Keeping it in the family – Fitzpatricks dreaming the All-Ireland dream

HE won virtually everything that was to be won as senior club footballer in Mayo in a career that stretched into his fifth decade.

One of the best-known members of the greatest Garrymore team of all time, Billy Fitzpatrick made it as far as Croke Park with Mayo but never got his hands on the most coveted medal in the land.

That could all be about to change on Sunday, when his beloved grand-daughter Alana takes to the field for Claremorris ladies in their first ever All-Ireland final.

“He’s my role model,” is how Alana sums up her relationship with her famous grandfather after the All-Ireland semi-final.

“If I can even be half the player that he ever was, then I think I’ll be doing all right.”

Billy has kept a watchful eye on this Claremorris team for many years; he was even part of the setup during their Intermediate days.

These days, he takes more unofficial role at games, scribbling away on a jotter in the crowd making various notes and observations.

On more than one occasion, Alana has been called over to the house to hear the wise words of one Mayo’s most respected footballing sages.

“All my awards, all my medals. It’s all down to him,” says Alana, who’s already traced Granda’s footsteps in donning the green and red from Under-14 to Minor.

“All of the girls know themselves that Billy Fitz’ has words to be said and they stand by them. The respect that the team for him as well. It’s just phenomenal.”

Billy chuckles humbly when asked about his scouting exploits.

“It’d be nothing major, just small little tips about playing in those All-Ireland semi-finals and Connacht finals; not to allow the nerves to get into you because nerves can destroy a player on any day,” Billy tells The Mayo News

Unsurprisingly, Billy and Alana have been ‘very close down through the years’.

When Alana was a young girl, she told Billy that she was going to play for Mayo in Croke Park one day.

She’s clearly a determined young woman – almost to a fault.

“I don’t know where she got her aggression, because it wasn’t from her grandfather,” Billy laughs.

“She is totally, totally driven. I do be always warning her, ‘Don’t be getting a yellow card now! Watch your tackles, watch your tackles. Don’t go in with the hands, just stay off the marker a little bit and put pressure on, but don’t go in.’”

Billy always believed in Alana, but never more so than he does now.

Likewise, he is confident she and the rest of the golden generation of Claremorris that swept before and after them at underage can go all the way against O’Donavan Rossa on Sunday week.

There won’t be a prouder man in Parnell Park they can if they can get the job done.

“It’d be unbelievable. I never got to get an All-Ireland medal. It’s everybody’s dream,” says Billy.

“But for the girls, for Alana, and for me, an All-Ireland medal coming would make me really happy before my time is up on this earth.

“I think she will achieve that some day. If not in this junior final I think she’s going to be driven to get there maybe with the Mayo seniors down the road or whatever. She certainly is driven to get there.”

“If I could do that,” says Alana, “I don’t even think Billy would have words to be able to describe it, to be honest.

“But if I can do that, that match that I’ll playing in the All-Ireland, everything that I do will be for him.”

Claremorris face O'Donavan Rossa from Cork in the currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Junior Club Championship Final in Parnell Park at 2pm on Sunday, December 17.