Ger Kavanagh - the go-to man in Eadestown

One of the most prominent figures in Kildare football right now, Grace Clifford, once hailed this man as someone every club would want and added “if there is ever a problem in Eadestown, you can always call Ger Kavanagh.”

Ger is born and bred in the area and has been involved in Eadestown from well before his senior debut in 1968 right up until this very day.

“It means everything to me. There is never a day I’m not up there,” Ger said. “I open up most mornings and I am there most days either meeting someone or doing some little job. I’ve been very lucky to be able to do what I have done and I have to thank my wife Helen for being so supportive of me and allowing me the time to do all this work. Without her support, I wouldn’t be able to do it.”

Ger has been heavily involved in the ladies football side of things in Eadestown since the early 2000s, and has been a huge part of the club’s transition towards having equal opportunities for both senior sides.

“What we are particularly proud of is that both the men and the ladies are playing senior football, which is unique for a small rural club. It doesn’t happen by accident and a lot of work has gone into it by a lot more people than just myself,” Ger explained.

“We have it very simple. If the ladies have a match, they have the main pitch and vice versa. But we go down to play championship matches at another club and it isn’t like that. But in Eadestown there is great equality and the girls appreciate that.”

The Eadestown ladies have won five of the last six Senior Championships in Kildare, including the last four in-a-row. Their staggering achievements on the field are pushed on by continuous support, and common sense solutions, off of it.

“It’s marvellous (the Championship wins) and it drives on the under-age girls teams in Eadestown as well. They want to be as good as they possibly can and play in a Senior Championship final. We have very good mentors at under-age and they are doing their utmost to make these players as good as they possibly can be. We have great role models out there in Eadestown, both men and ladies, we are very, very lucky.”

Ger’s initial involvement with ladies football at the club was also steeped in success when he became part of Paul Kelly’s coaching set-up for the team in 2005. Eadestown ladies were a Junior club at that point in time and had a run all the way to an All-Ireland title in their 2006 campaign.

“That was an enormous achievement for the club back then. We travelled all over the country playing matches. We had a great team and it really set the foundation for ladies football in Eadestown.”

The success over the years has naturally brought about brilliant celebrations for the always passionately supported rural club. Few years more so than in 2006, when they went all the way to All-Ireland glory.

“We have had some great celebrations over the years. In 2006, we won Kildare, Leinster and the All-Ireland Championships and we used to go to Time nightclub. At the same time, the second team won a league as well so there was about four or five weeks in a row where we used to go out on a Sunday night and celebrate those wins. The fellas on the door in the nightclub used to think we were bringing back the same cup every Sunday night,” Ger laughed.

“They were great times and enjoyed by everyone. The recent years have brought about more of those times to remember too. Now this year we hope to win Kildare again and then try to progress in Leinster.”

Eadestown Ladies now operate at the top table of Kildare football and are firmly in the middle of a period of dominance. But Ger Kavanagh’s presence also stretches as far as back as the men's first and only Kildare Senior Football Championship win, when he was a substitute in the SFC winning side of 1970.

“I was very lucky to be a sub on that team at 18 years of age. I thought I was going to get a good few of these Senior Championships, but unfortunately we never got back to a Senior Championship final again. But it was great to win that one,” Ger said.

Eadestown struggled for numbers in the years that followed, with multiple retirements from their experienced Championship winning group. Ger and the squad had to get creative and were pulling numbers from all over to keep football in the area alive.

“We enlisted the help of players from Naas Rugby club, because we had to. Even though there was a ban at that stage where GAA players couldn't be seen to be playing ‘foreign games’. There has been a great bond between Naas RFC and Eadestown over the years, because we were able to keep the show on the road,” Ger smiled.

After keeping the team in operation during the lean years, Ger would lead the club to an Intermediate Championship win as captain and club chairman in 1983. Ger’s committee and playing years had an extended overlap due to the longevity of both.

“I was secretary when I was playing and chairman when I was playing well,” he laughed.

“It was a smaller club then, there weren't as many teams as we have now, but we have 25 teams today, which is wonderful.”

Eadestown beat Castledermot 3-11 to 1-9 in the 83 Intermediate county final with a team that had been replenished with great young players, and none more prominent than future All-Ireland winner with Cork, Larry Tompkins.

Ger led the club in many ways over the years and continues to be an integral part of running Eadestown GAA. However, after 37 years of lining out for the Eadestown senior side, he finally saw the writing on the wall following an away trip to Cappagh.

“In the latter years, I would say rather than play for Eadestown, I togged out for Eadestown. I used to bring the boots and if they were short I would tog out. My last game with Eadestown was when I went to Junior league game with the boots in the car, I was 53 at this stage,” Ger recalled.

“When we got down there we had a full team, but Cappagh were missing a player, so I was offered to them. I figured then it was time to hang up the boots. It was ironic that my last ever game I played against my son, my brother Dave, my nephew and then a future son-in-law. It was time to call a halt to it after that.”

Ger may have retired unceremoniously, but he remains very much within the fabric of Eadestown GAA, and has been a part in one way or another with almost every success that the club has enjoyed.

The Leinster Leader will be doing a feature article from every club in Kildare over the coming weeks and months as part of the Love of the Game series.

If you have a suggestion for an article on someone from your club, a legendary player, selfless volunteer or an idea of your own, send them to [email protected]