Remembering an absent friend in Kilmaine

COMING TOGETHER?Kilmaine native Martin Hughes (left, captain Kingdom Kerry Gaels) and Kilmaine captain Pat Kelly are pictured with the Padraig O’Dea Memorial Cup.?Pic: Conor McKeown

Remembering an absent friend


The Padraig O’Dea Memorial Cup was played for in Kilmaine last weekend

Willie McHugh

NOTHING could be sacrificed to chance. Kilmaine and Kingdom Kerry Gaels already knew the exacting standards expected of them when planning the staging of the Padraig O’Dea Memorial Cup. They were arranging a game for a footballing colleague and friend who always set himself the highest of paradigms. Padraig demanded the best from himself first before looking for a similar attainment in others.
He lost his life in a fatal road traffic accident in London last September. As a mark of respect Kilmaine retired the number 12 jersey this year. Padraig O’Dea wore it with pride and it’s a big ask for whoever is assigned it next in a Kilmaine line-out.
In exile he spent time with his Kilmaine team-mate Martin Hughes. On London nights they talked of happenings back home in Cloonamealtogue and Clyard and goings-on around Kilmaine. Together they played football and won everything Great Britain had to offer with their adopted London club Kingdom Kerry Gaels.
Time was when the gates of Kingdom Gaels’ Finchley base was only open to Kerry folk in exile. But a west of Ireland man crashed the party.
That’s why the Kingdom Kerry Gaels team their Roscommon manager Noel Dunning led across the Irish Sea to Kilmaine on Saturday last fielded players from all over Ireland.
And who else other than Martin Hughes could Dunning hand the captain’s armband to. The significance of the honour bestowed on him was not lost on Martin either. There was more than a quiver of emotion in his voice when he spoke afterwards about his departed friend and the special times they shared.
Padraig O’Dea would have relished an evening like this with the two teams he gave his living years best to playing a match in his memory. A huge attendance turned out in Kilmaine on Independence Day evening. Among them half a hospital of his mother Teresa’s nursing colleagues from UCHG.
Padraig would have been chuffed listening to his aunt and his mum’s sister, Assumpta Laffey, sing the National Anthem. Everyone observed a minute’s silence before throw-in.
Only the peeling of Angelus Bell resonated in the stillness of the Kilmaine air. A few short  months back the same bell tolled summoning the mourners to Padraig O’Dea’s funeral mass.
And now, well within the year, Noel Dunning and the Kingdom Kerry Gaels players were back in Kilmaine to honour a graveside promise made to Padraig’s mum and dad, Teresa and Gerry, his brother Gearoid, and the Kilmaine football fraternity.
In the match programme both sides paid tribute to the Padraig O’Dea they knew. They remembered the one and the same fella.
The fully-committed footballer, the genuine, always friendly, Padraig and him full of life and fun. Imbued with an almost perfectionist streak, the consummate reader with a wealth of knowledge, especially on matters of football. But nobody attempted essaying a canonisation either because there was a strand of devilment and good humour coursing through his DNA too.
In the game played to honour him his former team-mates gave it the full blast. He’d have given a big pat on the back to Kilmaine midfielder Frank Burke who covered every inch of the pitch. Bet he jumped around the veranda of Heaven when Ernan Flannery intercepted a threatening Kingdom Gaels attack and his snatching leading to a Kilmaine goal at the other end.
As the move came forwards, ‘Podge’ would have been moving towards the wing making space for Denis Mullin’s run down the middle and the lay-off to Brian Maloney for dispatch it to the visitor’s net.
And he would have been especially proud of his mum, Teresa, and the lovely words she shared before presenting the Padraig O’Dea Memorial Cup to Kilmaine captain Pat Kelly who spoke of the honour it was to accept the trophy. Padraig’s dad, Gerry, presented the winners and runners-up medals.
Afterwards both teams enjoyed a meal in Kilmaine Community Centre before joining Padraig’s family and friends in Macken’s Bar where they traded memories of a Kilmaine footballer who left good, lasting impressions wherever life’s journey rambled him.  
For the record (because Padraig was a stickler for record keeping), Kilmaine won on a 4-9 to 1-10 final scoreline.They’ll play for Padraig’s O’Dea’s Memorial Cup again when Kilmaine journey to London next year.
Ensuring continuity is the standard they’ve set themselves now.

Kilmaine
S Fahey; E Flannery, D O’Dea, B Sheridan; D Doherty, G O’Dea J O’Brien: F Burke, P Kelly;  A Casey, D Doherty,  D Mullin; M Hession, B Maloney, J Maloney.
Subs used: E Mulderrig, J McDonagh, M Murphy, L Browne, S Ryan, B Shaughnessy, C Murphy, M McDonnell, G Burke, V Browne, N Higgins, N Heneghan.

Kerry Gaels
S Howard; A O’Connor, P Kelly, C O’Neill; D McGreevy, C Carty, M Hughes; J Coffey, M Walsh; K Crehan, R O’Boyle, A O’Hara; J Callan, S Kilcoyne, S Coyle.
Subs used: B Jordan, C Griffin, S Rodgers, C Carty.

Referee: M Murphy (Ballinrobe)