Kavanagh steeped in the GAA

GAA Co Board in good hands with Bohermeen man at the helm

In William Shakespeare's play 'Henry IV' there is a line that says a lot. It's contained in a speech by Henry about the responsibility of becoming a supreme leader. The King.

"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown," he says while also complaining about how he is kept awake at night thinking about the weighty affairs of state.

Meath Co Board chairman John Kavanagh knows something about finding himself suddenly thrust into a position of great responsibility - and how it can preoccupy the mind, night and day, even disrupting "gentle sleep, nature's soft nurse."

Towards the end of 2019 life took a sudden, unexpected turn for Kavanagh that resulted in him having to step into the limelight.

He was propelled into the role of chairman of the Meath GAA Co Board, and in the process he was compelled to assume the weight of responsibility that goes with filling that lofty position.

Previously he had been elected vice-chairman and was enjoying the opportunity to help out the Association in that role.

Then in September of 2019 the Co Board chairman, Peter O'Halloran, stepped down saying he had made "an error of judgement" in making a comment to a local referee some years before that.

The limelight turned to Kavanagh who stepped into the breach.

The Bohermeen man says he was "shocked" to be suddenly in the top position.

"I wasn't expecting to be in this position. I never set out be chairman of the Co Board, it just seemed to follow a kind of progression, and I suppose to be honest about it I was very apprehensive about it all.

"You are going from being a general to being the overall leader and it's a big responsibility.

"Suddenly every sub-committee is under your responsibility, if anything is done wrong it comes back at me.

"It's like Dublin and Monaghan (and the breaking of Covid restrictions) it all comes back to the county boards.

"Okay the team management are suspended but the county boards are deemed responsible.

"It was unfortunate in the way it all happened. Peter is a good friend of mine and will be.

"I'm never going to fall out with anybody over GAA matters. If it comes to that I think it's time to walk away.

"When the position of chairman became vacant I got a lot of support from clubs," he added.

Over the past year Kavanagh (who was officially elected chairman in late 2019 and unopposed for the position in 2020) has grown into the position, suggesting he is a far more natural leader than even he himself might realise. He thanks a lot of people for helping him out since he became chair including fellow officials in the Co Board and those involved in running Gaelic games in the Royal County.

The events of the last 12 months have also taught him a lot about what the important things in life are - and what's worth staying awake at night for.

"Sometimes thinking of GAA matters would keep you awake at night, there's no point in saying otherwise, but if there is one thing I've learned over the last 12 months it is that those issues are not as important as other things, such health and family," he suggested.

As chairman, Kavanagh has sought to apply his own life-principles in order to do what needs to be done.

At first he might have sought to be all things to all men, but he quickly learned that doesn't work.

"You're trying to please everyone, but you can't do that either. I'm not one for conflict. I don't like conflict," he stated.

"I would prefer to sit down with a member of the management committee, a club, whoever, and sort an issue out.

"There's always a better way of doing things rather than shouting and creating havoc.

"I've been accused of being too quiet, but I don't agree with that for one minute.

"I think I'm fair and open-minded and I also firmly believe you can solve things without conflict.

"There are 59 clubs in Meath and you would have to be a United Nations diplomat to please them all, but what you seek is the best for Meath GAA, and that's what we aim to do. Always."

BOHERMEEN

John Kavanagh was steeped in the GAA from the throw in. His father, Paddy Kavanagh, was a well-known referee and he would often employ his teenage son as an assistant.

"At the time I was doing umpire, linesman so from a young age I was officiating at big games, even senior finals.

"I did linesman for four or five senior finals that my father refereed. Liam Brady, a neighbour of ours in Bohermeen, he refereed a couple of senior finals also and I did linesman for him in one of them. I was only in my late teens at the time."

Young Kavanagh combined his role as a match official with playing. He recalls one year playing in a minor final for St Cuthbert's and then running the line in the senior final that followed.

He was only 15 when he started turning out for the Bohermeen adult football team.

"There was no age limit then. Dangerous? I suppose it was but you were a young fella you didn't think of that.

"I played on the same team as my father and my uncle Jim, who sadly died three years ago.

"We actually played in a championship final, my first adult final, that was with Bohermeen and, strangely enough, we played Cortown in Pairc Tailteann and they beat us by two points.

"It was a huge thing to be playing another team from the parish in a final and ironically enough the last adult final I played was for St Ultan's, also against Cortown.

"That was in a junior final in Kells in 1997 which we also lost, so I look on Cortown as my nemesis," he adds before breaking out into a hearty laugh as he thinks about the good of it all.

John proved to a talented player who made is mark at inter-county level too. He has a very decent collection of medals to prove it but it's difficult to avoid the conclusion that only for downright bad luck he might have become something of a household name as a player.

He recalls the first time he played in Croke Park with the Meath minors in a Leinster final against Kildare in 1983, which the young Royals lost.

"Our manager was Mattie Kerrigan. He would have been trying to downplay the fact we were in Croker. I always remember him saying to us: 'Don't worry about Croke Park, it's just a field with a couple of haybarns around it.' "

INJURY

Kavanagh went on to help Meath to a Leinster u-21 title. "That was in 1985 the same year the (Martry) Harps, another team from our parish, won an intermediate title so it was a good year for me."

By the autumn of 1985 Kavanagh was in the Meath senior panel and was brought on as as substitute for two league games in the 1985/'86 campaign.

The Royals went on to win their first Leinster SFC title in 16 years. The young Bohermeen man was delighted to be part if all - if on the fringes.

Sean Boylan's team was clearly going places and so was young Kavanagh but in the autumn of that year tragedy struck when he picked up a serious injury against Drumconrath in a game at Sean Newman Park.

"I knotted the knee joint around the ligament. It wasn't exactly a cruciate injury, there weren't many cruciates around at that time!!" Cue another laugh.

He eventually got back playing, but he didn't get a recall to the senior panel.

"I'm not one to look back and have regrets, it happened. You move on and make the best of it.

"I ended up with three Leinster juniors, a Leinster u-21 medal and a Leinster senior medal so it's not a bad return.

"I've no regrets in life, I'm happy with the way things turned out."

Kavanagh trained as an accountant, but didn't take final exams.

Instead he went to work in a furniture business run by his father and uncle. After 20 years at that he moved on to work for Dublin-based furniture-fitting company - Flanagan Fitting. It's a job he holds today.

Other aspects of life took his attention. In 1988 he was married to Athboy woman Esther Geoghegan and they went on to have three children - Grace, Rachael and Glen.

He cites Esther's support as a major factor over the years in achieving what he has achieved.

He has been involved in filling admin roles in GAA clubs since he was a teenager. He was chairman of St Ultan's while still a player, another indication of the innate talent he has for leadership.

He was even chairman of the soccer club in Athboy for a while when his son played there.

He never had a burning ambition to become chairman of Meath GAA Co Board, but fate has ensured that's where he currently stands - in the limelight, making the big decisions.

The chairman's job brings with it a big responsibility, he knows that, but he's pleased to be there, happy to make a contribution - even if the weight of that crown can seem heavy at times.