14 YEARS AFTER his All-Ireland club dreams with his native An Ghaeltacht were quashed, Tomás Ó Sé will get another shot at landing that prize next month.
It seems an unlikely development for the decorated Kerry footballer who will turn 40 this year but his performance for his adopted Nemo Rangers in Saturday’s All-Ireland semi-final illustrated his valuable worth to the Cork champions.
The contributor of two points, Ó Sé was a driving force throughout the game and was particularly effective in the early stages when Nemo Rangers were struggling to gain a foothold as Slaughtneil dictated matters.
He did cough up possession late on which prompted the move that saw Slaughtneil engineer the score that sent this match to extra-time but Ó Sé was still moving strongly as Nemo put the contest to bed.
For Stephen Cronin, the 22-year-old operating alongside the five-time All-Ireland senior winning veteran in the half-back line, the value of Ó Sé to the Nemo cause is clear.
“He was unbelievable throughout the game. You’d swear he was the young fella at times. But I suppose it’s the one medal he doesn’t have. The talk was about Colm Cooper not winning his All-Ireland club until last year and his quest for it, it’s the one medal Tomás doesn’t have as well.
“It’s probably what’s driving him more than anything to win that one elusive medal.”
It’s something that fueled Cronin’s drive as well. He’s been reared on tales of storied Nemo Rangers teams that have delivered seven All-Ireland club teams. If the memories of attending the deciders between 2001 and 2003 are sketchy, the recollection of the 2008 final reversal to St Vincent’s is crystal clear.
Getting the chance to line out in Croke Park alongside his brother Alan in the Nemo Rangers rearguard is the realisation of a long-held aim.
“It’s unbelievable. We have the younger brother (Mark) as well who’s just a year too young but it’s class playing with the brother (Alan). At the end of every game you’re looking for him to celebrate, it’s just class.
“I suppose it’s what you dream of growing up, looking at all the other fellas who’ve gone through Nemo. I can’t remember some of them, the ’08 one would be the one I remember most. All you ever want to do is get back there.
“In Nemo you’re judged on the amount of All-Irelands you win, not on how may counties you win.”
Saturday’s success also brought a luckless run to an end at the Portlaoise venue. Between them the Cronin brothers lost a 2011 All-Ireland minor quarter-final along with 2012 and 2014 All-Ireland U21 semi-finals at O’Moore Park.
“We’d never won in Portlaoise, any fella who’d played Cork minor, U21′s. I’ve played here three, four times. Watched my brother get hockeyed here a couple of times.
“We’ve all been here and had never won so it was a big one coming up here. A lot of nerves. It was 13 weeks until the last game. You’re playing league games and challenge games but there’s nothing like the intensity of playing championship.
“When we were playing those teams, there’s different intensity levels . So you’re a bit rusty and how many fellas here had played in an All-Ireland semi-final?
“They were well on top in first-half, we had to try to get back into it and we did. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
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