1998 heroes honoured as Rhode GAA celebrate 31st Senior Football Championship title

RHODE GAA Club took a poignant trip down memory lane when they held a well attended dinner dance in Tullamore's Bridge House on Sunday evening.

With Senior Football Championship medals being presented once again, the event had a very familiar looking air to it but this year it was different.

The club honoured the silver jubilee success of Rhode's win in the Senior Football Championship in 1998 and the importance of that to their current run of success can't be understated – they also acknowledged the 1998 formation of Rhode Ladies Football Club, which has now joined with Rhode GAA under the one club initiative.

Back in 1998, Rhode were in the throes of an unheard of 23 year famine. One of Offaly's most iconic football clubs and the home of several of the county's greats, they hadn't won the Dowling Cup since 1975 and were not even contenders for several of those long years.

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PICTURE SPECIAL: Offaly champions celebrate 2023 success at Dinner Dance

In 1998, it all came good and after a traumatic few years when they struggled to get the better of great north Offaly rivals, Edenderry, they embarked on the county's greatest, most sustained run of success. They lost to Edenderry in finals in 1999 and 2001, Clara in 2003 and threw away a big semi-final lead against Tullamore in 2002. However, they won again in 2004 and since then their consistency and excellence has dominated Offaly club football.

The 1998 win was their 19th, their victory over Tullamore in the final last year their 31st and that shows their run of success in the last two decades plus. Declan Gorman, a Killeigh native who married a Rhode woman and moved into the area, was a forward in 1998, manager last year. Alan McNamee won his first senior football medal that day and collected his 13th on Sunday, an Offaly record while others were getting their 12th, 11th and 10th medals.

While they have a number of players now in their thirties, Rhode will be very hard beaten again in 2023 and their run of success is showing no signs of coming to an end yet anyway.

There was a hint of disappointment in the air as the gathering digested Offaly's unlucky defeat by Louth in the Leinster Senior Football Championship semi-final earlier that day in Croke Park – brothers Ruari and Conor McNamee and Anton Sullivan made their way back for the dinner dance, with their disappointment evident for all to see.

The current club chairman is one of Rhode's and Offaly's greatest footballers, Eugene Mulligan who described the panel as “one of the finest bunch of players Rhode have ever produced”.

An All-Ireland medal winner with Offaly in 1971 and 1972, Mr Mulligan said: “They did produce good ones before but this group of guys is as good as I have ever seen come out of the village”.

Eugene Mulligan was the Rhode manager in 1998 and he remarked: “They bridged the gap of twenty three years which was basically unheard of in Rhode”. He noted the contribution members of that team have made to Rhode, including Declan Gorman.

He spoke about Rhode Ladies Football Club and the contribution they have made to gaelic games in Rhode, winning seven titles.

Mr Mulligan talked about the off field work that is needed for onfield success. “It takes hard work and we need people to work at it because that is what makes the club what it is today. With clubs getting to the size they are today, there is an awful commitment given by volunteers,” he said, thanking all club officials and coaches.

He concluded by praising Conor and Ruari McNamee, Keith Murphy and Shane Lowry for organising a 24 hour marathon to raise funds for Rhode GAA and the youth mental health organisation, Jigsaw.

Chairperson of Rhode Ladies Football Club Wendy Bolger recalled how the club was formed in 1998 to offer girls a pathyway to play football that had not been available in the area. “It has been a great success,” she said, outlining their successes and achievements and plans to increase membership. Gifts were presented to the founding members.

2022 club chairman John Kilmurray said: “There is not a club in Ireland that is a patch on this club. It is the love of football and everywhere else. The dedication you put into this club is phenomenal. We are one of the most successful clubs for one of this smallest in this country, never mind the county and we can't give up on that.”

Offaly GAA chairman Michael Duignan saluted Rhode's contribution to Offaly. He noted that Eugene Mulligan was a player, manager in 1998 and now chairman. “It is a lifelong commitment,” he said,

He spoke about Offaly GAA's efforts to integrate ladies football into the wider organisation and the importance of Rhode's win in 1998.

“Your championship win this year was maybe one of your greatest ever with the players you were missing. Your panel was down to the bone. You had serious injuries, you really looked to be up against it and battled against all the odds. You had what I consider to be a very famous victory,” he said, acknowledging Alan McNamee and his 13 medals.

Mr Duignan thanked James Murphy and Stephen Darby for their work for Rhode and Offaly GAA as well as paying tribute to the late John Glennon.

He concluded by paying tribute to the Offaly senior footballers and their Rhode players. “You have probably learnt a lot about life this year and what can happen. Ycould have thrown in the towel a month, six weeks ago after Liam (Kearns) died and you produced an outstanding display again today. I was so proud of ye today and all year. There was never a doubt about the pride in the Rhode jersey but the prid is back in the Offaly jersey. That is all we ever wanted and we are going forward. We will be back in Croke Park again, we will be picking up silverware in both hurling and football and I guarantee that.”