Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh's star-studded training sessions: 'Fellas travelled up from Kerry, Mayo, Monaghan, Galway'

Attendees; back row from left, Brian Mullins of Dublin, Noel O’Mahony of Kerry, Barry Coffey of Cork, Mikey Connor of Kerry, Tom Byrne of Mayo, Tomás Ó Flatharta of Kerry, Jack O’Shea of Kerry, Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh of Kerry, Neil Sweeney, guest, Jackie Walsh of Kerry, and Pat McCarthy of Kerry and front row; from left, Dermot Hanafin of Kerry, Willie Maher of Kerry, Ciarán Murray of Monaghan, Kevin McStay of Mayo, Timmy Brosnan of Kerry and Brendan Lynskey of Galway during the reunion of club and intercounty GAA players trained by Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh as part of a training group of Dublin based players in the 1970, '80's and '90's at UCD in Belfield, Dublin. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Quizmasters take note. What have Kerry duo Mick Spillane and Jack O'Shea, Mayo pair Kevin McStay and Dermot Flanagan, Monaghan's Ciaran Murray and Galway hurling great Brendan Lynskey all got in common?

They were all All-Stars in 1985 though that's only half the answer to this particular question which Tomás Ó Flatharta has the full answer to.

"The six of them were all Dublin based and were training together at the time in Dublin under Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh," explained Ó Flatharta who was part of that training group himself, prompting him to arrange yesterday's reunion.

He chose UCD's sports grounds for the get-together as that's where they'd meet back in the 1980s, mainly Kerry men, to be put through their paces by the legendary broadcaster.

"I went to Dublin in 1984 and Páidí Ó Sé arranged for me to train with the Kerry lads in Dublin," said Ó Flatharta. "I was playing for An Ghaeltacht and West Kerry and Paidi was managing West Kerry so he got onto Micheál and got me in with them.

Kerry attendees, back row, from left, Willie Maher, Noel O'Mahony, Mikey Connor, Tomás Ó Flatharta, Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Pat McCarthy and Jack O'Shea and front row; from left, Dermot Hanafin, Timmy Brosnan and Jackie Walsh at UCD during the reunion of club and inter-county GAA players trained by Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh as part of a training group of Dublin based players in the 1970, '80's and '90's at UCD in Belfield, Dublin. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

"Everybody was welcomed, nobody was turned away so you had players from different counties who might be facing each other on a Sunday and here they were training together during the week.

"Barry Coffey from Cork was there, Kevin McStay and Tom Byrne from Mayo, Dermot Flanagan, Ciaran Murray and of course all the Kerry lads over the years.

"The training itself was very different to the really tough stuff Mick O'Dwyer was doing with Kerry in Killarney, the long runs and all of that. With Micheál it was all short stuff, speedy stuff, snappy.

That suited the likes of Jack O'Shea because he was a plumber and was coming in after a day of physical work and the training kept him fresh.

Ó Flatharta, who would go on to have spells in charge of Westmeath, Galway and Laois remembers Ó Muircheartaigh as being part sports psychologist too.

"He would say to Jacko on the week of a game, 'You're moving well, Jacko'. Then on the Thursday night before the game, you could hear him say, 'I've never seen you move as well, Jacko'. Jacko himself would say it that when he heard that it filled him with confidence."

Ó Flatharta reckons he trained with Ó Muircheartaigh's groups until the early 1990s.

"It was something that went on over a few decades and which was very significant for a lot of players. Because of him, players won county championships, provincial championships, All-Irelands, All-Stars. He helped players achieve big things and to create history.

"The idea came into my head more recently that it would be good for the lads who trained under Micheál to meet up again. We kept it very simple. We went out on the field where we used to train, took a few photos, exchanged a few stories and had a bit to eat, all outdoors.

"Fellas travelled up from Kerry, Mayo, Monaghan, Galway. Ger Brennan and Brian Mullins made a presentation on behalf of UCD because we'd been using their grounds. It just showed the esteem they all hold Micheál in."