‘Being part of the club is special’

FOOTBALL is special in Doonbeg and every parishioner wants to be part of the club. That’s the way it has been for as long as current senior team captain Colm Dillon can remember.
“Being part of the club is special. We were brought up to support the club in the way our parents and our neighbours did. We see that when we finish playing, we will carry on the work they have done and that is reflected in the way those of us who are based away from the parish and the county return week in week out to represent the club. It’s taken for granted that we would do that. It is something that is bred in us,” said Dillon.
A secondary school teacher in Piper’s Hill College in Naas, the Doonbeg skipper was educated at Doonbeg National School, St Joseph’s Community College, Kilkee, St Flannan’s and UL.
He developed a love of football at an early age.
“When I started to play I was only five or six and Clare had won the Munster title in ’92 with five or six Doonbeg players in the panel and with Pat Hanrahan as a team mentor. Wherever you went, football was mentioned and being from a family with such a strong football tradition, it was the main talking point. They were talking about football everywhere and this helped us to develop our interest in the game.”
Doonbeg haven’t contested a county senior final since 2001. Dillon said, “One of the most disappointing things about that is we haven’t given the younger lads in primary school the chance to experience what we experienced. When we were in national school, a big thing in the lead-up to county final day was the preparation of flags and banners. We would all be hoping that the team would win so that we would get a half day. When we were younger, we took this for granted. We thought it was the done thing.”
Dillon made his debut for Doonbeg seniors in 2002, the year after they last won the title. His brother, Brian was part of that team but Dillon and his younger brother, Paul haven’t had the experience of county final day as players yet.
“A lot of the current panel have lost five or six semi-finals and the majority have been close games. Last year, we felt we were in control but we ended up on the losing end. We knew this year there was added pressure. We had to do ourselves justice and I am delighted that we have come through to contest the final,” he said.
Dillon said, “Our semi-final wasn’t our county final and we know that we are facing a difficult task on Sunday. Liscannor have the benefit of a close semi-final tie and we know that we have a full hour of hard work ahead of us. Every game we play we try to win and this will be no different.”
There is no added pressure being the team captain, according to Dillon.
“It’s a great sense of achievement to be captain of Doonbeg but it’s only a word beside your name. There are so many leaders in the team, with the likes of Conor Whelan, Padraig Gallagher and Nigel Dillon in the line-up. These lads will pull you over the line.”
“There is a great pride and a great sense of community in Doonbeg. Anything that is done in Doonbeg, whether it be in football or in the promotion of festivals, those involved try to do the best possible. There is a great sense of community and teamwork and everybody pulls together. For those of us involved in the football club, being part of the club is special and we all give it our best.”
When Dillon leads the team onto the pitch and Cusack Park on Sunday, he will be following in the footsteps of many great Magpie footballers.
“Football is important in Doonbeg and we will be doing all we can to win the title on Sunday but if things don’t go for us, we will get back and try to work even harder next year,” he concluded