'Snippet From The Past': Newcomer Declan Set for Action

On 12 June 1983 the Sunday Independent newspaper featured an article in their weekly GAA spread titled 'Newcomer Declan Set for Action' highlighting that Edenderry's Declan Farrell's would make his senior championship debut.Here's the article from the Sunday Independent:'It's a welcome to championship football for 20 years old Declan Farrell this morning. And he could not make his senior championship debut in more exciting circumstances running out onto Croke Park with the All Ireland Champions Offaly who make their initial defence of their title against Wexford in the Leinster Semi Final on the ground where they scored their memorable triumph last September.

On that occasion Declan was part of the milling crowds behind Canal end. 'It was a great win and I suppose it was perseverance that won it for Offaly. I would have liked to have been part of it but I am willing to wait my turn' said the Edenderry lad.

Indeed Declan was possibly a little unlucky not to be sitting among the Offaly substitutes on the great afternoon. 'I was on the panel up to the Leinster find but then it was cut down a little and I was one of those to be dropped. I suppose I was a little disappointed at the time but it could have bee the spur to work harder on my own game; said Declan, a Dublin based Civil Servant. But there was consolation in that Declan did receive a Leinster medal and it was not long before he was recalled by Eugene McGee and his fellow Offaly selectors who appreciated this young mans talents. Farrell played his first full competitive game for Offaly in Newry against Down last February. That was a day Declan would probably like to forget as Down literally ran riot. But the selectors kept faith with him and he also saw action against Kerry and Mayo. And he gained in experience the former minor and under 21 player began to show his paces up front and last Sunday scored a very notable 12 points in a challenge game against Roscommon. That was the most he has ever scored for Offaly in any grade but he remembers notching up 2-9 when playing for St Mary's Edenderry in a colleges game. He has been playing football since he was nine years old and like any young man looking ahead to his first inter county championship game 'cannot wait for the action'.

Holder of Offaly Senior County football medals from 1985, 1995 (captain), 1997, 1999 and 2001, Declan also trained Edenderry to county final of 1998. Currently Declan is an Offaly Senior Football selector.