THE YEAR 2000 was a special one for the residents of a shared heartland between Mullinalaghta and Gowna.
Both areas share a parish and a county border, with Mullinalaghta sitting in the north of Longford and Gowna belonging to the south Cavan region. Both GAA clubs went into the start of a new millenium as county champions, and as part of the celebrations, they met at the bridge with their respective trophies in their possession. Neighbours congratulating neighbours.
Mark McKeever, who was an emerging footballer for Gowna at the time, had a young fan bouncing on his knee that day who was reveling in the company of his local heroes.
It was a golden age for McKeever, who was playing for a team who had just completed back-to-back success in Cavan. He was still an U16 player when Gowna prevailed the year before.
Just last weekend, 20 years after his last top-tier success with Gowna, McKeever collected his fourth Cavan SFC title at 38. A lot of barren years have passed in that time, and that boy who McKeever held in his arms in 2000, is now a man.
“I was nursing Oisín Pierson on my knee [that day],” McKeever remembers in conversation with The42 as the celebrations of their 2022 triumph rage on around him.
“And then Oisín Pierson goes on to play county football. I remember holding him as a baby, and now I’m playing alongside him. Those are memories that will last forever.
“It’s well documented that I played with a lot of the fathers of the lads playing now. I’ve been very lucky in my time because Gowna was carried by the older players in 1999 and 2002 and carried us through to championships back then.
“And now, I’ve been lucky enough that their young lads are carrying me. Only for them being so young, and so fit and so strong, that’s the reason I’m still playing. If I had been carrying the can, it takes its toll on the body. But I’ve had the luxury of letting those boys do the running. The old head more so than the legs is carrying me through so I’m very happy with that.”
Gowna also contested last year’s final, where they were edged out by Ramor United. It was their first senior decider since 2007, but McKeever knew there was more to come from this young side who are co-managed by Dermot McCabe and Fintan Reilly.
Their patience was rewarded 12 months on. Success came at the expense of the Killygarry club, who were only in their second-ever senior final, but have rallied from being in a relegation battle last year to county finalists in 2022.
20 years is a long time for a club to wait for a return to the top shelf, and remarking on the difficult times endured by Gowna, McKeever adds:
“Going back 10 years ago, we were fighting relegation battles. We were lucky that a lot of boys stood up to the plate at that stage and kept us senior. When all these fellas were coming through, they were all playing at the highest levels.
“There’s a lot of boys who has gone by in those 20 years that probably never won a medal but are the reason we’re champions. They kept us senior and we’re very grateful to all of them.”
Mark McKeever, what a legend! Here he is way back in October 2000, still an U16, starring for the Gowna seniors in Ulster. A Cavan SFC champion in 1999, 2000, 2002 and....2022! And he was outstanding today too. Not many in the country rival what he has done. Ridiculous stuff! pic.twitter.com/sdf8vus6im
— Arthur Sullivan (@drumloman86) October 16, 2022
Retirement is always an option for a player whose team has enjoyed better times during their career. But in Gowna, the GAA club is at the heart of everyone’s social network and “there’s not a whole pile else to do.”
McKeever isn’t the only way who chose to stay and fight through that tough stretch. A lovely photo featuring some of Gowna’s long-serving custodians was posted in the wake of their 2-13 to 1-9 win over Killygarry in this year’s final.
“I’m the baby in the picture at 38,” says McKeever, who is second from the left in that picture.
“Ronan Bannon is 42 in goals. Raymond Keogh and Gerald Pierson are both 40. The commitment those boys have given is immense with very little time on their hands. I’m 10 minutes from the pitch in Gowna but Raymond Keogh lives in Ballyjamesduff and travels from Dublin for work. He has a child at home.
“Gerald Pearson’s a guard so he’s doing shift work as well.”
It’s the day after Gowna’s success when we speak, but already McKeever has been around to the local schools with the cup. He was once on the other side of that exchange; the wide-eyed pupil looking at the men of his club living out his boyhood dreams. His son Thomas, who is in pre-school, is among those he was able to present silverware to this week. A beautiful image of McKeever clutching his son shortly after the full-time whistle summed up the emotion he felt on Sunday.
“My wife Rosie took it,” McKeever explains.
“I wouldn’t be an emotional fella but when the final whistle went, everything just hit me. It was just a flood of emotion and when I got to see my son, I was delighted.
“When you think back, all [the way] leading up to this game, [I was thinking], ‘Wouldn’t it be a great memory to have of my son after winning a championship and for him to look back in 15 or 20 years time and say that that was a picture of him and his Dad after winning the championship.’
“If he goes on to play football in his time, that’ll be a memory for him.”
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