Calls for statues of Limerick's Morrissey boys as they match Mick Mackey medals haul
THERE is something about the letter M and brothers that seeps through Ahane GAA Club like steam from boiling spuds.
You have the Mackeys, the Meskells, the Morans, and now the Morrisseys. When Dan and Tom brought the Liam MacCarthy Cup back to Ahane GAA Club in 2018 it was the first time since 1940 as the club had no representatives on the panel in 1973.
Tom Morrissey declared to loud roars in Mackey Park: “The target now has to be more. We want to bring Liam MacCarthy home one or two more times in the future.”
Fast forward four years and now he and Dan and this Limerick team have three Celtic Crosses in their back pockets.
But back to 2018 and that late September eve when Liam came back to the home of arguably the greatest hurler of them all. Dan and Tom followed the old tradition of successful Limerick sides and stopped off first at Castleconnell train station with Liam MacCarthy.
They also brought the Cup to Shane Lee’s memorial bench at Daly’s Cross.
Before the homecoming in Mackey Park they did a tour of Castleconnell and posed for a photo with the statue of the legendary Mick Mackey.
And now some are calling for statues to be erected for Dan and Tom beside Mick Mackey in the village as they too have three All-Ireland medals.
Emer Kenny, PRO Ahane GAA and Ahane Camogie Club, agreed when contacted by the Limerick Leader.
“Definitely! 100%! They have won three in the last four years – even to say it is crazy – and to have our two boys on the team playing a huge part is just unbelievable. As a club we’d put a statue of them everywhere if we could!
“I don’t think we’ll ever articulate how proud of them we are and long may it continue,” said Emer.
Already carved out of granite, the Morrisseys would be ideal subjects for sculptor Séamus Connolly.
However, it is probably the last thing they would want due to their modest, down to earth nature.
“They are absolutely fantastic. They help out with underage training and fundraising and are always around the club. From a camogie club point of view we’ve asked them to get involved in things and the answer is, ‘No bother, where is it? What time? Where do you want us?’.
“If it is not clashing with Limerick hurling training they will do it not a bother,” said Emer.
Whenever Dan and Tom are interviewed – like with their namesake Marty on The Sunday Game – they always mention the club and the parish.
“They recognise the support like with the signs that were made and on social media. They even say it to us. ‘I saw that’ and ‘You are doing a good job’.
“When our boys are playing league games Tom and Dan are down at the pitch supporting the team. It is also great for the younger kids – boys and girls – when they are down and they say, ‘Oh my God, we are going to have to play really well because Dan and Tom are around’.
“They are such a fantastic representation for us in the club and Castleconnell as a whole.
“There are no words to encapsulate what they do for the club and are two of the nicest fellas in the world,” said Emer.
Statue or no statue, that’s not a bad accolade to have.