Brennan congratulates Grand Slam heroes
“I think we have got to know the people in the IRFU over the last couple of years and it’s fair to say that the relationship we have with them is exceptionally close. We are very pleased at their success,” he said.
But Brennan acknowledged that the rugby success would pose challenges for the GAA saying it was ‘inevitable’ there would be a spin-off from their achievement.
However, he expressed confidence they were ‘well capable’ of meeting these challenges.
“It means people will have to work harder at county, provincial and national level to ensure that we continue to hold our share of the youth market going forward, but I believe we will do that,’’ he said. “However, that does not stop us wishing our fellow sports people the very best.
“We say ‘well done’ on a wonderful occasion for Ireland – at a time when it’s tough going for our country.’’
There were three high profile links with the GAA in action in Cardiff with Tommy Bowe, Rob Kearney and Tomás O’Leary accomplished GAA stars in their youth.
Bowe enjoyed a successful underage football career with Emyvale. According to Monaghan Treasurer and Emyvale club person Marian Donnelly he’d ‘definitely have played for Monaghan’.
“Had he stayed at Gaelic football he would have made it, no doubt about that,” said Donnelly.
“I’ve known him since he was a baby and I was proud as punch watching him on Saturday. I’m not one bit surprised he is where he is now. He was always destined for rugby because it’s in his blood but had he stayed with the Gaelic football, yeah, he’d definitely have played for Monaghan.”
As one match report from the weekend put it Bowe’s Irish team-mate, Kearney, showed all ‘his GAA skills to field the range of balls fired down his throat’.
A product of the Cooley Kickhams GAA club in Louth, Kearney was a standout prospect at midfield or in attack and played championship football for the county minors.
His last Gaelic football match was a senior county final for Cooley, then managed by former Ireland and Down supremo Pete McGrath. As with Bowe a Cooley GAA coach who brought Kearney up through the underage ranks says ‘there is no doubt’ he too would have emerged as a county senior player of some renown.
The same feeling swept across John Meyler’s mind on Saturday evening as he considered the performance of scrum-half Tomas O’Leary.
Back in 2001 Meyler was part of Cork’s backroom team that won the All-Ireland minor hurling title. O’Leary was Cork captain that day, current senior stars John Gardiner and both Kieran Murphy’s following his example.
“He had a really strong character, you could see that there was something in him,” said Meyler. “He was athletic and had a great work rate and as a captain he did his job really well.
“I watched his progress all the way along with Munster, Ireland A and I was thinking ‘will he ever get in?’ Through sheer hard work he’s got his chance and taken it and the great thing is that he’s a level headed fella, it won’t go to his head.”
The wider issue of rising GAA stars dropping the game to focus on fashionable rugby doesn’t alarm Meyler.
The fact that players are often in their mid 20’s at least before breaking into the top levels of rugby means the GAA can give them big games, in big stadia at a much earlier stage.
“If you take John Gardiner, a minor team-mate of Tomás’, he’s won his two All-Ireland’s and played in how many more finals before Tomás really made it with Ireland?” said Meyler.
“A fella could go and throw his lot in with rugby but there’s very few making it. Tomás is probably the best example of how well it can go.”
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