Shedding some light on the characters within the Edenderry dressing room.
The Offaly club captured the 11th senior county title with a narrow victory over traditional powerhouses Rhode in Tullamore earlier this month, a victory aided by this rocket of a goal from Derek Kelly that no ‘keeper in the country would have stopped.
Edenderry go on to face Wicklow champions Rathnew in the Leinster Championship in Tullamore on Sunday and before that game, we caught up with stats man Padraig Foy to get some background on the club and the characters that make it what it is.
We’re reliably told that although stats man is his official title, Padraig is just as effective acting as an amateur psychologist in the dressing room, so no better man to tell a few tales about the men than inhabit it.
Spotlight on Edenderry
Club: Edenderry GAA
Club colours: Red & White
Year established: 1891
Estimated size of population covered by parish: 8,000
Proudest moment in the club’s history? Each and every one of our 11 Senior County Titles
@MicilGlennon @EdenderryGAA @Offaly_GAA Edenderry have shown the recent form… But there'll be nothing in it.
— Brian O'Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) October 11, 2015
Most loyal/fanatical supporter? At the moment it’s got to be Peter ‘Cuggy’ Forde. Peter is wheelchair bound and attends every game the Reds play, hail rain or shine.
Most venues don’t cater for the disabled but O’Connor Park is top class with a lift to a balcony section in the Main Stand. Peter is known to have deafened a few dignitaries with his guttural ‘C’MON DA REDS’ roars.
***
Best nickname: Mark ‘Bungalow’ Young (nothing upstairs)
Most likely player to be found on Tinder? Mark ‘Bungalow’ Young
Most likely player to break a beer ban? We have no problems with beer bans. All our players are bastions of temperance. Honest!
Dodgiest championship haircut: Ciaran ‘Chest’ Hurley turned up one time with a Conor McGregor type haircut with an elastic band bunching it together on top of his head. He got serious looks from all the West Offaly contingent (bog men).
Who’s the last guy off the pitch at training? Adam Mahon can always be seen doing a few sprints at dusk.
The team-mate you’d least like to take a hefty shoulder from: David ‘Rodge’ Hanlon. A roving full-back, he loves the rough and tumble.
The team-mate the opposition would most like to give a hefty shoulder to: Richie Dalton. He’s fond of catching a high ball and the opposition are only too willing to meet him on the way down.
Oldest player to ever have played for the club: Wayne ‘Moonshine’ Mooney played for 58 years.
Player with the longest distance to travel to training: Stephen Guing commutes from London. He has his own jet.
Last guy you’d want to take a penalty in the last minute of a county final: Gary ‘G-Star’ Blong.
Gary does a bit of parachuting in his ‘down time’ so God knows what would going through his head if he had to take a peno.
Player you’re most likely to mute in the club WhatsApp group: Stuart ‘Giggy’ Cullen. He would say anything to anyone.
Best ‘Junior B story’ involving your club: Back in the mid-90s our Junior Bs played a championship match against Erin Rovers, who hail from Pullough.
It got out of hand and there were various flash points. Eventually it descended into all-out faction fighting, and after about 10 minutes of pitch battle, lads started to get tired beating one another and looked around to see where the ref was.
Lo and behold, there he was togged in and sitting in the car, at the gate ready to go. He rolls down the window of his Citroen, takes a pull of his John Player cigarette, and roars up the pitch: “I am calling off this game.”
Up the road he sped, putting chippings to the clouds.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
