*Lee Cregan, Grainne Hayes, Eoin Hayes, Dessie Hayes, Roisin Hayes, Evie Loughnane & Cathal Hayes. Photograph: Joe Buckley
OVER THE COURSE of its 55 year history, families have always been to the fore and central to the success of Newmarket Celtic.
Youโve the Sheedys, Ryans, OโMalleys, Collinsโ, Donlons, Cusacks, the list goes on. In the current day, thereโs few families devoting as much hours to the Newmarket-on-Fergus as the Hayes family from Avondale nestled right in heart of the village.
Grainne Hayes has been club secretary for close to a decade and is highly regarded by everyone in the club. Eoin is the captain of the A team, heโs been capped by his country for the amateur over 25 times and is an ex FAI Junior International of the Year. Cathal has represented the club at all levels and has always been a standout player for any team he has taken to the pitch with.
Their father, Dessie lined out in the 1985 Munster Junior Cup final for the club and their mother Catherine is one of sixteen children from the famed Sheedy clan. Roisin, their sister continues to be one of their most loyal supporters.
Therefore it comes as no surprise that the discussion point in the family home in Avondale regularly circles back to Newmarket Celtic. โEvery Sunday we all go down home for dinner, itโs like all we do be talking about, a synopsis of the match, how did things go,โ Grainne admitted./ โUsually weโd have a game on a Sunday so the A team would play at 11am, the B team would be on at 2pm, Grainneโs husband Daniel is the manager of the B team so when we get home the B team usually are playing so weโd have dinner then Daniel would come in and thatโs when the conversation starts,โ Eoin explained.
At times, the topic has been kept off-limits. โLast year wasnโt too easy I wonโt lie. Itโs easier to talk about things when you win, in fairness to Mam it doesnโt change her one bit. She does care but at the same time family is more important to her, we might not talk much if we havenโt won but itโs a place where we kind of escape it,โ Eoin said.
Before the conversation moves on the record, Grainne and Cathal claim to be the quiet ones of the family. Trying to ascertain the various roles and personality in the family isnโt too difficult. โWeโre all the same, Mam would do anything for any of us, Dad has his favourite, I wonโt say who but itโs not me or Eoin anyway,โ Cathal outlined with Grainne laughing beside him. Eoin is quick to shed further light on this, โGrainne is very much the favourite of Dadโ.
He continues, โShe is the eldest and stuff like that, anything Grainne wants she gets. With my mother, weโre all equal. Roisin is fairly dominant isnโt she? Sheโd be the more dominant personality in the house, really the grand-kids dominate now, they decide whatever happens, it all centres around family at home, itโs incredible really our parents devotion to us, anything weโve ever needed or wanted in life has never been questionedโ.
Ever-present since the club was founded in 1968 has been a link with their family be it through their uncles on the Sheedy side or their father wearing the red and white. โEven at the semi-final in Jackman Park, anywhere you looked there was someone be it uncles, aunts, cousins, itโs a real family,โ Grainne acknowledged.
These family ties to the club run deep, Eoin explained. โAfter the last game, I met Noreen (Cusack, aunt) who didnโt go to the semi-final, neither did Mam, they were saying they were crying the whole time at home with nerves, itโs that deep. The fundraising draw that the club does every month, thereโs a long-running joke that the Sheedys will be pulled out but thatโs because they are all in the draw, thereโs so many of them and thereโs never a question of support, they are always there to put an arm around you. I think it goes back to years ago when the likes of Briany and David were still playing, Shag was heavily involved and managed the A team. Noreenโs husband PJ would have been Chairman, theyโve been heavily involved in fundraising and anything they can do for usโ.
Before the start of the second half for their Munster semi-final win over Fairview, Eoin took a moment to scan the crowd, he didnโt happen to make eye contact with his uncle Briany, which is fortunate as the red beret sported by the Glencragga resident may have resulted in his nephew losing concentration. โMe and Briany would be very close, I donโt know if itโs because we golf together, every Sunday heโd ring me after a match if we were going out socialising, heโd ring and say come on, be home by 8, he wants me home early as if Iโm his son or something, itโs funny. Briany after a match heโd be so emotional about the whole thing, it just means a lot to everyone, itโs not about kicking a ball around the pitch, itโs much more than that. A lot of people would associate the GAA with the community and tight-knit but the soccer club really is the same which isnโt what other soccer clubs have be it in other counties, itโs fairly good in Clare but in other counties that allegiance and loyalty isnโt thereโ.
