EAMONN FITZMAURICE HAS run out at Croke Park many times through the years, but it was usually with a Kerry jersey on his back.
Tomorrow the Kingdom’s new boss will line out with club Finuge against Fr Rocks of Cookstown in the All-Ireland Intermediate Club championship decider.
And win, lose or draw, he’ll be on the sideline the following day as Kerry take on Dublin in the National League in Killarney.
Finuge skipper Chris Allen insists Fitzmaurice is well able for the balancing act however and has given the north Kerry outfit everything this year.
“He is there 100%,” says Allen. “Eamonn doesn’t do anything by halves, he gives 100%. He took a little bit of a break at the start of 2012 because he was over Kerry U21s but once he came back with us around the start of March he gave us 100%.
“He is a great fella. He is very level-headed very relaxed and very composed under pressure whether out in a game or on the sideline no matter what team he is over. He wouldn’t have taken over the job this year unless he knew he could progress the Kerry team while also giving his full commitment to the Finuge cause.”
Fitzmaurice will be joined at GAA HQ by clubmate and friend, Paul Galvin of course. And he’s one of the club’s leaders, according to Allen.
“Everyone has something to say on Paul Galvin whether it is football or fashion but look Paul is dedicated he is a phenomenal athlete leader on the pitch and off and whatever he does and no matter what any of us do we will always have people who knock us or people put us on a pedestal and he is no different only he is in the public eye there is a lot more attention on him.
“But when he goes out on the field in a Finuge jersey there is only one thing on his mind and that’s to get the win for Finuge and to help the team and the fellas he has grown up with and lived his life with in the area,” adds the club skipper.
