LAST SUNDAY WEEK, Chrissy Spiers was out for food in Killarney when his phone began to light up that evening.
All-Ireland football quarter-final weekend had just concluded. The locals were pleased with Kerry’s progression, Spiers satisfied that his native Derry had advanced to the last four.
The timing of the draw had caught the 30-year-old unawares but team-mates and members of his adopted club Rathmore, in the East Kerry football heartland weren’t going to pass up on the chance to ignite a rivalry that had been dormant for 19 years.
Kerry and Derry are back together crossing paths in senior championship action, an All-Ireland final place is the prize on the line next Sunday.
Spiers kicked ball for Derry at minor level in 2010 and U21 in 2012. He moved to Sydney for seven years before life brought him to the town hard on the Cork border.
Last January he was pulling the attacking strings as Rathmore were crowned All-Ireland intermediate club kingpins in Croke Park, current Kerry senior stars Shane Ryan and Paul Murphy numbered amongst his team-mates.
On a week life this, Spiers is a magnet for football talk.
“It’s good craic but you’re just trying to keep the head down,” says Spiers.
“Nobody wants to say anything until the match is over and we see who wins. They don’t want to jinx it.”
The ties to home remain strong. Last Sunday he pointed the car in the direction of the Athletic Grounds in Armagh. His younger brother Cahir was wing-back for the Derry minors that lifted the Tom Markham Cup.
“I was up in Armagh, it was great to see. Fair play to them, they’ve a great team there. I was up at the semi-final in Armagh against Dublin as well. They are a very good side and well set up.
“When we went on the run there with Rathmore, sure the mother and father came down to Cork to Páirc Uí Rinn and stuff. They drove down to watch and the brother was with them and all. So you sort of have to give back as well.”
🇦🇹All Ireland Champs🇦🇹
— RossaGaelsDerry (@RossaGaelsDerry) July 9, 2023
Congrats to Karl, Cahir, Rory, Conall, Caolan, Zack & the rest of the Derry minors on winning the all Ireland today, beating Monaghan 1-13 to 0-09.
Big shout also to Macker, Murtagh, Johnny and the rest of the mgmt team on a fantastic day for the county 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/42ZbohcR1R
The younger Spiers was part of a core from the O’Donovan Rossa Magherafelt club that backboned the All-Ireland winning success.
Karl Campbell, Rory Small and Conall Higgins all started as well, while Damien McErlain, the former county senior boss, increased the Magherafelt representation as he steered operations from the sideline.
With successive Ulster senior triumphs behind them and next Sunday’s semi-final appearance in the offing, it all feeds into the feel-good factor swirling around Derry football.
“It’s a real good buzz up there. The home coming was in the club on Sunday.
“And like this isn’t just over a six month period or over a year period, this is going on with years.
“It’s just a credit to all the fellows there behind the scene what’s going into it.
“And I think the facilities and stuff they have up there in Owenbeg at the minute is top class and Derry want to be eating at the top table. I think Derry deserve to be where they are at the minute.
“Now, some people don’t like the way they play football and what way they set up. But do you think Derry fans care what way they set up if they go on and win? I don’t think they will, they won’t mind.”
The Magherafelt connection is maintained with the flagship senior outfit. Derry are anchored by goalkeeper Odhran Lynch, while Conor McCluskey came off the 2017 minor side that contested an All-Ireland decider and Eoin McEvoy the 2020 equivalent that were crowned national champions.
“I probably only know big Lynchy (Odhran Lynch), I wouldn’t really know Clucky or Eoghan to be honest,” says Spiers.
“Lynchy, was at a wedding with him there last year and stuff, we’d good old craic at it. Played a bit of soccer and stuff together growing up.”
Lynch’s goalkeeping role has bolstered Derry’s challenge, a weapon in their attack and a heroic presence between the posts, as evidence by the Ulster final penalty shootout.
“I didn’t think he was capable of that sort of goalkeeper role until I’ve actually seen him play and he’s well able to do it now in fairness, the way Derry want him to play. He’s well capable.”