Cathal would have been managed by both Flan and Briany at underage level. There was definitely no special treatment, he argues, โNot off Flan anyway or Briany actually. We had Briany for two years, he loved all the Shannon lads more than us, he took the captaincy off me one year, I wasnโt happyโ. He doesnโt receive the calls to encourage him to be home by 8pm, โHe tells me that when Iโm walking down the road. He collects Eoin, heโd do anything for himโ.
During the conversation, Grainne also drops the bombshell that their mother Catherine will be attending the FAI Junior Cup final. โI came home the last day and I said โMam come on you have to go, you may never see this again, you have to goโ. The last big match she was at was against St Michaelโs in Tipperary, it was the day we beat them on penalties. She was there but did she watch it, I donโt think so, she went for a walk and went into a church to say a prayer, she said she was praying to her father and everyone, she found out after it was a Protestant church, I think that was the last time she was at a big match, she stays at home and has the dinner ready when we get home, sheโs not able and I see myself getting a little bit like her. Sheโll be there, she has her name on the bus, she might go for a walk, find a church and say a few more prayersโ. A dislike of watching matches as a spectator is shared by Eoin
Both Eoin and Cathal have been busy with training preparing for the finals but Grainneโs workload has been arguably greater with constant emails, phone calls and messages getting things organised. โThe last three weeks Iโve spent every night in the pitch from Monday to Friday anyway. Itโs constant and busy, in general I think I spend more time on the phone to Liam Murphy, Eoin OโBrien and Paddy Purcell than talking to my own husband and son at home. Leading up to this thereโs been a lot of contact with the FAI and Munster, in the three weeks since the FAI semi-final itโs been quick and trying to organise gear, the lads are all kitted out with full tracksuits and gearbags, trying to get that in a short space and sorting sizes, giving out gears to the lads with lads stripping off, itโs been busyโ.
She added, โSometimes youโd be fed up of it and then the last couple of weeks Iโm looking back and this is why I do it, itโs a good busy when youโre winning, thereโs great support, weโve a fantastic committee there, I delegated things over the last couple of weeks whereas before Iโd be trying to do everything, lately Iโve been saying Siobhan will you do this, Ciara will you do this, thereโs great help there with Jody Halpin as Chairmanโ.
Throughout their careers, thereโs been many sporting highlights for the Hayesโ whether it is soccer or hurling such as getting capped for Ireland, national accolades, All-Ireland and county titles. Cathal also has a unique sporting feat, lining out in goals for the Newmarket-on-Fergus minor hurlers with a packet of sweets hidden in his sock, he recalls that he offered jellies during a particular home game to local taxi man Pat Corry and his neighbour Colin Martin. โWeโve played sport since we could walk, weโve won a lot with the soccer club and a good bit with the hurling club underage. The best moment is winning all the Cups with Eoin and all the lads, winning the Youths with my best friends,โ he commented.
Eoin added, โIโve had an unbelievable amount of success when I think about it. Not because of the achievement but one of the fondest sporting memories was after we won the senior hurling championship, my Mam and Dad came onto the pitch and they were bawling crying, because we were ahead by so much they stayed for the game, normally they canโt hack the last few minutes of games, for my parents itโs not because we won hurling or soccer, itโs because I won and they see what we put into everything. Iโd be a firm believer in positive thoughts and feelings, in the lead up to this final Iโll be thinking what are the implications of winning this and what would happen after, thatโs one of the moments that will stick with me before and my parents coming onto the pitch. Towards the end of the semi-final the last day, emotions got the better of me at the end, I donโt know why, normally Iโd be very composed but the first person to meet me after was Cathal, it was an emotional moment and thatโs what I will think about, not the games, the medals or the cups, itโs the moments you have with people is what does for meโ.
