Tales of missing number and Offaly jerseys in Armagh outlined at big Offaly football celebration
Iconic Offaly footballer celebrated on special home turf appreciation evening
ONE of OFFALY'S most iconic and revered, if you can pardon the pun, footballing heroes was the special guest at a very special celebration on Friday evening.
A large crowd of locals and friends and former playing colleagues from across the county turned out in Rahan Hall to pay tribute to Fr Nick Clavin.
He was a super footballer in his all too brief playing career at the end of the 1960s into the 1970s. He was in sensational form at centre half back as Offaly won their first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title in 1971 and collected a second medal in 1972 when a knee injury limited his late involvement but he came on as a sub in the replayed All-Ireland final win over Kerry.
One of the greatest centre backs produced by Offaly and one of the best in the country during his playing career, he burst onto the Offaly senior football scene in 1968. He was the centre back on the first All-Stars team in 1971 and his performances are very much a part of the county's footballing story.
Fr Nick won Leinster senior football medals in 1969, '71, '72 and '73 and played in the 1969 All-Ireland final defeat by Kerry. He won Leinster minor and U21 football medals with Offaly in 1965 and 1968,
The 1973 All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Galway proved to be the last of his 45 appearances as he departed for San Diego soon after that and he has remained there ever since, though he makes an annual pilgrimage home each summer – he was ordained in '73 and celebrated the golden jubilee of that in the Rahan parish church at Killina in 2023. He was studying for the priesthood as Offaly broke through in 1971 and 1972 and ordination followed by departure to San Diego ended a playing career that would have had plenty of road to run in different circumstances.
From the Derries in Rahan, a member of a renowned, hugely popular local family, he won U-21 and Junior football medals with St Carthage's in the late 1960s and a Minor Football Championship medal with Clara in 1966 – St Carthage's had no minor football team at that time.
He was the star member of the side that lost to Tullamore in a famous 1973 Senior Football Championship final - Fr Nick returned home to win a senior football league medal with St Carthage's in 1975.. The decision by St Carthage's to play him out of position at centre half forward in 1973 in a bid to curb the influence of his fellow 1971/1972 stalwart, Tullamore star Mick Ryan (a Doon man who had transferred to Tullamore for a couple of years in the 1970s), remains a source of debate to the current day – following Shinrone's great Senior Hurling Championship win in 2023, Rahan is the only parish in Offaly without a senior title in either grade, though St Carthage's were so close in 1973 and Shamrocks had three agonising defeats in finals in 2000, 2005 and 2007 in a decade in which they were good enough and deserved to win one but couldn't get over the line.
Friday's celebration, however, was all about Fr Nick and there was a terrific atmosphere at the evening as Clara man, Brian Gavin proved a very efficient masters of ceremonies.
There was a great turnout of locals along with GAA supporters from throughout the county while a number of Fr Nick's 1971/1972 team were present: the team captains, Willie Bryan and Tony McTague along with Paddy McCormack, Eugene Mulligan, Sean Cooney and Mick Ryan.
There were many highlights in the formal part of the evening which lasted about an hour and a half but the standout moments were the evocative emergence of a lost number from the centre half back jersey worn by Fr Nick in the 1971 All-Ireland final and a great story by GAA president Jarlath Burns of his young childhood memories of that memorable victory over Galway and the popularity of Offaly jerseys in his native Armagh in 1982.
There were loud cheers as one of the main organisers of the event, Shamrocks GAA secretary Brendan Minnock produced the Offaly jersey worn by Fr Clavin in the '71 final with the number clearly missing from the back. It turned out that the number had come off in the hands of a supporter from Lumcloon, near Cloghan, the late Jack Kenny, who passed away in 2023 and watched the game with his then ten year old son, Sean Kenny from Hill 16. They attempted to give the number back to Fr Nick but he was whisked away in the delirious excitement that greeted Offaly's first All-Ireland senior football title.
Jack Kenny later moved to Portarlington with his wife Cissie and family and the number was framed occupying a proud place in their home. Sean Kenny was present at Friday's function to reunite the number with the jersey, which was given to Fr Nick.
Jarlath Burns spoke with typical passion and he recalled the formative experience that the 1971 All-Ireland final had on him. From the Silverbridge Harps Club in Silverbridge, south Armagh, Offaly's emergence co-incided with the breakout of the modern Northern Ireland troubles. The similarity of the Offaly green, white and gold jersey to the Irish flag won them plenty of admirers in Armagh, which was at the epi-centre in ways of the troubles, and an enterprising shop keeper stocked up on them, selling them out. As Mr Burns recalled, local nationalists and GAA supporters took great pleasure in making a statement by wearing the Offaly jersey, alternating it with their own club colours.
Brendan Minnock introduced the formal part, noting that two members of the Shamrocks club, Garrett O'Brien (1988) and Kieran Dolan (2021) had captained Offaly to All-Ireland U21-20 football success.