In October 2019, Magherafelt captured their first Derry senior crown in 41 years, taking down Watty Grahams Glen.
If any sense of regret lingered for Spiers in not being involved, it was tempered by the passing of time and his delight at seeing his community rejoice.
“It was a strange one but at the same time I could see it coming. I actually moved home that year and I trained with Magherafelt for two months. Cushy (Adrian Cush) was over them and I knew there was just something about him that he was going to take these fellas somewhere.
It’s just the way he personally handled every single player, it wasn’t about an individual, it was about the whole team. Everybody bought into the system, everybody put their shoulder to the wheel and done what they were asked to do.”
His own football tale is now fully immersed in the fortunes of Rathmore. He married Joanne, from just over Cork border in Dromtarriffe, last December, they had met in Sydney while both involved there with the Young Irelands club.
“So we were in Australia and we had a wee girl over, Amelia, and she was about nine months I’d say and then we decided we’d come home.
“We got a house in Rathmore then, just up behind Hickey’s shop, and we’re been there ever since, six years now.”
Spiers works locally for Munster Joinery and trying to integrate into an area in Kerry, there was one common pursuit he could focus on.
“When we first moved down, we actually didn’t know were we coming or going. So I thought I’d just join up with Rathmore in football and get to know a few lads, just to get to know people really.
“In fairness Rathmore have taken me in very well and Joanne and Amelia. It’s helped us a lot. So when I started playing for the lads, they welcomed me with open arms and we’re all very settled here now.”
After a run of senior service unbroken over two decades, Rathmore suffered relegation in 2019. They didn’t rebound instantly but the Kerry intermediate final win last winter sparked a magical run that yielded a Munster title in December and Croke Park glory against Tyrone’s Galbally in January.
Spiers was central to the progress. Number 11 on his back as his sharpshooting skills yielded 0-4 in the county final, a stunning 0-12 tally in the Munster decider and three vital scores when the All-Ireland was won.
He got married on the Friday before the provincial final, amassing his dozen scores on the Sunday afternoon in Mallow, ten from placed balls.
“Whenever I started training that very first night with Rathmore, I never thought I’d be walking up into Croke Park, winning an All-Ireland with them.
“It was a very long year, training over Christmas and stuff, but yeah it was some experience, amazing.”
He’s well-placed to gauge the standing of Rathmore’s county stars. Ryan is an All-Star goalkeeper but a forward colleague at club level, while Murphy has lodged almost a decade of football at the highest level in the bank.
“The two boys, they just love football, they just love GAA. They live for it, playing for Kerry and playing for Rathmore. They’re very good with their time, especially with the young lads around the club, same with Aidan O’Mahony who’s won it all.
“Brian Friel and Mark (Ryan) were in with Kerry there as well. Hats off to them because it is a massive commitment.
“The two boys in the changing room then, they’re always good to speak and just whatever they say, everybody sort of buys into it. Like whenever we have meetings, Shane’s more talking about the goalkeepers and on our kickouts and their kickouts and everything else.
“The effort they put into playing with us is phenomenal and you have to take your hats off to fellas like that.”
Spiers is informed enough to assess the standards of football at the coalface in two counties almost 300 miles apart.
“To be honest the standard is pretty much the same. You still have your boys pulling and dragging at you as a forward, everything is still pretty much the same.
“I’d love to see Magherafelt play Rathmore. I’d love to see them two play, organise a friendly, try and get two full teams. If it was possible, it’d be a great game.
“But I think personally speaking, I think it’s pretty much the same standard level.
“You can see with Glen getting to an All-Ireland final there this year at club level, I think Derry club football is up there with the highest in Ireland as far as well.”
He’s hoping they can make a mark now on the biggest stage and book Derry’s first All-Ireland senior final spot in 30 years.
“I’m heading up yeah, got tickets there the other day.
“Someone was saying to me will I be ordering a half and half jersey!
“I’d still be a Derry man to be fair. Looking forward to it.”