Ability in the duo has been evident from an early age, itโs why Cathal made his debut for the A team at the age of fifteen and Eoin at the age of sixteen. When it came to his debut, Cathal wasnโt afraid to quieten older peers, a trait he still has, โEleven years ago, I was fifteen and I came on against Ennis Town, I actually scored. Neil Ryan was roaring at me to pass him the ball but I stuck it in the top corner, he turned around to me and said โyouโre lucky you scored because I was in a better positionโ, I just said โgo away Neilโโ.
It reminds Eoin how manic things were from a fixtures perspective. โI was only thinking about it recently, I was sixteen when I made my debut for the A team, I donโt think I played for the B team maybe one or two games, I was sixteen when I first played with the A team, thereโs a picture of me with Mike OโMalley and Kevin Feely, it must have been 2003 or 2004. A common weekend would have been minor or U16 hurling on Friday, Youths soccer on Saturday morning and then play for the A team or the intermediate hurlers on Sunday, thatโs the way we used to do it, I saw Cathal Cullinan playing like four matches last weekend and I said I remember those daysโ.
A new aspect for Eoin has been having to sign autographs after Newmarket games. โI donโt know if this is a new phenomenon after games but the kids are gone stone mad, itโs cool donโt get me wrong. We had an open training session the other day where the young lads were training with us, afterwards they all wanted us to sign their jersey, some of them were asking for my boots and jersey, I paid โฌ250 for them boots they must have been joking thinking they would get them. Thereโs some buzz among the young people, winning is incredible in what it does, people go on about participation in sport but when they see you winning they want to be a part of it, itโs coolโ.
This season has seen Eoin take on the captaincy but Cathal has had to contend with less minutes on the field, โItโs obviously not easy when youโre not playing but when youโre winning you canโt complain. We have a massive squad, we have thirty players who can start on any team in Clare, itโs good to have the competition and all I can do is keep working,โ the Ei Electronics employee said.
Application of players in training who are not getting as much game time as theyโd like has been key to their run, Eoin believed. โWe do have an incredible squad. When youโre winning people want to be around, no different to any other amateur sport when youโre not winning you will see who is not committed and the numbers will start to dwindle, we see it at training weโve unbelievable competition for places, while the lads are very fair and play based on what they see, they do reward hard work, we saw in training there was an incredible bite to it which you do see when things are up for grabs at this time of yearโ.
Among the new signings this year is Darragh Leahy, a nephew of Grainneโs husband Daniel. โWeโve known Darragh since Grainne and Dan got together, heโs been brilliant for us,โ Cathal remarked. โI can remember Cathal and Darragh running around the place,โ Grainne reflected.
It prompted Cathal to remind them that Darragh split him open when they were hurling aged five and six in the back garden, an event Eoin had completely forgotten. โIโd to get five stitches, he hit me with a hurley,โ Cathal said pointing to the lip. Leahy has taken many scalps since while it is likely Cathal was his the first victim, โI started him offโ.
On Leahyโs addition, Eoin surmised, โHe is an enigmatic character, itโs hard to make sense of him, youโd be looking at him and heโd be walking up to training and he looks like heโs not in it and then the next thing the whistle blows and he turns into a different animal, heโs been incredible, he plays on the edge, you wouldnโt like to play against him but you absolutely love having him on your team. Heโs been incredible for us, there would have been doubts, he came from Shannon Hibs and no offence to them but they wouldnโt be aspiring to win FAI Junior Cups, it just tells you how good he is that he is able to go from playing with them to playing with us and dominating the best defenders in Junior football which is what Fairview and Ballynanty were, he is seamlessly able to fit into our team which says a lot about himโ.
Donegal native Eunan Doherty who has shown his ability in gaelic football is another addition linked to the family, he is the partner of their first cousin, Laura Commane. โI remember my cousin Seamie (Lawlor) saying to me, weโd be very close, โcome here will you get onto Paddy I sent him on Eunanโs number but he hasnโt got onto himโ, Paddy is a very busy man and him not getting onto somebody isnโt because he doesnโt want them, he might have 500 million things to be doing, I remember speaking to Paddy and asking what the story was with Eunan Doherty, I said I didnโt know his background but we were thinking like Kevin Harnett playing at a top level of gaelic football and would he able to seamlessly come into us and play. Thereโs no doubt that football aside, he has an incredible attitude, his application is outstanding, he is a real competitor, itโs another one of the family involvedโ.
