Brian Gartland: In so many ways it’s really Hollywood stuff

“You just can’t write it can you?” beamed John Mountney after playing his part in helping Dundalk to their third league title success in-a-row on Sunday night.

Together with Chris Shields, the Mayo man had been part of the Dundalk side in 2012 that had just about kept their heads above water on and off the field.

Little did he think back then he’d go on to secure seven major honours, with the potential of more to come.

Add in an epic European journey and Dundalk’s rags to riches tale is the stuff of a slightly far-fetched Hollywood movie. Not even Disney could come up with some of the subplots to this tale and yet virtually every member of the Co Louth side’s squad has their own.

There are, of course, too many to mention but Stephen Kenny winning back-to-back titles in matches against the two clubs who had previously sacked him, Ciaran Kilduff recovering from a broken back to score a couple of historic goals in Europe and Alan Keane coming out of retirement as recently as two months ago to play his part in another title success give just a flavour of just how much of an amazing story this has been.

“In so many ways it’s really Hollywood stuff and everyone has got one of the wee subplots,” said Brian Gartland, whose 64th minute header gave Dundalk the victory over Bohemians on Sunday which ultimately secured the title.

The 29-year-old is no different. Having broken his wrist back in July, he has been pivotal in securing title number 12 for Dundalk with five goals in his last eight league games to bring his tally to seven for the season.

While the cast he now sports is having a Jamie Vardy-like effect at present, Gartland’s association with Dundalk will have shaped his life long after his career has ended.

Having joined the Lilywhites in July 2013, he soon found love with local woman Bronagh O’Brien and made the town his home.

The O’Brien family are well known in Dundalk for their association with the Sean O’Mahony’s GAA club, who earlier this month won their first ever Louth SFC with Bronagh’s two brothers, Pat and John, amongst the panel.

A hectic schedule for both – the O’Mahony’s play Baltinglass away in the Leinster Club SFC on Sunday while Dundalk still have two league games to play this week before travelling to Russia next Tuesday – means it may be the couple’s wedding just after Christmas before the real celebrations get underway.

Their impending union may never have happened though had Gartland taken the easier option of joining Shelbourne over Dundalk just over three years ago.

“I nearly didn’t come here,” he grinned. “I nearly went to Shels who were bottom of the league. Again, it was the ambition in me that made me come here.

“You don’t know what’s around the corner. I was single and between clubs. I was happy enough but all of a sudden I came up here and things started going well. I met a girl and fell for her straight away and we’re getting married now at the end of the year. We’ve a house up here and it really is a great group of people I’ve come to know and be part of their family up here. I owe them so much for being so welcoming and taking me in. It has made life quite easy. Life is great up here.” His love for his new life is equaled by that for the club he now represents.

At the start of the year many questioned whether Dundalk could cope without 29-goal PFAI Player of the Year Richie Towell, who departed for Brighton, but Gartland insists the current squad is more about the team than individuals. “At the start of the season it was put to the pundits on RTÉ who they thought would win the title and only a quarter of them or so went for us when we had won two in-a-row before that.

“We had lost Richie with 29 goals but the year before that we had lost Pat Hoban, who had 20 goals. Every year people have stepped up to the plate. It’s not about what we don’t have. We appreciate what we have. People on the outside are looking at what we don’t have or had before. We appreciate each other for all the qualities that we bring.

“Everyone has got different strengths that they bring to the squad and to the team, even in the coaching staff and behind the scenes it’s the same thing. It really is a great group of lads and that is what has kept the team together. There’s just such a good attitude and foundation to kick on for success.”

There are rumours some of this side’s leading lights will move on before the start of next season, with Daryl Horgan amongst the most coveted of assets. If he is to cross the Irish Sea, as expected, then what better way to bow out in what would be his final game at Oriel Park than by lifting his third title in-a-row against his hometown club Galway Utd on Friday, with two of his brothers on the opposite side.

It would be another chapter in an incredible story but, as far as Dundalk are concerned, this is one tale not yet finished. Mountney certainly wants more, adding: “We’ve a few more games in the Europa League and the cup final still to look forward to so the story is far from finished and hopefully there’s plenty more success to come.”