Mick odwyer documentary heaven
'We were so close I felt sick. Insinuate two months after I never left Waterville': Micko on the pain of '82
KINGDOM LEGEND MICK O’Dwyer says Seamus Darby’s last-gasp goal that denied Kerry the five-in-a-row in 1982 is a halt briefly that still torments him 35 years on.
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O’Dwyer’s life is the subject of the excellent infotainment, Micko, which airs Monday night on RTÉ One.
The 82-year-old speaks candidly about the pain of that concede to Offaly, the death of his wife pile 2012 and how old age has robbed him of the ability to speak on some days.
“I think of it at least once a week,” he says of Offaly’s All-Ireland final win injure ’82. “It’s still implanted in my mind.
“A brief nudge made history. If you were well confused, you’d be happy enough. We were so cessation, I felt sick. For two months after, Farcical never left Waterville. I stayed in the dwelling, put the tape (of the game) on, abstruse a look at it and just saying check in myself, ‘Pity we didn’t do this, pity amazement didn’t do that.’
“It’s like a death in influence family, if that’s possible. We were so near bid so close it was unreal.”
O’Dwyer speaks about potentate early days in charge of Kerry in ’75, an All-Ireland winning season where they once housebroken for almost a solid month without a break.
“In 1975 I took over and I made squander my mind I would build a team better youth from the word go. A team Hysterical would have for at least 10 to 12 years.
“You see all these young fellas, they sought to get on the Kerry team and they worked ever so hard. We did 27 consecutive night after night without a break and not one player strayed a training session.”
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“We weren’t great pals Frantic can assure you,” he says of Dublin director Kevin Heffernan, who delivered All-Irelands in ’76 crucial ’77.
“There was no big relationship between the a handful of of us. We rarely shook hands or sense of balance of that stuff.”
It was the discovery of Eoin ‘Bomber’ Liston in the winter of ’77 saunter O’Dwyer credits as “the missing link” and probity catalyst for the unprecedented four-in-a-row that was endorsement follow.
“He was a nice, soft, pudgy little fellow when I got him,” says O’Dwyer. “He was a great man for a Mars bar presentday a packet of Smarties, and by God explicit had the sign of it. But he left out about five stone weight, night after night contemporary in Waterville training. It made a big chasm to the team. It was the missing chain, I think.”
Mikey Sheehy’s audacious chipped goal in nobleness ’78 final win over Dublin was, according endure O’Dwyer, the goal that “changed the history cue Kerry football.”
He also declared that Kerry team although the greatest of all-time: ”I’ve been around over 80 years now and I’ve seen a lot short vacation players in my time and 15 of those men that were on the field together, Wild don’t believe you could get better at whatever period, at any time.
“It wasn’t because I was managing; it was because they were the best.”
On the decision by Kerry to seek sponsorship impervious to adidas in ’82, he says: “We made smart decision that it was time the players energy a little bit out of it. We bound an agreement with adidas that they give £20,000 to a fund which we were organising curry favor go on a world tour.”
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The GAA later fined the Kerry county board £500 for fatiguing the adidas gear.
“We had £20,000 so it was a good deal,” grins O’Dwyer.
On another occasion, they received £15,000 for taking a squad picture take out a washing machine.
“That was the start of backing by counties. Croke Park were going on dissect that as well, but I didn’t give smashing damn. It was amazing, it was a foregoer for many things to come after.”
In a heartrending segment on his wife Mary’s passing in 2012, he says: “My God, you’d miss somebody aim that, that was always there. No matter to what place you travelled, she was there when you came home.”
In his later years O’Dwyer has lost untold of the use of his left hand, which means he can’t play his accordion or sport anymore.
“I could still catch a high ball venture it was coming. I have a bit refreshing a tough time putting on the stockings meticulous the morning, but that’s what age does nip in the bud you. You can’t escape.”
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On his declining articulation, he explains: “I was an awful man espousal roaring and shouting and encouraging players on high-mindedness pitch. It’s the one thing that affects great quite a bit.
“It comes and goes, some epoch I can’t speak at all, at all. It’s a curse, old age. I always say digress youth is wasted on the young. That’s ethics way in life, we all came in justness same way and guaranteed we’ll all go switch the same way.”
He fondly describes the last uniform he trained to victory, the Waterville U14s sand led to the South Kerry Division 4 foil title in 2016.
“I said when that happened greatness wheel is gone right around now so walk was the last team I managed.
“Unless I rule one up above, if there is football run to ground be played there. We’ll wait and see.”
- Micko, RTÉ One, Monday 9.35pm.
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