Noel Roche shone a light on Clare football 

This week Noel Roche was inducted into Munster GAA’s Hall of Fame

Noel Roche in action for Clare in 1992. Pic: INPHO

When the news came through during the week that Noel Roche had been inducted into Munster GAA’s Hall of Fame, the 1992 Clare footballers WhatsApp group nearly went into meltdown. Arrows and bullets – all good natured – were flying in every direction until Pat Hanrahan, a selector with that 1992 team, decided to pull the trigger of the scattergun.

“All very true for sure,” wrote Hanrahan. “But most of ye spent years trying to kill Noel in the club championship. I know Doonbeg tried, and mostly failed.” 

Roche smiled and laughed. He knew more than anyone in Clare football circles about life in the trenches, and how he always had a target on his back. But Roche also deeply appreciated how much those club foes supported him when they all stormed onto the battlefield together with Clare.

“Thanks a million lads,” Roche replied. “And Pat, those guys who gave me extra attention at club level would have your back for sure when you were wearing the Saffron and Blue.” 

Walsh was always an icon in Clare. At the end of 1986, the late Noel Walsh penned an appreciation on Roche for The Clare Champion newspaper. Walsh had laboured as a Clare football selector since the early 1970s and while he wanted to celebrate Roche's achievements with the successful Ireland International Rules squad in Australia that autumn, the article had an underlying theme running through it.

Walsh wanted to get a clear message across because he saw the light in Clare football through Roche. "It can be argued that Noel Roche is not the most talented footballer in Clare, but the vital differences are in his motivation and dedication to succeed," wrote Walsh. "Here is where Noel Roche is unequalled. There can be no doubt that if all the Clare panel commit themselves to the same degree as he does, then success is certain."

Roche inspired a generation of Clare footballers. John Maughan was responsible for leading Clare to a historic Munster football title in 1992 but some people in Clare place the starting point of that victory at the feet of Roche. His dedication to the Clare cause infused players with the belief that they could all achieve what many people felt was an impossible dream if they matched Roche’s commitment on and off the field.

Roche was one of the first footballers in the country who trained like a total professional.

A lot of Roche's work during his 21 years in the army involved training FCA recruits. Since most of that training was done at night, Roche would train during the day. He refused to be bound by old prejudices and mindsets and always believed that glasnost would come with the proper application and dedication.

"I never gave up hope because I always believed that we had good footballers in Clare," says Roche now. "I just always felt that 90 per cent of our problem was we weren't fit enough."

Roche learned his lessons the hard way. He made his championship debut at 19 in the infamous 'Miltown-massacre', when Kerry annihilated Clare by 9-21 to 1-9 in Miltown-Malbay. That experience formed the basis of Roche's footballing philosophy.

"At 19 years of age, you’re a spiky little fella,” he says. “I thought I was fit going into that match but my tongue was hanging out after 15 minutes. I didn’t know where I was.

“These Kerry guys were flying around me and from that day on I said I'd never be caught for fitness again. It wasn't a great start to an inter-county career but at the same time it opened my eyes as to what was required if you wanted to get places at inter-county level."

Roche kept ploughing on. Although he made his name as a defender and finished his career as a forward, he played wherever the cause required him. In 1983, he went up front and played a blinder as Clare ran Cork to four points in the Munster semi-final.

That year, he began his Railway Cup crusade, which saw him play in nine consecutive campaigns with Munster. He was always an automatic selection. In 1985, '86 and '89, Roche was one of only two players outside Kerry and Cork to be selected. In 1984, he was the only player outside the big two to make the team. Roche received his first All-Star nomination too that season.

Playing for Ireland launched Roche. Players from other low-profile counties at the time like Pat O'Byrne from Wicklow, Longford's Liam Tierney and Spike Fagan from Westmeath made a mark on the game but Roche was an institution. Up until 20 years ago, he was the most capped player at International level with ten caps. He'd have had 12 only he was dropped for the first test in 1986 and got injured 48 hours before the third test in 1990.

His achievements were even more pronounced considering his physique. Roche was 5'8" and just 12 stone but his ambition drove him on to new levels. Before the 1984 series, he frequently left home in Kilkee at 6am to make the 7.45am train from Limerick to Dublin for training in Parnell Park at midday. The return journey usually got him home around 10.30pm. After he had a cast removed from a broken leg in December 1985, he went on a fitness craze to be ready for the 1986 series.

“I had a lot of pride in representing my country,” says Roche. “It was great for Clare and I hope it encouraged other people to think that they could achieve something."

In 1992, Roche finally achieved the ultimate when Clare defeated Kerry in the Munster final. Ciaran O’Neill, who played wing-back that day, once said that Roche convinced the players in the dressing room beforehand that they were going to win.

“Being honest, before the open draw, I could never see it happening,” says Roche now. “It was always going to be hard to beat Cork and Kerry in the same year but the open draw opened up everything. We had some brilliant days in the league as well, going from Division 4 to Division 1. We were holding our own against the top teams in Division 1, but having that carrot of the open draw was the extra driving force which got us over the line in Munster.” 

Roche finished up with Clare a couple of years later. He stayed involved in whatever way he could. In 2005, he coached Kilkee to the Munster club final, which they lost to Nemo Rangers.

These days, Roche spends as much time on the golf course as he can, but the chat is still largely defined and dominated by football.

Roche regularly plays with Noel Normoyle, his former Clare team-mate. Despite all his years with Munster, Roche never won a Railway Cup medal, having lost four finals in 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1991. However, Normoyle has a Railway Cup medal, having come on as a substitute in the 1982 final when Munster beat Connacht. “Let’s just say it comes up in conversation every now and again,” smiles Roche.

Roche may not have that medal but he never needed silverware to justify or endorse the immense legacy he left. His Hall of Fame recognition this week has once again proved that Roche was always a man apart.