BOYLAN TALKS SPORT: Long before Ger and Cora Dunboyne had Liz!

More than a quarter century ago, when the internet was still in its formative years, the fan forums or Message Boards were the main online ‘meeting place’ for fans to hang out and discuss matters pertaining to the club scene or county teams or whatever else might cross a fan’s mind.

Unfortunately, in time, like many things in life, when all wasn’t as rosy in the garden as would be desired, the online forums were, by a minority, turned into a cesspit where all manner of spurious bile about players and managers could be more or less agitated and spread without consequence from behind a fake username.

Granted, security technology and traceability have advanced to such an extent that culprits can be tracked down via I.P. Addresses and the like but without things ever getting that serious, the vitriolic rantings take the good out of what was and could be a great service and was even an entertainment hub all unto itself.

To underline as such, an example at my own expense. Before understanding the rudiments of how the forums worked - i.e. that you didn’t have to use your actual name - one day when I was probably supposed to be up to my oxters in college wok, I was actually perusing the message board whereon one was encountered entitled “Stop that wheelchair cutting pitches up around the county”!

Now, needless to say, a fuse, gaskets and everything in between were nearly blown in this seat when the post was read and, metaphorically speaking, yours truly riposted with both barrels and then some. Only to discover that the ‘complainants’ were comrades from my own club extracting the urine!

That, however, wasn’t what prompted production of what you’re reading. That honour falls to forum entries along the lines of “Why have Dunboyne got a woman doing their warm ups?” and “Who is the woman doing Dunboyne’s warm ups before matches?”.

Cast your mind back to 2002, the time when in my view, GAA teams became visibly more professional in their preparation for and approach to game days. To the best of my knowledge, it was around that time that the name of Mike McGurn first appeared on the GAA radar. The Fermanagh native had come from a rugby background and would go on to work with several county teams - including Meath - but as far as can be recalled - it was during Joe Kernan’s Armagh tenure that he first came to prominence in a GAA sense.

Thus, it was in and around that time McGurn hosted a course for coaching coaches, per se, as to the ins and outs of SAQ training - that’s Speed, Agility and Quickness. Which very much had its roots in rugby where line speed (how quickly defending teams move en masse in a defensive line), clear outs from rucks, and getting the ball away from the base of same, as efficiently as possible are of optimum importance.

A high percentage of the philosophy behind SAQ training could readily be applied to Gaelic football, so equipment that no doubt at first seemed alien to a lot of Gaels - rope ladders, mini hurdles, tackle bags and the like - became common sights on GAA fields here and there. Anyway, the ‘mystery’ woman conducting the Dunboyne warm ups was Liz Gallagher - sister of Denis and David and now wife of Kilmacud Crokes manager Robbie Brennan - whom Gerry Cooney enlisted to do the SAQ course at the time.

Innovative though it was at the time, and while it did get plenty of chins wagging - not all positive either - but it very nearly had us hitting the jackpot. Only the cuteness of a veteran Trim forward manufactured a free which was our undoing.

All of that came back to mind in recent weeks when it was announced that former Meath Ladies All-star Ger Doherty would have a role with the management of the St Ultan’s men’s team and the iconic Cora Staunton has similarly been drafted in by the Ballina Stephenites club in Mayo.

That scarcely an eyelid has been batted at either development is a glowing endorsement of how far attitudes in the GAA have progressed. Back then, though, as her late dad Paddy put it, “The Gallagher broke the mould”!

Mind you, those of us of certain vintage can remember a time when Ladies football wasn’t as organised as is now the case and it wasn’t unheard of for lady players to train and occasionally line out with lads teams. Certainly at underage level.

Which prompted me to ponder - partly in jest - whether Dunboyne could’ve brought on Vikki Wall or Emma Duggan in the Keegan Cup decider against Wolfe Tones. After the dynamic duo had steered our ladies to an astounding victory against Seneschalstown in the battle for the Joe Breen Cup.

What can absolutely be said is that there’s no doubt that Vikki, Emma and their colleagues have inspired Gaels throughout the county and it’s my firm belief that their groundbreaking successes have been the catalyst for what has been an upturn in the fortunes of the county across many levels.

And, judging by Sunday’s impressive victory over Mayo in the Air Dome at Bekan in the first round of the Ladies NFL, they are not finished writing their story by a long shot.

On their first day out with new manager Shane McCormack, you get the sense the players feel they have unfinished business from last season. If that was the case, they certainly put in a statement performance in the indoor arena.

Meadhbh Byrne from county champions Dunshaughlin Royal Gaels netting twice as the visitors led by 2-10 to 1-8 at the break while deadly accurate Duggan clocked up 0-9 over the hour.

Nothing can be read too much into at this time of the year, but any causes for optimism will be gratefully accepted.