Paddy Heaney 15/01/2008

[irunthev]

I heard rumours about the crash three or four years ago and then I met someone who knows him out in Oz last year and he confirmed it. What I was told was that he is totally paralysed from the neck down. I have taken this information in good faith and I have no reason to believe that it isn't true as the guy who told me is of very high standing and I have known him a long time. If this isn't true I would greatly appreciate if someone could clarify it on this board and certainly there is no malice intended on my behalf. I'm certainly not in the business of spreading nasty rumours.
Rory played hurling in London and spent quite a bit of time in San Fran I believe. He also spent quite a bit of time in Kilkenny where he had some family contact. By all accounts he was a gifted hurler.

[THEREALGRASSROOTS]

I heard about Stevenson's crash at the time but the stories around here suggested he had made a good recovery...though as you say, you could never be sure on the value of hearsay.  He was either a son or nephew of All-Star Peter Stevenson, so he had it in the genes. 

[irunthev]

Well I certainly hope that your version of events is correct. You wouldn't wish that on anyone. You are right about his connection to Peter as well, either son or nephew, never found out myself.

[Bogball XV]

I heard about Stevenson's crash at the time but the stories around here suggested he had made a good recovery...though as you say, you could never be sure on the value of hearsay.  He was either a son or nephew of All-Star Peter Stevenson, so he had it in the genes. 

Rory was a son of Peter's, I can't full you in any more than that though as it's only just now that I remember hearing about the car crash.  As for Magoo, he was indeed an unbelievable footballer, it might have been better if he hadn't, but then I suppose people wouldn't be talking about him still 20 years later on an internet discussion board!

[coosanglen]

Every county indeed does have wasted talent. You  might remember a guy from Galway called John 'Scan' Concannon or just simply Scan. He won a Hogan Cup with Jarlaths in 94 his third final in a row. Scored 3-1 on his Connacht Colleges debut as a 15 year old. He also scored something like 1-7 against Dublin in the 94 minor semi fnal. he disappeared off the radar very quickly. he did return this year to manage his club Milltown to a county final appearance after a long absence.

[sam03/05]

Being good at 16 is easy. It merely requires talent.
Being good at 26 is difficult

i think this sums it up very well - some boys think football is very easy and quite often it is- if they have had a lot of underage success.
however when they enter senior football things get difficult, they are used to winning and now suddenly thats not happening anymore
and that can be a problem.

the drop out rates in gaelic football are unreal not just with successful teams.

the tyrone minor team of 96/97 mcguigan oneill mulligan etc really is an amazing group of players
i remember martin mchugh saying at the time that it was the best underage team he ever saw and he is probably right
the amazing thing was how many of them made it through to senior ranks although even in tht group there were some drop outs declan mccrossan for example)

[orangeman]

There was an article in the Sunday independent last week and it looked at the squads involved in their bid for 3 in a row minor titles in 96,97,98 - It went through the whole crop of players - it was simply amazing the number of players who aren't even playing CLUB football let alone county football.

[Minder]

I dont think you can be too hard on some lads when they reach senior level, if some fella has aspirations of inter county football/hurling and has a family/young children something will ultimately give. There is a huge commitment involved and a lot of fellas, rightly, put their family first. I think we were all the same at 16, all you wanted to do was play, train etc and you think it will last forever but as you get older ultimately your priorities change, a fact of life.

[take_yer_points]

With some of the reasons listed for people dropping out of football as drink, young families, etc.... does anyone think that at times the clubs can be at fault for people dropping out?

After underage level (well for me anyway) there was this all or nothing mentality and if you can't give all then you're better off giving nothing. When this was put to me at a pre-season team meeting at 19 years of age I knew that my career in GAA was basically over - I couldn't make that commitment.

I'm sure there have been many talented footballers who felt under pressure from clubs who could have played at a high level but weren't able to give this type of commitment and so had to stop playing.

