In attendance at the draw of the Electric Ireland GAA Higher Education Championship at Croke Park today is DCU DÉ manager, Paddy Christie. The Dublin college reached the Semi-Finals of the Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup in 2022 and in 2023 will be hoping to win the competition for the first time since 2020.
By Cian O’Connell
The planning and plotting continues for Paddy Christie. A hectic January awaits as manager of DCU Dóchas Éireann and Longford, but Christie wouldn’t have it any other way.
Training and matches will dominate the agenda, but Christie is simply embracing the busy schedule. “If you think about the last year or two there were such difficulties and question marks about trying to get colleges matches played and question marks over the whole championship and the All-Ireland,” Christie says.
“I suppose the fact that everything seems to be back up and running 100 per cent we won't complain.”
As a primary school principal Christie adapted to different challenges during an uncertain spell in the world. Being involved with teams continues to bring some joy.
“Don't get me wrong, it was nice to get the games played during the Covid time with the restrictions in place,” he adds. “The fact that things managed to get played. I think we would all agree that it is not the same.
“I was involved with Tipperary for three years, I was coaching the seniors and managing the U20s. The seniors winning the Munster championship was fantastic, but then playing in an empty Croke Park in an All-Ireland semi-final against Mayo, there was something very strange about that. Even with dressing rooms, people wearing masks, having to go in and out being careful with water bottles.
“It was just very messy. I think we appreciate now where we came from and it is great to be going full tilt trying to manage things and reorganise things like Sigerson games, O'Byrne Cup games, and National League fixtures. You are trying to co-ordinate everything, but it is a great place to be, the fact that everything is back in full swing.”
Recently installed as Longford boss Christie is relishing the challenge with the midlanders. “We have made a big effort as a management to try to get players back out, who hadn't been involved for whatever reason,” Christie says.
“We have been reasonably successful in that regard. That is exciting in itself, that has created a buzz in the county. A buzz don't last that long if you lose a couple of O'Byrne Cup matches or National League fixtures. It is a good start.
Paddy Christie enjoyed a successful spell as a Tipperary coach working alongside manager David Power.
“Like any of these teams you are trying to build from very basic levels. That is happening. Things are falling into place nicely in that regard. We have been very lucky with the S & C lad involved - Danny Doherty. He has been working with the lads for quite a while in small groups.
“So there is a good base already in place. That is something that impressed me when I got involved with Longford, that it was already up and running. That just shows how serious they are.
“There is a good atmosphere around the place, you are hoping to build on that. The way to build on that is a couple of wins in the likes of the O'Byrne Cup or early in the National League, that would really give the whole county a real boost.”
So how crucial is it for Christie and Longford to generate momentum in the Allianz Football League? “It is like anything, good habits and bad habits - if you get into that habit of losing even when things are going well, when the preparation is excellent, you just find things might go the wrong way by a point or two,” Christie replies.
“It is the same with winning, if you can just get those things up and running - a couple of wins, even by a point, that is enough just to give the lads a boost. You have to remember too for counties in Division Two, but particularly in Division Three and Four, that the Division One counties are different.
“The likes of the Mayos, Kerrys, Dublins, and Galways now - these counties aren't lacking in confidence. They have had a lot of success at underage - they are very well set up in every way.
"They are run very professionally for a long, long time. For the counties in the lower divisions confidence can be difficult to maintain and to try to generate.
“If you can get a couple of wins in the O'Byrne Cup even, it gives such a big boost to those counties or the McGrath Cup in Munster or the FBD League, the McKenna Cup, whatever it is. Those things are important for the so called lesser counties.
“We'd consider it a big deal to try to be competitive in that and then obviously in the National League, to try to get up on the ladder straightaway, to get pushing up the table rather than be trying to avoid the drop.”
