Including the most bizarre in-game GAA diet you’ll ever hear of.
No matter what the result in Sunday’s eagerly awaited Munster Intermediate Final against St. Mary’s, 2015 will go down as a memorable year for the footballers from Carrigaline GAA club.
Their victory over St. Michael’s in the Cork Premier Intermediate Football Championship final in October means that the club’s footballers will play in the senior ranks for the first time next season.
Before they can think about that, they have some serious business to attend to in Killarney on Sunday, when old rivals Cork and Kerry clash for the right to represent Munster in the All-Ireland intermediate club series early next year.
Ahead of that game, we caught up with club PRO James O’Reilly to dish the dirt on life in the Carrigaline dressing room.
Spotlight on Carrigaline
Club name: Carrigaline
Club colours: Blue & Gold
Year established: 1884
Estimated size of population covered by parish: 15,000
Proudest moment in the club’s history? It will be next May when we play Senior Football for the first time.
Most loyal/fanatical supporter? Daithí O’Donovan. He used to drive his car to every match, no matter where it was or how insignificant the match. He’s smiling down from above now; no one would have been happier than him last month.
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Best nickname: Chocolate Thunder (Jamie DePuis)
Most likely player to be found on Tinder? Billy Pope loves a good swipe.
Most likely player to break a beer ban? Eoin O’Connor.
Dodgiest championship haircut (please describe): Evan Ryle. Came to the Munster semi-final sporting a fine bowl cut his 13-year old brother gave him. Thought it made him blend in with the Limerick team. It didn’t.
Who’s the last guy off the pitch at training? Nicholas Murphy (very old).
The team-mate you’d least like to take a hefty shoulder from: Eoin Kavanagh (very big).
The team-mate the opposition would most like to give a hefty shoulder to: David Drake. He’s a complete shaper!
Oldest player to ever have played for the club: Nicholas Murphy. Rumour has it his 103rd birthday is coming up soon.
Player with the longest distance to travel to training: Sean Mellett. But that doesn’t stop the “vice” captain from being there first!
Last guy you’d want to take a penalty in the last minute of a county final: Kevin Kavanagh. He’ll also insist on taking it with his left leg.
Player you’re most likely to mute in the club WhatsApp group: Billy Pope and his naughty pictures. Naughty boy!
Best ‘Junior B story’ involving your club: There was a fella named Tony Murphy who used to sneak bags of “banshee bones” in his shorts for games in case he got hungry.
Long story short, he got booked by a referee for throwing banshee bones at an unsuspecting goalkeeper!
Think he’s retired now, but by God he was some fella to tuck into a Pringles tub mid-solo!
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