ANDY MORAN HAS played at Croke Park countless times. Now he’s set for his first outing there as a manager.
The Mayo great will be on the sideline as his Leitrim side face Laois in today’s Division 4 league final.
It’s just a sixth outing at GAA HQ for the recently-promoted county. Moran has played in six All-Ireland finals there alone.
“Sometimes it’s just not worth reading them stats!” says Emlyn Mulligan.
The former Leitrim star has waxed lyrical about his college friend, team-mate and manager for the last five minutes or so, but another point must be made at that juncture.
“Even as a manager, Andy never really honed in on that element. He’d never blow about what he achieved or the amount of times he played there. He’s very much brought himself down to Leitrim’s level. There was no arrogance with him, no airs or graces.”
That reminds the sharpshooting forward, who retired last March, of a good yarn.
“I ended up kitting Andy out for his All-Stars the night he got Player of the Year! It’s funny how things come around in circles.”
While on a career break from An Garda Síochána, Mulligan worked in a clothes shop in Sligo. It’s in that north-west town that their friendship blossomed; the pair both attended Sligo IT and crossed over on the Sigerson Cup football team for two years. They later played together for Connacht.
“I know Andy half my life — 17, 18 years,” Mulligan says.
“I remember first seeing him training and playing, I just used to be in awe of him. The way he carried himself, the way he looked after himself. He was just such a professional at that level back in 2005, 2006.
“He was doing all these things that made him into the player he was the last number of years with Mayo and now he’s bringing that into management. I probably count him as a friend before anything else, knowing him on that personal level.”
In October 2021, Moran was appointed Leitrim manager. Mulligan hadn’t played for two years under his predecessor, Terry Hyland, but he soon returned to the fold.
A line had to be put through their friendship as they collaborated on a more professional level.
“As a manager, he’s very much the same as the player. His enthusiasm, his attention to detail, he carried everything he did throughout his own career into management. Obviously he still has loads to learn.
“He’s a very down to earth fella, that bounces off the lads. They just have a great time for him, that’s being straight up. Outside the bubble, people don’t really know what’s going on on the inside, but within that circle, them lads would do anything for Andy.”
Just over 12 months ago, Leitrim crashed out of the Connacht championship at the hands of a New York team enjoying a first-ever provincial win. There was no shortage of backlash, and Mulligan can’t credit Moran and Co. enough for their response.
“Leitrim were at rock bottom last year after losing to New York — and to keep that team together and to bring them back up to promotion, you can only admire what he’s done. Obviously he has a good management team in there with Mickey Graham and Luke Bree and a couple of other lads.
“Andy’s enthusiasm and personality… he’s the only type of fella who would have got Leitrim players playing again. He’s always in good form, his encouragement and enthusiasm, it’s bred through the team and I think that’s why all the boys wanted to come back and play this year.
“For me personally, I didn’t play a whole pile under him, which was very frustrating and there’s days I wanted to hit him to be straight up with you! But we put that aside and on a training level, he turned me into a way better club footballer in the last number of years.
“Ever since I stepped away, I’d be in contact with him. I text him there on Sunday and I just said, ‘You deserve that’ — and he does. It’s very easy for Leitrim supporters jumping on his back saying, ‘they brought in an inexperienced manager,’ blah, blah, blah.’
“He’s turned that around now to get them promoted up to Division 3, there’s some great young lads coming through. I think he’s just the right man for the right job at the right time. We’re lucky to have him.”
While other managers might have walked or “turned their back on the boys,” as Mulligan says, Moran had them back in the gym and working hard for redemption in 2024.
The small, football-mad county are on the right track again.
“The buy-in he got was just huge. That has to come down to the person at the end of the day. There’s so much you can do for your county, but if you don’t have a person leading that that you have huge admiration for — which I know all the boys do — there’s no way Leitrim are going to be where they are now. It’s just commendable.
“I said to the lads at the start of the year, if Andy Moran gets that team promoted, I swear to God, it’s one of the biggest achievements. It’s up there with one of the bigger managers with Dublin or Kerry winning All-Irelands.
“I just think it’s a huge achievement and it’s brilliant for Leitrim football.”
The road to Croke Park now awaits.
Leitrim, who have never won at the Jones’ Road venue, return for the first time since 2019 when the lost to Derry in the Division 4 league final. (Derry are back in the top-flight decider tomorrow.)
That experience will stand to them, Mulligan assures, having been “overawed” himself back then.
“I know from talking to a few lads during the week, the minute that whistle went and they found out they were getting promoted, their aim was, ‘We have to win this cup.’ This is only our sixth time ever [in Croke Park], we’ve never got to go up the Hogan Stand to lift anything. The opportunities are rare and they have to be taken.
“Leitrim are playing the following weekend, Sligo in championship, but there’s no question, they’re going to go in full on to win this.”
Regardless of what happens, it’s been some journey for Andy Moran.
From Sligo IT to The Bronx and everywhere in between, a fitting final word for the man of the moment?
“It’s brilliant for Andy,” Mulligan concludes.
“Huge admiration for what he has done. He’s a young manager, so for him to be able to say at his age he’s played at Croke Park and managed on the sidelines of Croke Park, I’d say he’s just cherishing it.”
