TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 • THE MAYO NEWS 2001: A CROSSMOLINA ODYSSEY 1 M Pic: Michael McMcLaughlin CELEBRATING THE TH ANNIVERSARY OF CROSSMOLINA DEEL ROVERS’ ALLIRELAND CLUB FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUCCESS APRIL 16, 2001 Crossmolina 0-16 Nemo Rangers 1-12 ISSUE SECTION SUB SECTION PAGE PDF MADE DESIGN SALES READ EDITOR PDF OK APR 20 SPORT 1 0 KL DAY DAY DAY DAY TIME TIME TIME TIME MODIFIED Mon, Apr 19, 19:56 OUTPUT Fri, Apr 23, 11:52 LOCATION Server:THIS WEEK:z OLD:20210420:SPORT:Supplement Page 1-12:SPORT Crossmolina 1-12.indd 2 2001: A CROSSMOLINA ODYSSEY THE MAYO NEWS • TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 • THE MAYO NEWS 2001: A CROSSMOLINA ODYSSEY 3 Final words and magic memories RELIVING THE DREAM F**K THE their orange juice. We won and lads would start shouting ‘bring showed we had the resilience to HOODOO! nobody died, so that must be on Gardiner, bring him on before fi ght to the very end. Two Crossmolina team-mates the best way to do it.” it’s too late.’ It took us years to win our fi rst “We had a brilliant third quarter, JARLATH THOMAS JORDAN, 2021 county title, and here we are refl ect on the club’s fi nest hour but of course you can’t sustain CUNNINGHAM, 2021 now All-Ireland champions. that all the time. “It’s bewildering, but it’s a nice It’s not often Colin Corkery A DREAM bewilderment.” misses one like that and we SINGLE AND COME TRUE GREG BURKE, 2001 were just blessed that it went READY TO the other side of the post. MINGLE “When you have the self-belief, Thanks be to God the referee like this bunch of players have, FRIENDS blew the whistle when he did. “It hasn’t sunk in at all. It there’s no reason why you can’t FOR LIFE In the second half we played probably won’t for a couple of do it. I felt before the Corofi n much better and when you had weeks. game we could do this. We had “It was life-changing. We all the ball there was always I went straight for Enda Lavelle the pace and we had the became friends for life. When somebody coming off your at the end of the game — we forwards. It’s a long time since a Dad died all the lads were there. shoulder — it’s very easy play always seem to meet each Mayo team came to Croke Park I’m still a member of Crossmo- football like that. other at the fi nish! I couldn’t and stuck sixteen points. lina and still have every stitch of It’s absolutely a brilliant feeling believe it. At half-time I think To fi nally win one is a dream gear I ever got when I was with for us to win an All-Ireland title. Nemo probably had one hand come true. It’s only in time that them. I could call into any of Never in our wildest dreams on the cup, but we’ve worked we’ll appreciate it.” their houses for the tea at any could you believe that you very hard for this, all thirty of us. LIAM MOFFATT, 2001 time of the day or night and could do it. Everybody talks It is hard, not so much for the they could call into mine – that’s about the hoodoo on Mayo single lads, but for lads that are real friendship.” teams in Croke Park. Well. I can married like Johnny Leonard. MIRACLE CURES JARLATH personally say, ‘F**k the Thomas Loftus isn’t too bad, “There wasn’t a soft bone in CUNNINGHAM, 2021 hoodoo!’ he’s still available.” their body. Nothing could hold CIARAN MCDONALD, PAT MCANDREW, 2001 them back. They had the 2001 attitude that they were fi t to play THE FINEST unless they needed to go to OF PEOPLE MORE THAN WORDS A sign Lourdes for a cure.” NO PAIN, NO in the Crossmolina GAA club GREAT DIVINE GAIN, NO TEETH dressing-room at St Tiernan’s CHARACTERS JARLATH Winning has to be the aim all INSPIRATION Park. Pic: Michael McLaughlin CUNNINGHAM, 2021 the time and winning the “They were tough men – very, “We had the greatest of All-Ireland and all the cups was “Before the fi nal, Enda Lavelle’s very tough. I’ll never forget one characters with us every day. I’ll brilliant, but football is all about mother, Josie, gave me a bottle day at training when Pat always remember Mattie A NICE people. We had great days in To win that of holy water. She said it was McAndrew ran over and said, training fi nished. Heffernan and Josie Moffatt. BEWILDERMENT the ordinariest of matches from a holy well in Keenagh and ‘hold this for me.’ It was one of “Another day, in a county fi nal, The two of them would stand around North Mayo. Going to match was I had to bless the lads with it his teeth. He opened his mouth Gerard O’Malley ran over to me near the dugout during “I’m really stuck for words, I still places like Knockmore, a dream before the match. I was trying and there was another one and said, ‘mind this.’ It was his matches. Peadar Gardiner was really can’t believe it. With fi ve Ballycroy, Ardnaree, Glenamoy, to fi gure out how to do it, hanging out of his gum. He tooth too. He ran back on and just breaking into the team at minutes left, we’re four points or Belmullet – they’d try to kill come true because the lads would have pulled it out and handed it to kept playing. That’s how tough that stage and the two lads had up and everyone was saying we you during the game, but as been looking funny at me if I me as well before going back those fellas were. Football was great time for him. If Peadar have it. But I was wondering soon as it was over they were started blessing them, so I went in. He wouldn’t come off and everything to them.” was on the bench any day – could disaster hit us. out and out gentlemen. one better and mixed it into agree to get seen to until THOMAS JORDAN, 2021 after about 20 minutes the two But despite Nemo’s goal, we KEVIN HEFFERNA INTERVIEW “Winning with Crossmolina was so laughs too, there was great times in it. HISTORY MADE Crossmolina “That’s me fi nished now, I think,” he special, it’s where you’re from,” offers When you got to the pitch, it was it captain Tom Nallen (centre) and his admitted last week. “The commitment Rochford, who needed a pain-killing serious. You weren’t there to pass the team-mates, including Stephen levels are too high. I always gave my MIKE Rochford (left) and Liam Moffatt injection before the game for cracked time or it wasn’t fat camp,” he smiles. best and tried to support the players I FINNERTY (right) celebrate after the 2001 Deel Rovers’ greatest day ribs in order to take his place at corner- “It didn’t happen by accident.” All-Ireland club fi nal at Croke was with. I was lucky to be part of the back. “Plus, we were competing against Park. Pic: Sportsfi le group that won the All-Ireland. “It’s like that quote from Sambo Ballina and Knockmore who were really “I gave my all, I can’t give anymore. REAT memories. Great McNaughton [former Antrim hurler], strong teams as well,” adds Gardiner, I’d love to keep playing but the body friendships. Great ‘The county lads are the people you’ll who is also married with three children. can’t take it. I will keep playing, I’ll try MIKE with Billy Fitzpatrick. times. invite to your wedding. But it’s the club “And Charlestown, who beat us a few and play, but it won’t be with the Inter- FINNERTY Thankfully, after years spent following Twenty years on from lads who will bring you to the grave.’ weeks after the All-Ireland fi nal in the mediate team. the Nallens, Ciaran McDonald, Enda their greatest day on a And it’s so true.” county championship. But in North explains. “Without getting cliched about “But I’ll always be involved with the Lavelle, Johnny ‘Rep’ and the rest all Gfootball fi eld with Crossmolina Deel The Deel Rovers were the fi rst Mayo Mayo, especially, there were three the journey, that group I would certainly club. across the county and beyond, the words Rovers, Peadar Gardiner and Stephen club to bring the Andy Merrigan Cup strong teams there and big games to say has had a massive infl uence on a “There were some tough days for me FLICKING through the archives in The came easy to us. Rochford couldn’t agree more about across the Shannon and their achieve- get up for. The County Finals against lot of things that I would see, in a foot- and my family but the club was always Mayo News last week brought it all All of us who were in Croke Park on what means the most. ment has only been matched by one Ballina and Knockmore those days were ball sense, my own values, things that there,” he adds. “It’s a real community back. that famous April Monday, 20 years ago, They have been friends for as long club from the county since — by their massive days.” I understand more about now, be it in and a family.