One man who knows both the St Brigid’s and Dingle teams better than most is former Roscommon and St Brigid’s player Tom Óg O’Brien.
In addition to starring on the playing fields in this neck of the woods, Tom also played for Dingle for five years in the 1990s. Indeed he has maintained his connection with the Kerry club since moving back to County Roscommon.
Tom Óg played at all levels with St Brigid’s and Roscommon, lining out for the Roscommon senior team between 1984 and 1989. After moving to Dingle in 1990 he immediately began playing for the west Kerry club, and did so for five years up to 1995.
Tom Óg then moved back to Roscommon in 1996 and was a member of the St Brigid’s team that won their first county senior title in 28 years in 1997, when managed by the late John O’Mahony.
Tom Óg spoke to the Roscommon People last weekend about his close ties to both of this Sunday’s All-Ireland finalists.
“I played for St Brigid’s and Roscommon until 1989 and then I moved down to Kerry. I have great memories of playing for Dingle. We won the Kerry Senior Championship in 1990 as part of the West Kerry team which was managed by Páidí Ó Sé.
Tom Óg O’Brien pictured at Milltown Mushrooms in Derryglad, South Roscommon on Tuesday. Photo: Michael Finan
“Dingle won the Intermediate Championship in 1989 but they decided not to go up to senior because they reckoned they didn’t have the numbers to compete. I have fantastic memories of my time there and I have made many lifelong friends.
“I came back to Roscommon in 1996 and Brigid’s won the senior championship in Roscommon under John O’Mahony in 1997 and the club has never looked back since then, to be honest.
“I have always kept my connection with Dingle. I have a place there and I travel down a number of times every year and I go to see Dingle playing as often as I can.”
Unsurprisingly, Tom Óg is very familiar with the players on both teams.
“I would have played football with the fathers of all the Geaneys and would know the families of most of the players in Dingle.
“When it comes to St Brigid’s, I would have coached the majority of the players on the present team at U-16 level. I was involved with the Brigid’s club at underage level for a number of years and know them all from that.”
Tom Óg O’Brien (on right) celebrates St Brigid’s’ win over Moycullen in the AIB Connacht Club SFC final with Seamus Fallon and Ruaidhrí Fallon.
So how is he viewing Sunday’s game?
“I honestly think it will be close. I think that the Brigid’s defence is slightly stronger than Dingle’s, although Tom O’Sullivan is a class act for them. At midfield, Mark O’Connor is improving with every game for Dingle. There is not much between both attacks. There are great players on both sides.”
Dingle have come back brilliantly in both the Munster semi-final and the recent All-Ireland semi-final, so that will stand to them, Tom Óg says.
“Against St Finbarrs and Ballyboden, Dingle were excellent as they came back in both games, but I think that Ballyboden collapsed a bit. Pa Warren was doing very well on Tom O’Sullivan in the semi-final but when he went off O’Sullivan ran riot on the day”.
Tom Óg says that he is giving a very hesitant vote to St Brigid’s to prevail.
“Their experience from two years ago (when St Brigid’s were runners-up) will stand to them on Sunday and I give them a slight preference. But anything can happen in a final… a mistake, a referee’s decision, or a bit of luck will turn the game one way or the other. They look two very evenly matched sides and there will not be much between them” he concluded.
