Dromin-Athlacca goes off the wall for their Limerick hurler David Reidy

WORDS don’t do justice to the pride Dromin-Athlacca has in their senior hurler David Reidy.

Actions speak louder and around 400 packed in to Dromin Hall for the homecoming last weekend.

“We had a huge crowd. We filled the hall. There was about 400 people. We didn’t realise the hall held that many but it did,” laughed the chairman of Dromin Athlacca GAA club, Colum Breen.

“That tells its own story on how proud we are of that man. As we said to David on the night, he was the first Dromin Athlacca man ever to win an All-Ireland and the first Dromin Athlacca man to score in senior championship hurling in Croke Park,” said Colum. David scored a cracking point from the sideline against Cork in extra time of the All-Ireland semi final.

The club put its own spin on the Newstalk show by calling it the Dromin Athlacca GAA Off the Wall Roadshow. And what a line-up of guests they had.

“We had the best of the best. David was joined by Dan and Tom Morrissey, Richie English, Sean Finn, Oisin O’Reilly and Gearoid Hegarty. Limerick Ladies Football manager John Ryan and players Niamh Ryan, Ciara Ryan, Orlaith O’Donoghue, Ava Hartigan were there. Cathal O’Neill, named on the minor team of the year, was there as well. Dan and Tom’s mum and Cathal’s mum are from the parish,” said Colum.

Of course, the Liam MacCarthy and West County Hotel Cups were present. As well as the Mike O’Leary Cup for Dromin Atllacca winning the county intermediate championship. The club was represented by Peter Ryan, captain, and Mikey Reidy, a brother of David’s.

Colum and Gearoid O’Leary took on the roles of Joe Molloy and Ger Gilroy as MCs.

“It was very special because Gearoid is a son of Mike O’Leary.  The intermediate cup was presented by Gearoid’s mum, Breda, to the County Board in 2011 and the title of the cup was the Mike O’Leary Cup. We won it this year and we won it in 2013 when sadly Breda passed away four days beforehand,” said Colum.

Intermediate team captain Peter Ryan made a special presentation to David on behalf of the club.

“It was a book of memoirs of 2018 between Limerick and Dromin Athlacca hurling. The whole night was for David and the community,” said Colum.

Joe Molloy and Ger Gilroy couldn’t have done a better job of interviewing the hurlers and ladies footballers.

“All their answers were brilliant. It was a very relaxed atmosphere. They were having the craic amongst themselves,” said Colum.

David was asked where his work ethic, including the constant driving up and down the M7 from his teaching job for training, came from. He put it down to being raised by parents John and Sheila and seeing the seven days a week work that goes into running a dairy farm.  

He described 2018 as “a great year personally and collectively, both winning the Liam MacCarthy and having Mike O’Leary back in Athlacca is very, very special”.

David said the fundraising boxing night almost a year ago created a bond that never broke.

“The boxing did bring us together massively because the respect we had for anyone stepping into the ring was huge and it was torture in training,” said David, who is a couple of years older than the players in the panel who won U-21 All-Ireland medals. 

“It was a great unity they brought up to the senior ranks and the likes of the elder statesmen bought into that and the professionalism they bring. They brought a wining mentality to Limerick. It was building and joining that unity and winning mentality

“Everyone is so professional in there and the best of buds. you can sit beside anyone at dinner or on the bus and talk away no problem. There are no cliques or no gangs. The unity is massive, it showed in Cork the depth we have and everyone willing to fight for each other, the unity is massive and the boxing played a big part of it,” said David, who is gunning for more game time in 2019.

“Next year I’m looking forward to try and get some more game time whether it be starting or getting off the bench a bit earlier. Everyone has been talking about the depth and unity in the squad, the half forward line position is one of the main positions where you have a good few options. It’s to try and get above a couple of the boys and get my head in. Once you’ve your head in, it’s their job to get you back out again,” said David, to loud cheers in Dromin hall. See page 31 of L2 for more.