By David Farrell

Former Rhode and Offaly footballer Seamus Darby discusses the ‘Best XV’ that he played football with for both club and county.

Darby enjoyed a hugely successful football career where he won three senior county titles with Rhode, four Leinster senior titles with Offaly and three All-Ireland titles in 1971, ‘72 and ’82. He will forever be remembered as the man who broke hearts in the Kingdom of Kerry for his last gasp goal for Offaly in the 1982 All-Ireland final when Offaly put a halt to Kerry’s bid for the ‘5 in a row’. 

There are a total of nine clubs represented on Darby’s ‘Best XV’ team with three of his fellow Rhode team-mates selected. There are also three from Ferbane and Walsh Island with Tullamore, Doon, St Cartages, Gracefield, Erin Rovers and Daingean making up the rest of this formidable outfit.

The rules are simple. You can only choose a player you actually played with.                    

                                                    1.

                                          Martin Furlong

                                             (Tullamore) 

                   2.                             3.                          4.

             Mick Ryan         Paddy McCormack     Sean Lowry

              (Doon)                         (Rhode)                   (Ferbane) .      

             

                  5.                              6.                           7.

        Eugene Mulligan      Nicholas Clavin       Richie Connor 

              (Rhode)                  (St Cartages)           (Walsh Island) 

                

                     8.                          9.

                        Willie Bryan         Padraig Dunne

                        (Walsh Island)         (Gracefield) 

                 10.                         11.                          12.

         Sean Cooney       Kevin Kilmurray      Tony McTague

          (Erin Rovers)            (Daingean)                (Ferbane) 

                13.                          14.                         15.

      Johnny Mooney        Matt Connor          Brendan Lowry

            (Rhode)               (Walsh Island)             (Ferbane)

 

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1. The three All-Ireland medals speak for themselves. Martin Furlong was fearless in the goals and he was a great motivator. Easily the best goalkeeper I played with.
   
   
2. My first corner back is Mick Ryan of Doon. Mick was a great footballing corner back who was a good reader of the game and he had a great pair of hands.
   
   
3. My full back would have to be the iron man himself. Paddy McCormack was tough and fearless. He was a great leader and a brilliant motivator too.
   
   
4. Another man with three All-Ireland medals and a brilliant servant to Offaly football. Sean Lowry was a versatile footballer and a good reader of the game.
   
   
5. Courageous and Inspirational. These are the words I would use to describe Eugene Mulligan. Every time he took to the pitch he left nothing behind him in the dressing room. He emptied the tank each and every single time he played.
   
   
6. In my opinion injuries hampered what might have been. Nicholas Clavin potentially could have been the best centre back of all time. He was so strong and forceful. Easily the best number 6 I ever played with.
   
   
7. Richie Connor was an all round brilliant footballer. He had good vision and was very strong. He was a terrific leader for Walsh Island and for Offaly.
   
   
8. He was the complete artist. Willie Bryan had all the skills to succeed in GAA. He was one of the best fielders of all time and a great passer of the ball. His duel with Mick O’Connell is legendary.
   
   
9. My good friend Padraig Dunne takes the number nine jersey. Podge was a great fielder of the ball and great worker who did his fair share of grafting. He used to get very nervous before matches though! Ah no, Padraig never cared who he was playing or who he was marking he went about his job in the same manner.
   
   
10. He was a great worker. Sean Cooney was a very good footballer and was well able to take his score too. I always enjoyed playing alongside Sean.
    
    
11. Rhode’s loss was Daingean’s gain that is for certain. Kevin Kilmurray’s hard work made the whole forward line tick. He was a super footballer.
    
    
12. He is one of the best place kickers in the history of the game. Tony McTague was just a fantastic footballer and is highly regarded among the games elite.
    
    
13. He was the complete footballer. Johnny Mooney could play anywhere and influence the game. He was so crucial to the win in 1982 and had he not been there we may not have won it. Again I’ll just emphasise he was the complete player.
    
    
14. I don’t need to give any explanation here. Matt Connor is widely regarded as one of the best GAA players in the history of the game and I highly doubt there is too many who would dispute that. He was a genius. Case closed.
    
    
15. To complete my team I’ve chosen Brendan Lowry at number 15. Everyone has the same memories of Brendan. He was a very good corner forward but he was a lethal finisher. If he got the ball near the goals you could chalk it up on the scoreboard. It was a certain score.