Hurt from last season has helped to drive everyone in the club, Grainne believed. โThat last game up in Roslevan looking at all the disappointed faces, hearing comments that the team was getting old, a lot of negativity against the team after losing, there was an extra bite this year to prove somethingโ.
Eoin interjected, โThings like that will drive you on, thereโs no doubt about it. Sport is fickle and has a short-term memory, despite the fact we won nine cups in a row, eight leagues in a row but when we lost last year people donโt say they are still a great team because of that, you are only as great as you are in that moment. That is not the reason for our success this year, what it did was drive people on to work harder over the break, it also and this is the reality of sport, it forces decisions, players might move on and new players will come in, new management will come in, that is just the harsh reality of sport. Mark OโMalley and Donal Magee had done unbelievably well in recent years, they won two leagues and two cups, itโs a feat that not too many managers have done, Iโd say maybe one other manager has done a two in a row of Cups and League titles, I think Davy and Crusher did it and Mike OโMalley but nobody else.
โThereโs cycles of teams, I would say at the start of the year there was no doubt we werenโt planning on getting to the final of the big competitions, as the year grew and I think the Munster Junior game against Avenue, that day something sparked for me that something special was happening, particularly when you see Harvey, Darragh and Jack, I would class them as game-changers, real big-time players who have definitely drove us on. Thereโs no doubt that the players that were always there are good enough but you always need something fresh to come in, thereโs bit of luck along the way and all of those things, thereโs been a suggestion that better teams have been around before, maybe that is true but who knows, thereโs more togetherness on this team but if you get knocked out in one of the earlier rounds then the togetherness doesnโt exist, thatโs what I mean about the fickle nature and short-term memory of sportโ.
Squad depth is stronger, Cathal felt. โI think the squad is much better. Last year we were going up to training with the same nine or ten lads. I remember the last game against Avenue, we only had two subs for a league play off, someone got injured and we only had a Youths player to bring on, this year weโve a massive squad to pick fromโ.
Grabbing the opportunity of a potential historic double is crucial. โI remember having a conversation with James โChalkyโ Walsh, he is one of the most decorated Junior footballers in Ireland, I think he lost four FAI Junior Cup finals before he won one, he said to me, โHayzo you have to keep coming back, you just have to keep coming back, thereโs no recipe or science, keep coming back, keep knocking on the door and eventually you will break it downโ, it always stuck with me, despite the fact we never thought it would come again it just shows the fact that you have to persevere,โ Eoin stressed. Cathal added, โIt was 2016 when we last got to a Munster Junior Cup final, itโs seven years ago, it just shows it mightnโt happen again so weโll enjoy it while weโre hereโ.
Put simply the club means everything to the Hayes but they all have attempts at putting it into words. โI love being part of it, itโs family. My whole life at the moment revolves around Newmarket Celtic, it is the topic of conversation in my house seven days a week with Lee or Daniel, he has managed Lee over the years, sometimes youโd come home and the house is in great form, then other times when thereโs been a loss or an argument thereโs nobody talking in the house. Itโs all about family and friends. Someone made a comment after the Ballynanty game, they werenโt from Newmarket, they said look around and look at this, โthis is the differenceโ is what they said, it will always stick with me, weโre a very close connected club,โ Grainne stated.
For Eoin itโs about the people, โIf I was to put it into words, Iโd put it into people, my Mam and Dad, when I think of growing up, Paudie Cullinan, Martin Ryan, Johnny Sheedy God rest him a massive influence on me growing up playing soccer, Davy Lenane, Davy Donnellan and all of my managers with the A team, without those lads underage I wouldnโt be here today and I donโt know if Newmarket Celtic would be here in an FAI Junior Cup final, they very much laid the foundation, it’s for them. People donโt join our club and leaveโ.
In the list of priorities for Cathal, itโs almost at the top, โFamily would be number one for me in life but then Newmarket Celtic is number two, itโs like a family, everyone is so close, all of our family is involved, everyone on the teams are friends, I donโt think thereโs a club like it in any sportโ.