Dooley celebrates 40th birthday in style with great display as Tullamore claim SFC “B” honours
Veteran star spent formative years growing up in Ballinagar
SHANE Dooley's birthday cake and champagne will taste very sweet after he played a starring role in Tullamore's great Offaly Senior “B” Football Championship final win over Ballinagar in O'Connor Park on Saturday.
40 on Saturday, Dooley had a superb first half in particular, never putting a foot wrong and scoring 1-1 of his 1-3 from play as Tullamore struggled to find their A game. He showed his vast experience as he was in the right place at the right time and his finishing instinct shone through as he took his chances.
Level at 1-5 each at half time, Dooley added a second half point as Tullamore turned the screw with superb efficiency to take a 1-13 to 1-6 lead with just five minutes remaining. Ballinagar were dead and buried but got back into it with 1-2 to ensure a nerve filled closing few minutes for Tullamore, before they held on for a richly deserved 1-13 to 2-8 win.
While he made his name nationally and locally as a hurler, one of Offaly's best forwards during a lengthy county career, football has also played a very central part in Dooley's life. He started his football club career off with an Intermediate Football Championship medal back in 2004, won a few senior football medals in between, another intermediate last year and is now still playing high level football at senior “B”, collecting another medal.
He was delighted with the way Tullamore controlled the game for so long in the second half. “A credit to the lads out around the middle. Ballinagar had a bit of a purple patch towards the end and I thought the timing was just right for them to catch us but in fairness, the boys fought hard in the backs, kept them out and didn't let them in for any easy shots.
“I thought we controlled it until then. We kept our hands on the ball, we didn't panic and at least we got a score at two at the end of some of those plays. If they were getting turned over, it wouldn't be great. It is nice to hold onto the ball for a few minutes and get a score at the end of it.”
It was suggested that Tullamore made far fewer errors than Ballinagar and that was a major factor in their win.
“The boys are getting great training. Training with the seniors is standing to the lads. Every night you go in, there is a lot expected of you. It is obviously standing to us the last couple of years. It came down to heart as well at the end of the day as well. The boys fought like devils out around the middle and thank God we got over the line, just about.
“Ballinagar put up a massive fight there. Even when things didn't look great for them and we went seven up, they fought very hard to get back into it so we have to give credit to them for a great match.”
He smiled about his 40th: “It is a lovely birthday present. It means everything. I don't have a senior “B” medal. Tullamore football means a lot to me and it always did. The club is going fierce well and I was saying to one of the lads earlier, if I wasn't enjoying it I wouldn't be doing it so it is great to get a bit of success.”
Dooley spoke about the importance of football to him. “I have been playing football all my life, since I was under 10 here in Tullamore. It means a lot to me. Even when I was playing with Offaly in hurling, I always tried to get up here and kick a few balls and be right for the football championship when it did start back. It means everything to me, most of my success in the club came from football. I have always enjoyed it so why wouldn't I keep it going when it is this enjoyable.”
Asked was there another year or two in him, he kicked for touch: “I don't know, you will have to ask Ann Marie that now. We had a baby boy (Oisin) earlier in the year, our first, and it is getting harder to get out and about. We will see, I won't write myself off yet.”
He has a close affection for Ballinagar as he spent his formative years growing up there. His famous father Joe and mother Marie had their initial family home there, they were living in Ballinagar when he was born, he went to the local National School and was 8/9 when they moved into Tullamore.
“Ballinagar are a fantastic team. They fought very hard when they looked like they were dead and buried. There is great people in Ballinagar, we have fierce fond memories of living there. The Ballinagar locality were very good to my mother and father when they were there first. Great fond memories and hard luck to them today.”