Championship

Diarmuid O'Sé - A Heartbeat of South Kerry Football

October 13th, 2009
by Weeshie Fogarty

One thing is absolutely certain in relation to next Sundays county final between South Kerry and Dr Crokes and that is each and every player and mentor will give nothing short of 100% and more if that was possible in their efforts to capture the prestigious Bishop Moynihan trophy. While all eyes will be on the thirty men out on the field the passion and nail biting tension which is generated by those mentors and officials on the side lines will be quite palpable to those of us who keep a close eye on happing's outside the white lines. Both sides have men and women who have given their lives to their clubs and divisions and their participation in this county final is really the ultimate honor. For the Crokes of course they can go on and capture Munster and All Ireland glory. On the other hand for South Kerry and in particular the officers of that board success will further copper fasten the theory held by many that South Kerry football and its footballers is in the healthy's state of all within this county.

Two All Ireland club titles this year and the magnificent Hogan Cup win by Colaiste Na Skellige is a remarkable achievement. But that's not all. Throw in Kerry's National League and All Ireland victories masterminded by the man from Dromid Jack o Connor now recognized as one of Kerry's great managers/trainers. And then we have players from the area, Declan o Sullivan, Brian Sheehan, Killian Young and of course others who have worn the green and gold in all other grades and you have a situation which should be the envy of all.

However for me one man typifies all that is great and good in relation to South Kerry football, its organization, dedication, undying passion and astonishing success at all levels. That person is the chairman of the division and county board Cultural officer Diarmuid o Se. This man is your archetypically grass roots GAA worker. Of course Diarmuid will be first to say that they are many like him in this great county and beyond. And there are. However if you are to hold up as an example of what a life time dedication to Gaelic games in this county entails that Diarmuid o Se is you man.

From that very first day back in the sixties when he was given a pair of the old fashioned Blackthorn football boots as a pupil in the Christian Brothers School Caherceiveen to the present day his commitment and involvement has been total. When I met Diarmuid at the South Kerry press night in Fossa recently he reminded me of the great foundation the brothers laid for football all those years ago. "There were no under age leagues in my young days so the brothers ran competitions for the pupils and it was our only competitive football. Those brothers I believe in many ways laid down the foundations for some of the great players we later saw emerging from South Kerry. And of course to day we have Colaiste Na Skellige and they have really transformed the whole scene here. You can see that with all the excellent minor and under twenty one sides we field".

There was no minor team in Dromid back then so their players joined up with Waterville while the seniors played with Derrynane. He has vivid memories of the South Kerry AGM held on Valentia Island in 1976 when he and others from the area such as Patrick And John o Sullivan, Jerry o Sullivan, Mike Sheehan, Padraig o Connell, Patie o Connor and Michael Sheehan attended and the link with other clubs was finally broken. "We decided to go alone", he recalled. "There were a lot of young lads coming through and we could count on eighteen or twenty senior's players, so it was time to break the link. The early days were very difficult and emigration to the states and England hit us hard, but we battled through. We simply had nothing back then. No field, no money, not even a set of jerseys. We bought our first set from the late great John Dowling in Tralee. The original colors of the old Dromid team had been green and white but on the recommendation of Haulie o Shea we went for the Galway colors as green and white was prevalent with many others.

I took the position of chairman and I held that for the next thirty two years. (is this  Kerry record?) Last Christmas at our AGM I vacated the chair and immediately took up position of culture officer of the Kerry county board. I would have deep love for the culture of our area and all thing Irish". He acknowledges the tremendous work that Cumann NA mBunscoil Chiarrai undertake in the county. "It was the bed rock of our success in later years and we made our first big break through when we won out with Killin Liath National School and we also won the mini sevens played in Killarney and players such as Declan o Sullivan, Donie o Sullivan, Aidan o Connor, and Padraig Sheehan came through from that side". Backboned by players coached and trained in club and school they went on to win titles at all age levels in South Kerry and he himself was there to witness each and every one while his position of chairman for all those years also saw the purchase and development of their excellent playing facilities.

Diarmiud's enthusiasm and continuing involvement in all things connected with South Kerry football is absolutely amazing. When I met him last week in Killarney he was later heading to Tralee for another meeting. The seven days of that particular week were all marked engaged in his GAA diary and as a rule four or five nights a week are consumed by his travels far and wide. It is said that behind every great man is women equally as good if not greater and Diarmuid was lavish in his praise of his wife Birdie of whom he says "backs me every inch of the way". All his five children Sean, Diarmuid, Padraig, Philomena and Christina have been are still are deeply ingrained in the football and culture of the parish and it's easy to understand that in the o Se household its GAA morning, noon and night.

This is his second stint as chairman of the South Kerry board as he has previously occupied the position for five consecutive years. He has also in turn been vice chairman, treasurer and cultural officer and says that only for the South Kerry team many footballers from unsuccessful clubs would never have reached the great heights they have. Diarmuid o Se is in my humble opinion one of the great grass root workers of the association. The word no is not in his vocabulary when it comes to GAA matters. I first laid eyes on him some years ago on a bitterly cold March day on a visit with my club to Dromid. He was out in the field attired in working trousers, pair of wellingtons and sporting a peaked cap. A bucket of lime in one hand and a brush it the other as he lined the field for the fixture. Any South Kerry man will tell you that Diarmuid has undertaken every single task required to keep his club and division in operation. Win, lose or draw next Sunday one thing is absolutely certain and that is that this tireless, exemplary GAA activist from Canuig Mastergeehy deep in the parish of Dromid will be back on the road the following day planning, preparing, and working tirelessly towards his next dream. It is his likes the Gaelic Athletic Association is build upon. He richly deserves his Kerry county final day on the side line as he urges on his beloved South Kerry.



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