Shanahan in dreamland ahead of Leinster final

“When Cillian scored the third goal in the semi-final, I turned around to a neighbour of mine and asked him to pinch me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” said Cathal Shanahan, 

You could understand where the Chairman of The Fighting Cocks was coming from. With just two minutes to go, corner-forward, Cillian Fagan, took a pass from Aaron Dowling and, from close range, managed to squeeze the ball between the oncoming goalkeeper and the right hand post.

The Carlow junior champions were now six points clear and were heading for the Leinster final. They gilded the lily when Liam Sheppard punched another point and Dowling landed a two-pointer.

Dreamland for travelling supporters and for the Chairman who confides he was “born and bred in the area”. In 2026 he will assume the same position for the second year in a row.

“My father, Michael, is a former player and former chairman. My cousins, David Nolan and Brian would have played for The Cocks. My family is deep-rooted. Born and bred as they say,” Shanahan says.

The junior and intermediate championships are far more competitive than the senior. You have to prepare well at the start of the year and even then if things don’t go your way, you are on the back-foot straight away. Before this year the club had last won the junior championship in 1999. Up to this year they had only added an intermediate title.

“It goes in cycles. This year we won our seventh junior title. There is probably a decade between each of them. In fairness the crew who won that didn’t get relegated from intermediate until 2019. We spent a long period in intermediate. In 2012 we got over the line and into the promised land. We were unlucky in the senior championship in 2013. We ran Éire Óg to a couple of points. It is hard to stay up at this level. Especially when you are a small club,” pointed out Shanahan.

The Chairman says that when a group of players come along it is important that the players and the club make it as memorable as possible.

“Things go in cycles. You get a crop of young lads. You do your best. They all seem to come together. You squeeze 10-15 years out of them. In Mattie Dowling’s case, maybe 20 years,” he says.

St Martins won the minor championship this year beating no less a club than Palatine. The Cocks was well represented on that amalgamated side.

“We try to do a bit of work with them. If you look at this year’s minor championship, Aaron (Dowling) scored 1-7 in the final. He is a unique talent. If he was from a fashionable county, you would be hearing about him at national level.

"It is no different than any other club. Isn’t that what the GAA is all about. Based on family and friends.” 

This year the club looked inside itself for a manager. Former player, Gary Nolan, was asked would he manage the team. He agreed and selected a management team from within. The decision has proven to be a good one.

“It is built on community. We are a small area. We all buy into it. We all love it.” 

Shanahan cannot speak highly enough of those around him.

“In fairness I don’t think anyone played more times for Carlow than Kieran (Nolan)? Maybe not now but I know he held the record at one stage. He is our most decorated Carlow footballer. The boys in the management are wonderful.” 

So why has it all turned out so well?

“It is like anything else. The squad bought into it early. There are years you don’t. You kind of go through the motions. We were very disappointed to lose to St Mullins two years ago.

“The following year, maybe the buy-in wasn’t there. This year the lads got together and Gary was a huge part of that. Selling his vision to the players and they bought into it. That is what it is all about. You have to have belief, don’t you?” 

So next Sunday at SETU Carlow at 1.30pm the Cocks, who have already created their own bit of history, will look to add a bit more. The Chairman had to pinch himself up in Longford. Wouldn’t it be something special if he had to do the same again on Sunday?

“They showed against the Meath champions that when they came back they had grit, determination and belief. They are an exceptional bunch. They don’t know when they are beaten. They haven’t put a ceiling on themselves. The sky is the limit with these guys,” suggests the club Chairman.