An Cheathrú Rua's Fergal Ó Sé pictured ahead of the AIB All-Ireland Club JFC Final.
Click here to listen to an interview as Gaeilge with An Cheathrú Rua's Feargal Ó Sé.
By Cian O’Connell
“It has been football since day one, nothing else,” Feargal Ó Sé says about growing up in a famous Connemara sporting family.
The links with An Cheathrú Rua’s glory days in the 90s when Galway SFC glory was earned are strong with his Dad and uncles influential figures in that triumph.
Ó Sé has heard the stories about the games, and the memories that matter in the Gaeltacht club. “Dad was on the team, and I had four uncles - Ronan, Edward, Peter, and Jarlath, who were all playing on the same team together,” he says.
“They'd a great bond, and they proved that they could do it, winning a county final, and were unlucky not to go further, really.”
In the intervening decades An Cheathrú Rua, Galway standard bearers in 1996, continued to operate in the top tier until two recent relegations in 2022 and 2023 ensured a return to the junior grade.
An Cheathrú Rua responded. “I suppose, we just knew we had to make a change, really,” Ó Sé responds.
“After all of the losses, it was make or break. You've to change the momentum, where it was going, we knew we had to make a change, and that is what we did.”
An Cheathrú Rua forward Éanna MacCormaic. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Galway and Connacht glory has been secured with a trip to Croke Park on Saturday for an AIB All-Ireland Club JFC Final with Naomh Pádraig imminent. Suddenly, there is hope in An Cheathrú Rua hearts again. “There is a good buzz around the town, there is a real sense of community around the place,” he says.
Emerging players are beginning to contribute and that is one of the chief reasons An Cheathrú Rua people are optimistic about their local outfit again. “It has been big, especially the young lads that are coming through, they've been in a few county finals,” Ó Sé reflects.
“Obviously, it shows, they've come through putting their name forward to start. I haven't been in many county finals at underage and there isn't many left from the teams I played with that are left playing now.
“It is more so for the younger lads coming through this year, you can see they've the experience of winning and getting to finals. It has really helped us along.”
Some of the An Cheathrú Rua panel will be playing football at GAA headquarters on Saturday and back at school early next week. “We’ve Fionnan (Ó Conghaile), Maitiú (Ó Domhnaill), Sean, all the young lads that are still in school.
“They've been a big help to the team, we've come a long way, and they're really standing up, doing their part for the team.”
Tá an scéal seo díreach ag tosnú.
