldn’t have beaten Kerry in today’s set-up.” There is no ill will. Had it worked out differently, he may never have met his wife Sandra, who is secretary of their club St Laurence’s.

Together they have two sons who will have split loyalties today, O’Dwyer joking that one will be wearing a Kildare jersey tomorrow and the other a Kerry one.

Manager of Old Leighlin in Carlow, O’Dwyer is immersed in the Larries’ underage set-ups having also coached a number of clubs in Kildare.

He likes to think that the Lilywhites’ trio of imports in the 1990s — Bryan Murphy, Brian Lacey and himself — have given plenty back to their adopted county.

But starting out it was tough. There were some in Kildare uncomfortable with the father and son combination while there was also some derision from Kerry. In the face of both adversities, he was steeled with defiance.

“The one thing our father always told us growing up was that people are going to say things and you’re going to have to accept it, whether you like it or not. That’s life.

“When I was younger I probably took things to heart a lot more, but as I got older I got a bit of his thick skin I’d like to think.

“I was lucky, though. If I came in ‘91 or ‘92 I don’t think we would have had any success. I was lucky to come here when I did because the team had matured.

“The likes of Glen Ryan, Willie McCreery and John Finn only had football on their minds and they weren’t going to do anything like go away for the summer.”

That first Leinster title in 42 years was a boon on so many levels: for Kildare as a success-starved county and for both O’Dwyers, particularly the elder, with points to prove. Micko’s second coming in Kildare had a purpose.

“I knew from the first time he was there he was very disappointed that it didn’t work out because he had been used to success in all walks of life. That was the first time he experienced a bit of failure, really, so he was always going to be determined if he got another chance. Those two years away were good because those lads had come into their prime by the time he returned. The ‘98 Leinster final would have been a huge highlight after putting so much into it.” O’Dwyer is buoyed by what he sees of Kildare now.

Admitting the crushing defeat to Dublin was “the worst game for Kildare in Croke Park in a long time because it was over after 15 minutes”, he’s delighted that Jason Ryan had answered some of his critics.

“Before the championship, there was a lot of people in the county who wanted to get rid of him.

“He’s done a good job, in fairness. It’s pleasing to see he’s turned things around.” Kerry, though, is home and he has marvelled at what Fitzmaurice has been able to achieve.

“I think Eamonn has done a great job. Last year going up to the Munster final against Cork, a lot of Kerry people were worried that Cork would turn them over especially when a lot of those lads had played Cork at U21 and been beaten well by them over the last couple of years.

“Unfortunately, the way they played in the final wouldn’t have been very appealing to me but that’s something that had to be done. I don’t think they would have won if they didn’t do it.

“I think if they won another All-Ireland this year he would rank up there with ‘Himself’ and Páidí as regards managing Kerry teams.

“If you win two All-Irelands in a row with that team it would be a huge achievement.”

Karl O’Dwyer was surplus to requirements for Kerry in the late 90s, but when he joined up with Dad Micko in Kildare he helped dethrone the All-Ireland champions in a dramatic semi-final encounter

Páidí sent a lovely letter when I got the All-Star, despite the crushing semi defeat