[Maximus Marillius]

I dont think you can be too hard on some lads when they reach senior level, if some fella has aspirations of inter county football/hurling and has a family/young children something will ultimately give. There is a huge commitment involved and a lot of fellas, rightly, put their family first. I think we were all the same at 16, all you wanted to do was play, train etc and you think it will last forever but as you get older ultimately your priorities change, a fact of life.

i can understand prefectly what you are saying, and i am not arguing strongly against it, for I understand that not everybody thinks the same way, but I am a believer that if you want something badly enough you will find or make room for it.

[tintin25]

With some of the reasons listed for people dropping out of football as drink, young families, etc.... does anyone think that at times the clubs can be at fault for people dropping out?

After underage level (well for me anyway) there was this all or nothing mentality and if you can't give all then you're better off giving nothing. When this was put to me at a pre-season team meeting at 19 years of age I knew that my career in GAA was basically over - I couldn't make that commitment.

I'm sure there have been many talented footballers who felt under pressure from clubs who could have played at a high level but weren't able to give this type of commitment and so had to stop playing.

Most clubs have reserve sides so you tend to find those who fit into your description here!! More laid back and I find the team gels more!

[SJC]

Very good article and as soon as a started to read it it brought back those great memories of that Hogan Cup final of 1990 in Breffni Park when St Pat's beat St Jarlath's by a point in the reply.I was a first year in St Jarlath's and will never forget them games and the names of the Maghera players and indeed "Skippy" was one of their stars.As soon as i began to read the article i immediately though of John Concannon as it's funny that "coosanglen" got there before me.What a player Scan was and it ironic that in 1994 he was the man of the match when Jarlath's hammered St Pat's Maghera in the Hogan Cup final. Although he never made the Galway Senior set up like his team mate the Joyce's ,Meehan's, Michael Donnellan,John Divilly, "Scan" was always regarded as the best while in Jarlaths.About 3 years ago the Past Pupils union in Jarlath's selected a greatest ever team, they chose around 60 player from 1940? up until 2004 with a selection committee to pick the best 15.For some unknown reason Scan wasn't even selected on the 60, which caused uproar in the Galway area and even futher afield. Jim Carney the Sports Editor of the "Tuam Herald" and sometimes commentator on R.T.E. wrote an article on the controversy, he said from watching colleges football for 30 years and from what he had heard from older people the best player Jarlaths ever had was Sean Purcell NO 1, Jimmy Duggan NO 2, and John Concannon NO 3. That says it all, and needless to say the selected team lost all respect because of this unbelievable oversight. Anyway we could go on for ever about players not making it after minor.My club played in the Ulster Minor Club final on New Years Day 1994, we were beaten by the Loup of Derry. Of That minor team only about 3 lads played Senior football for the club this year.

[Tony Baloney]

Aidan McCloskey for Antrim springs to mind. He was in a league of his own in Ulster hurling at juvenile level but I think he just burnt out and gave up.

[theskull1]

Aidan McCloskey for Antrim springs to mind. He was in a league of his own in Ulster hurling at juvenile level but I think he just burnt out and gave up.

Sure Aidan played I'm sure til he was near 30. Agree with the basic sentiment about his potential at juvenile never fulfilled at senior. Just never looked that interested at Senior anytime I watched him, whether it was the training or just too much hype too young. I dunno

[johnneycool]

Aidan McCloskey for Antrim springs to mind. He was in a league of his own in Ulster hurling at juvenile level but I think he just burnt out and gave up.

Sure Aidan played I'm sure til he was near 30. Agree with the basic sentiment about his potential at juvenile never fulfilled at senior. Just never looked that interested at Senior anytime I watched him, whether it was the training or just too much hype too young. I dunno

I always thought Aidan was one of those juveniles who physically developed a lot earlier than most and hence was unstoppable at juvenile level. Once his peers began to grow as well his powers waned, granted he was still a good hurler but maybe the hype and expectation levels especially in Loughgeile was too much as his body language always portrayed him as a bit disinterested when playing.
The next greatest thing tag is thrown about far to easily these days and puts the wrong type of pressure on some youngsters who can't handle it.