Weeshie's Week

James Sheehan - The Laune Rangers man who trained Mid Kerry to victory

October 28th, 2008
by Weeshie Fogarty

 As the final whistle signaled the end to the recent Kerry senior county championship semi-final in Fitzgerald's Stadium manager/trainer James Sheehan had seen his Mid Kerry men score an impressive and deserved win over Laune Rangers to advance to the county final. However it was noticeable that there was no great show of triumphalism, jumping for joy or hugging of players or mentors from the winning manager. Instead he made his way to Shane o Sullivan his opposite number in the Laune Rangers side and had a few quite words with him and various players of the defeated team. While victory was sweet and an appearance in a county final now beckoned it came at the expense of Sheehan's former club and it had been a difficult build up and emotional day for the former Rangers star. "Yes it was a very difficult game for me just like last year when we were also in opposition." James explained to me when I met up with him during the past week. "I had most of these fellows at under age when I coached Rangers and just take Maurice Foley there at mid-field; I looked after him at under eight. However I had a job to do with Mid Kerry and all the Killorglin lads understood this and they are my friends any way."

James Sheehan took over the mantle of Mid Kerry manager three years ago. His passion for the game is plain to see. Just watch him on the side line as his team is in action. The drive, determination, sheer exuberance and passion come shinning through. His hour on the line is a period of non stop action. Track suit legs tucked inside the football socks, lightly clad even on the wettest of days, cigarette smoke trailing in his wake as he prowls the side line urging on his men to even greater efforts. He can also be seen darting in and out of the field ringing in the changes and pumping up the players as the hour draws to a close. If called upon he appears still fit enough to participate.   For me he epitomizes all that is great in the Kerry club/divisional manager. Just like Ardferts Pat o Driscoll, Feale Rangers Johnny Mulvihill or South Kerry's James o Sullivan who among many more are the heart and soul of Kerry's great tradition. No exotic foreign trips for them, no high national profile or TV appearances and maybe an All Ireland ticket at the end of the year. But definitely not tickets for all members of their family who suffer their absence from home from March to November.

And it was early in the year that James Sheehan began his preparations for the county championship as he explained. "We began last March but it has been very difficult to keep it going with Kerry so involved. What you need most of all is patience. It takes a few years to gel a divisional side together. You must play ball with the whole set up, clubs and inter county players. You must work around the system we have, that is if you could call it a system that is there at the moment. The set up is very difficult for every one and it has got to be changed. I have very strong views on it. You can't have fellows sitting on the bench and not playing games. Players want to play football and they must be giving the opportunity to do so. In fairness to our inter county players, Aidan, Darren, Sean and Donncha they make themselves available as often as they can and its great to have them around the squad". I suggested to him that it was the return of Milltown/Castlemaine to the fold that propelled them into the county final. "Yes of course when you get a division one side in with you will get an extra six or seven very good players. It was then up to them to make the team and the boys rowed in with the set up and they are a huge help."

The Laune Ranger's man now Mid Kerry boss is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde character. All pumped up and full of action, energy, very demonstrative and continuously issuing orders on the side line he is the complete opposite when the questions are put to him. Easy going, courteous and very gently spoken he chooses his words carefully but always calls a spade a spade. No beating about the bush. He brings a massive amount of experience with him to his training/coaching. Beginning at ten years of age with Laune Rangers he won at all age groups and starred for their minors as they won their first minor county championship in 1977. The local scribes even got in on the act. In a ballad praising that whole team James was remembered. 
"On the fortieth yard a boy so hard
Kept shining through the hour
James Sheehan true a boy in blue
Like a smiling autumn flower"

Playing on the forty he helped the Kerry Vocational Schools team to two memorable All Ireland wins in Croke Park in 1977-78. "The former Kerry great Donie o Sullivan was our trainer and he was an inspirational figure to us." James fondly recalled. He played Kerry minor and under 21 and Mick o Dwyer even came calling for a tournament game in Cork. "I played wing fordward and John Egan was inside me. Paudie Lynch, Mickey Sheehy, Pat Spillane were all there.  (A big laugh here. "I gelled them together.") A great memory but you would want to be extra special to get on that panel."  However 1989 will forever remain etched in his memory. "We won our first senior county championship since 1911. Peter Lyons was captain; I played at left corner back. The home coming was unbelievable and surpassed the biggest crowds ever seen at a Puck Fair." James has very fond memories for one particular Laune Rangers man. "Noel o Mahoney was responsible for everything in my opinion. He was a great trainer and club man, I learned so much from him."  Sheehan played in particularly every position for his club over a period of seventeen glorious years winning a host of Mid Kerry championships and county leagues. He then moved into coaching and trained all Rangers sides including the senior team in 2000-01.

So how is he enjoying the job as Mid Kerry supremo? "It a great experience training a divisional side and without them we would never see such great players from the smaller clubs as we will enjoy in the county final. Having come from a successful club it gives me great insight into another side of the set up. We will give the final our best shot and in Garry McGrath, Connie o Sullivan and Ken o Sullivan I have picked a wonderful dedicated team of mentors". Win lose or draw the upcoming final James Sheehan will be a winner irrespective what happens. He is one of the unsung heroes of this county and he for me represents all those men who battle away year after year against all odds as they strive to keep their beloved club and divisional sides together despite the completely lopsided method they experience in relation to the running of the championship in this county. Surly they deserve summer football. This and the question of player burn out is a topic for another day as our inter county and club men are now being called on to play Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Surly in this day and age some one can come up with a more suitable fixture programme that would be fair at all our players? 

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