Fr Nick's sister Marian Minnock and brothers, Mossie, Billy and Donie were present to hear glowing tributes paid to their famous, charismatic older brother.
Chairman of Shamrocks GAA Club, Anthony Hanniffy spoke of the pride they retain in the achievements of Fr Nick and thanked all associated with the event.
Offaly GAA chairman Tom Parlon recalled going to the 1971 All-Ireland final with a group of enthusiastic young supporters from Coolderry, including the late Pat McLoughney. Noting that Coolderry was not noted for its footballing prowess, he stated that they are very proud Offaly people and those Offaly footballers were heroes to them. He talked about the impact those football achievements had on the hurling end of the county and how it helped sow the seeds and self belief for their own big wins in the 1980s and '90s.
“It is probably not appreciated by the football clubs, the respect and regard we had for those football teams. The inspiration all Offaly players got from that was absolutely fantastic and it fed onto wonderful success afterwards,” Mr Parlon smiled, stating that the first one is always the toughest one.
He referred to the influence people like Fr Nick had on their local communities as they brought back medals and glory to their parish.
Brian Gavin then conducted a very entertaining questions and answers session with Fr Nick and his fellow Offaly greats, Willie Bryan, Tony McTague, Eugene Mulligan and Sean Cooney and his St Carthage's team mates, neighbours and friends, John Mollin and Frank Monaghan.
There was plenty of light hearted fun as they recalled their memories with Mollin and Monaghan telling childhood stories of fun and games.,
That 1971/1972 Offaly team were notoriously tough, operating a take to prisoners and strike first, ask questions later policy in defence. Willie Bryan recalled the referee in the '71 final telling him to go into his defence and tell them to calm it only for full back Paddy McCormack to tell him, in fairly unparliamentary language, that if they were winning the ball out the field, they wouldn't have to deal with it inside.
Eugene Mulligan was in his last year in minor in 1966 when Rhode faced Clara in the final. They were confident of winning and he recalled the shock they got when they saw the then Nick Clavin heading into the Clara dressing room. They knew they their optimism was ill-founded and Clara duly beat them.
Sean Cooney talked about the ability of Fr Nick's brothers, Mossie, Billy and Donie – one of Fr Nick's great friends, he told entertaining stories about having to climb up a pipe to visit him in the clerical training college at All Hallows in Dublin.
Tony McTague spoke glowingly about Fr Nick's influence on their team: the free taker on that great team, the Ferbane man spoke about how he practicised frees as often as he could thanks to the help of young people returning the ball to him – Sean Kenny told this reporter afterwards that he was one of the young people who fulfilled this role in that era.
Fr Nick Clavin spoke with his customary wit and self deprecating humour about his own career and memories – stopping in full flow at one stage to note the presence of a popular and remarkably fresh 94 year old local man, Paddy Cantwell in the audience.
Asked was it hard to go to San Diego because of the football, he outlined the knee injury he got in 1972, stating that his cruciate was gone – in that day, this effectively meant that his football career was over and it made his decision a lot easier than it would have been.
Fr Nick thanked the organisers and all who attended, extending a special word of praise to his Offaly colleagues, noting that it was a privilege to be around so many good players.
Jarlath Burns concluded the formal part, stating that it wasn't the type of function a GAA president would normally attend but he wanted to be here the minute he saw the invitation. He told the story about him watching the 1971 final and the popularity of Offaly jerseys in Armagh.
In 1971, the RTE coverage was in black and white and they were not aware of the Offaly colours but colour TV had arrived by the time they won their third All-Ireland senior football title in 1982 and they were only too conscious of the colours and what they meant. A shop in Crossmaglen stocked the Offaly jerseys and locals snapped them up, wearing them with great pride around the south Armagh area.
Mr Burns spoke with his usual enthusiasm about the strengths of the GAA and how memories and celebrations of the past blend in with building for the future and providing games for young people.
He joked about how Fr Clavin embarked on a life of “truth, integrity and compassion” but how those ingredients were not always present with him on the football field and that he was a “dirty ho**”
He noted that Fr Nick was much loved in San Diego thanks to his pastoral work there but not as much as in his home parish. “They adore you but not as much as the people here. You may be gone but you are most definitely not forgotten,” he said to loud cheers. “One of our values is respect and the respect there is for you and all these greats in this parish and county is something to behold,” he added.
Mr Burns talked about how much the GAA means to people and how much it has given to people in so many ways. He referred to the “wonderful charisma” Fr Nick has. “This is a lovely evening and a great privilege for me to be here and to hear these wonderful stories. We are all proud of you and what you have achieved on the field and in your vocation,” he concluded.
Fr Nick brought the curtain down on the evening with a passionate call to arms to the young footballers and hurlers in Shamrocks GAA Club, stating that it was his fervent wish that they would succeed what they failed to do in 1973 and win senior championship titles.