The Mount Sion stopper who just won't stop

EXPERIENCED: Wexford goalkeeping coach Ian O’Regan. Pic: INPHO/Ken Sutton

It’s bordering on ageist to suggest Ian O’Regan, at the age of 39, had no right to deny Jack Fagan’s piledriving shot in last Sunday’s Waterford SHC semi-final but he doesn’t mind.

Having momentarily slipped his inter-county team-mate Austin Gleeson, De La Salle’s Fagan was found in space and unloaded from inside the 20-metre line. The ball seemed destined for the top left corner of the Mount Sion goalkeeper’s net only for him to scupper it with an acrobatic leap.

O’Regan had done his homework. Point-blank scenarios exactly like that had been recited in training. 

“The three of us in goals, Richie Roche, myself and Scott Ryan, we train separately to the boys when they’re doing separate drills and we’d be coming up with match-based situations. Had it gone in, I would have been disappointed with myself. When the work is put in and the situation arises, I would trust myself and I would be comfortable or happy trying to save it.” 

In a week where Dan Shanahan lay down his hurley and helmet after 30 adult seasons for Lismore, O’Regan is up there as one of the longest-serving players in the county having made his debut in 2000. A sixth county medal on Sunday might seem an appropriate time to call it a day but “Iggy” has no intention of stopping yet.

“Look, the last couple of years with the defeats that we had people have obviously asked me, ‘Is that it? or ‘will you go again next year?’ It has never crossed my mind to pack it in. I enjoy it and until that stops or another situation arises I’ve no real issues with playing on. I love the game too much. Playing for Mount Sion, you should be trying to represent them any time you can. It’s bigger than any one person.” 

Soccer with St Joseph’s in the winter months has kept the former Waterford goalkeeper nimble but he has found the exuberance of the Mount Sion group infectious. 

“I’ve been lucky with the career I have had too,” he adds. “I’d the odd broken finger here and there and hamstring but nothing too severe. When you come to my age, injuries of the past can catch up with you but I tend to keep myself in good nick over the winter.” 

If anything, it is coaching which has threatened to derail O’Regan’s stewardship to Mount Sion. He was Waterford’s goalkeeping coach in 2019 and this past season assisted Darragh Egan in Wexford in the same role. Initially, he turned down the approach but when he was reassured it wouldn’t interfere with his hurling he agreed to join up.

"I was overwhelmed with Darragh’s call but I couldn’t see myself doing the two. I couldn’t see myself giving half to Mount Sion and half to Wexford. But he was very accommodating and any time the club crossed over the club and Wexford helped each other. I didn’t have to miss training. Wexford have a great set-up under Darragh.” 

Being able to work with as seasoned a goalkeeper as Wexford’s Mark Fanning also has positives for O’Regan’s game. 

“Me going down there, it was nice to see what other set-ups do and puck-out strategies I mightn’t have seen, even the instructions the goalkeepers were giving to players out the field.

“Hurling has transformed over the last 10 years and it’s much more tactical. When you can pick a Tipperary man’s brain and him having been a goalkeeper himself and the Wexford lads, it’s great. It’s a mutual thing. I bring something back to Mount Sion and hopefully I’ve been able to add something to their game.” 

O’Regan has had a front-row seat for Mount Sion’s peaks and troughs these last 20 years. His debut season was marked by a county title. A hat-trick of honours followed from 2002 to ‘04 and a fifth followed in ‘05.

For each and every one of those final successes, tomorrow’s opponents Ballygunner were vanquished. O’Regan might consider it a portent if not for the famine that followed for the Monastery men and Ballygunner’s utter dominance.

“We started being beaten in semi-finals and quarter-finals and it wasn’t happening as I was expecting,” he recalls. “There is always pressure when you’re playing for a club as big as Mount Sion. This is a new team going into a county final and I think I’m the only one with a county medal.

“It’s there for everyone to create their own history and not dwell on the things we can’t control. It’s no secret what we’re going to play. They’re not only going for nine-in-a-row: I think they’ve the eyes set on the two-in-a-row at All-Ireland level and become all-time greats.” 

After beating De La Salle to make a first final appearance in eight years, Austin Gleeson spoke glowingly of performance coach Paul O’Riordan’s work with the group. O’Regan may be the old dog but he has gleaned plenty from him too.

“I always like to pick people’s brains from different codes and Paul is no different. He came to me at the start of the year and knew I was one of the elder statesmen in the team and said I mightn’t think I might need him but he was there.

“When Gerry Fitz(patrick) came into the club, he used to give me great tips in keeping calm and staying in the situation. Paul has done the same, given me new techniques that even at the age of 39 are very useful. He’s definitely added to the group in a positive way.” 

Having won on the biggest day, O’Regan likes to think his younger teammates can turn to him too. 

“We just have to get in the right mindset because we’re well capable of achieving what we want to achieve. Not to overthink is the big thing. If you get bogged down in it, the game will pass you by.

“There will be mistakes made by both sides but because of who we’re playing we have to be tuned in from the minute we leave the house on Sunday morning to the final whistle. The game itself on Sunday, there’s nothing that is going to be new to them. Jab lifting the ball will be the same as it was last week. They’ve been playing this game since the age of five. They just have to realise how good they are at it.” 

Can he allow himself to dream of a sixth medal? Yes and no. 

“Every year in February or March, I visualise winning the championship. I am not going to sacrifice eight or nine months of the year just to take part.

“I would always be positive. I believe on Sunday we can win it but it will take a lot of things to go right before we can visualise ourselves walking up the steps and celebrating. We know the task in hand but hopefully everything goes our way and Ballygunner have one of their few off-days we’ve seen these last nine years.”