‘When you run those laps of Tara you find the soul within yourself’
FERGAL LYNCH
An insightful new documentary exploring the life of the legendary Seán Boylan, one of the most respected football managers in GAA history will air tonight, Thursday (10.10pm RTE1).
The documentary 'Sean' follows the Dunboyne man back to his childhood and uncovers how an unassuming young boy with “not a notion in the world” ended up becoming one of the most successful and longest reigning GAA managers to date.
Boylan managed the Meath senior football team for 23 years throughout the 80s and 90s, during which he led them to win four All-Ireland Senior Football Championships, three National League titles and eight Leinster Senior Football Championships. Alongside all of this he ran a thriving herbal medicine business passed down through generations of his family.
The documentary weaves the twist and turns of his personal life with the success story of Seán Boylan the football manager.
Steeped in GAA nostalgia with archive footage the documentary features interviews with former iconic players, including Colm O’Rourke, Graham Geraghty and Trevor Giles.
As they express their immense respect and gratitude for him, the documentary uncovers how Boylan was more than just a manager both on and off the pitch.
This heart warming and insightful documentary reveals a vulnerable, inspiring and empathetic side to Seán that will endear him all the more to GAA fans across the island of Ireland.
Speaking of his daunting training sessions on the Hill of Tara Boylan believes that it was there where the soul of the team was born.
“We didn’t have the fancy training equipment they have today, so we had to use those things of nature.
“When you do those laps of Tara you find the soul within yourself, nobody can make you do it,” revealed the Dunboyne great.
Colm Coyle recalls those evenings on Tara in the film and remembers his managers words.
“Sean used to say to me, the guy who gives up here (on the Hill of Tara) will give up in a game,” said Coyle.
'Seán' was directed and produced by Alan Bradley, son of a proud Meath man, who is a young up and coming documentary film maker, writer and actor.
"Working with Seán on this documentary was an immense privilege. My Dad is from Meath and I grew up with a reverence for Seán that I think many in my generation can relate to, especially in the Meath community. It was a challenge to condense a life story as varied and as rich as Seán’s into an hour’s worth of television but I can’t wait for people to see it now!”
The documentary includes contributions from Sean himself, Tina Boylan (Seán’s wife), musician Brush Shiels, Meath legends – Colm O’Rourke, Colm Coyle, Tommy Dowd, Graham Geraghty, Trevor Giles, Joe Cassells, David Beggy, Darren Fay, Brian Stafford, Mick Lyons & Gerry McEntee as well as three of Sean’s children – Seán jnr, Doireann and Ciarán.
(Main photo) Sean Boylan with Graham Geraghty after winning the All-Ireland in 1999.