Meet the father and son playing together in the Kerry SHC final

If you are a follower of hurling in Kerry you will have heard of the father and son double act. John Mike and Gavin Dooley are synonymous with goal scoring

FATHER AND SON: Pictured ahead of the Kerry County Senior Hurling Championship Final between Ballyduff and Causeway are father and son John Mike and Gavin Dooley pictured at the press night. Pic: Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus Ltd

If you are of a certain vintage you might remember a rock band called The Dooleys and a song called Wanted. But if you are a follower of hurling in Kerry you will definitely have heard of the father and son double act, John Mike and Gavin are synonymous with goal scoring and not just any old goals, ones that were wanted. 

John Mike is a legendary figure in both hurling and soccer for his goalscoring exploits during his prime while son Gavin got two goals in the semi-final win over reigning Kerry and Munster champions Kilmoyley.

Standing between the posts at the other end of the field was dad John Mike, still playing his trade with Causeway thirty years on and now a goalkeeper in his late forties.

It’s a rare occurrence in the modern era of to have a father and son on the same team for a third county final in four years. John Mike explains why he is still playing and why he has changed from a lethal finisher to an accomplished stopper. 

“Probably underage I started in goals, when I was twelve I played in goals for a while. When I was minor then I went outfield, played most of my time outfield for the seniors at club and intercounty level. Then our goalie got injured in 2019 and they just asked me to fall into goals and I’ve been there since.

"I actually had retired that year, but the goalie got injured, tore his hamstring, and we’d no other goalie. Stephen [Goggin] gave me a phone call and at the end of the year, it turned out a right good one (they won the SHC).” 

So did the forty seven year old hang on for his son to come through or was it necessity? 

“Yeah [I hung on] more or less to play with Gavin, but it kind of only happened by accident really. I wasn’t hanging on either to make it happen. If it happened it happened. It happened in 2018 then and we were beaten in the semi-final by Lixnaw. The year after I kind of retired, but was asked back again then.” 

John Mike said winning in 2019 with Gavin on the team was special and was a real family affair. 

“That was unreal. That was probably the best hurling achievement out of all the years. You can’t bottle that really. And Maurice [Leahy, John Mike's father-in-law] was involved and his uncle was selector, Maurice’s son David. Then we had my own nephew was on the panel as well, Cillian Dooley. It was a right family occasion really.” 

But John Mike, who played for Kerry for over a decade, says that there were tough losses too. 

“We had lost four or five finals on the way. We were always in and around the semi-final. We lost 2006 to Ballyduff, we lost 2004 to Kilmoyley, they won the four in-a-row. Then we lost 2008 again. We lost one in 1997 as well, before I won my first county in 1998."

He always set his sights high but he recounts a day he didn’t collect. 

“One of my best days would have been back in 1997. We played Kilmoyley in the semi-final I think and I ended up getting about 3-5. We were up the street the week before and Gavin’s uncle, David Leahy, was blackguarding me that if I got 3-6 he’d buy me free drink all night. So that was probably one of the better games in championship, I got 3-5…I’m still waiting for a pint off him!” 

Gavin, who is studying in UCC and wants to be a teacher, remembers watching his dad rock the net and knew from being at games himself that his father was special.

“When you’re going in [to Tralee] watching games and you see him sticking two or three goals a game that’s what you wanted to be doing. It's an inspiration really. Then when you’d be going into school on the Monday and all your friends would be talking, 'oh your dad scored two or three goals’ at the weekend. You’d be proud more than anything and hoping to pick up the knack of scoring them yourself.” 

Gavin admits that he would not be playing in Joe McDonagh Cup finals or scoring goals only for his father. 

“Even underage here he coached us. Nearly every year I was involved underage he was manager or involved in some way. He’s been involved since I started young anyway, the whole time on the pitch or somewhere around. He was my inspiration and even the grandfather there [Maurice Leahy] you’d want to hit the heights that they hit and try maybe to push on further. It’s just nice to keep the tradition going and keep looking up to the boys and try and carry on what they left before me.” 

So the Dooley father and son combination is not finished yet and John Mike has no intention of retiring until "I am eligible for the free travel", he laughs.