A night of black magic and golden memories for Walterstown GFC

They gathered to remember the great days, those gold-tinted occasions when God was in His heaven and fate smiled benignly on them all. Days when great battles were fought and victories achieved.

Between 1978 and 1984 Walterstown won five Meath SFC titles. It was truly a true golden age for the Blacks and recently in the clubhouse many of the heroes from those gilded, success-filled years gathered for an anniversary dinner to relive the great times.

The occasion - superbly organised by former chairperson Ruth Chambers who has been replaced by John Powell.

Instead Ruth concentrates on PR duties and she and her committee did a lot of work to put the anniversary event together to mark the five senior championship triumphs.

The evening was skilfully MC'd by Brendan Cummins. He delved into his deep reservoir of knowledge on Meath football to paint images of those days when the Blacks were kings.

As he reflected back on each of the championship winning years - 1978, 1980, 1982, '83 and '84 - Cummins called various people onto the stage, to talk about their memories from those times when they were young and anything was possible.

While they spoke images flashed up on the big screen of scenes from those days. Young men in black - and in their prime, playing in county finals before a packed Pairc Tailteann. Them were the days.

Yet the night wasn't all about victories either. Dark days for the Blacks were also reflected on. Occasions when gut-wrenching defeats were endured. As well as the county championships garnered, Walterstown also won not one but two Leinster Club SFC crowns but they lost two All-Ireland Club finals. So regrets were mixed with the sweet memories.

One of the themes that emerged from the evening was that back in the late 1970s and early '80s, Walterstown had a group of skllled footballers who were driven by a hunger and an immense, unbreakable espirit de corps.

A group of men who, under the guidance of their wise, innovative coach Mick O'Brien, were never going to be bowed down or knocked off course by defeats. The more bitter the setback, the more the doubters voiced their views, the stronger they became.

GLORIOUS '78

The first big win is always the sweetest and so it proved for the Blacks. Brendan Cummins called up two people who were involved on the day when the Walterstown, finally, finally made it across the line - Christy Bowens and Matt Kerrigan. They reflected back to '78 when Walterstown, captained by Bowens, faced Summerhill who were going for their fifth successive Keegan Cup triumph. One of the chief architects of that remarkable run was Kerrigan, Summerhill's marquee player.

In 1976 both teams had met in the county final. Walterstown were hopful that day but they were pummelled, 3-9 to 0-2, by a Summerhill side that looked like it came from another dimension. So in '78 the Blacks were rank outsiders, no-hopers, yet they prevailed, but only just.

"The final scoreline was 0-7 to 0-6 so people thought it had to be a bad game but it wasn't a bad game," recalled Brendan Cummins. Bowens felt his team were somewhat fortune to withstand sustained Summerhill pressure and hold onto their one-point lead but every team needs a little luck, he mused, to win anything.

There was also, he added, players in his team that helped tip the balance. "In '78 three players arrived that made a big difference to us, Eamonn Barry, Frank O'Sullivan and Martin Shiels," he added.

Kerrigan spoke of the "huge rivalry" that existed between teams then - at least while games lasted. Did he like Walterstown? "No," he replied. "We didn't like anyone," Cue laugher. Yet behind the humour there was a hint at what makes champions.

Neil O'Sullivan captained the Blacks to their second Keegan Cup triumph in 1980 trouncing a shell-shocked Syddan 4-9 to 0-6 with Ollie O'Brien giving a powerhouse performance.

In the championship campaign Eamonn Barry racked up a remarkable personal tally of 8-34. Syddan were represented by the great Jim Curtis who said his team just didn't perform on the day.

The Walterstown forward line was becoming feared far and wide. Subsequently the men in black went on to win their first Leinster club title, defeating Carlow side Eire Og, 2-9 to 2-8 before losing the All-Ireland final to St Finbarr's from Cork.

Walterstown relinquished the Keegan Cup in 1981 but they were back on top form for the '82 campaign defeating old rivals Summerhill in the final.

When they were called to the stage to reflect on '82 and all that, captain Eamonn O'Brien and another influential Walterstown player, Christy Reynolds, explored various themes.

O'Brien pointed to the fact that Walterstown had a wonderful set of forwards in those days. He also spoke of how, again with Mick O'Brien a central figure - Walterstown won three successive u-21 titles. "That's where our success came from," added Eamonn O'Brien who played for Meath helping them to a NFL title in 1975 and also went on to manage the county team.

Another plus for Walterstown, a small rural club, was that the the core of the team was formed by sets of brothers from various families. That helped to generate a real "family togetherness," he added.

Eamonn O'Brien spoke of how high standards were set and demanded. He outlined how, when he played as a back, he would be made “aware” of any mistakes he made by the team's very own ironman full-back Willie Clarke. Slackness was not tolerated and that became an ethos within the team.

Christy Reynolds also referred to the intense rivalry between clubs back then, something he feels is missing now and perhaps one of the reasons why Meath football has faltered. He also spoke of Walterstown's famed forward division. "We always had six forwards who could score."

SIGNINGS

One of the Walterstown's very own marquee men was Ollie O'Brien. He spoke about the contributions of people such as Eddie Maguire a teacher from Mayo who played football for Mayo, Carlow and Meath. He was a vital 'signing' as was others such as JJ McCormack. Then there were those who worked away from the limelight to help the cause such as Tommy Reilly. "We have to remember too the men behind the scenes," added Ollie.

Among those to join the ranks was former Kerry legend Jack O'Shea. He came in to lend his experience and in 1983 Walterstown again prevailed in the SFC, defeating Navan O'Mahonys, 0-10 to 1-3 with Gerry McLoughlin as captain.

Frank O'Sullivan was named man-of-the-match. O'Shea reflected on how he was "privileged" to be involved with Walterstown then. "They were probably one of the greatest group of people I ever met," he said.

The Kerryman, who won a plethora of All-Ireland medals and All-Star awards, recalled the time when snow covered much of Leinster. He thought training with Walterstown would be called off. It wasn't. "They were like a close-knit family, I was privileged to be part of it all." he said.

Joe Cassells also tapped into the memory bank. The O'Mahonys man recalled how the Blacks were so difficult to beat in those days. So strong.

And so it was onto to '84, centenary year, and the three-in-row. There were those who doubted whether the Blacks could close the deal but they prevailed, captain Gerry Cooney guiding them to a 2-9 to 1-7 win over old rivals Skryne in the final. This time left half-forward Martin Barry was the man-of-the-match.

Walterstown also claimed their second Leinster Club title (defeating Walsh Island) but, again, an All-Ireland title proved elusive. A member of the ‘84 side Paddy Carr (who later managed Louth and Donegal) spoke about how there was so much character in the Walterstown ranks.

A Skryne player the day the Blacks won the title in '84 was Sean White who pointed how taking on Walterstown in that era was like taking on one of the best football teams in the country.

He also made reference to the sense of brotherhood that existed within the Walterstown ranks and helped to form a unity that was as solid as concrte.

"If you hit one of them you hit them all, it was like upsetting a wasp's nest."

Paddy Carr referenced something Christy Reynolds once said. "You can't get out of somebody what God left out."

Walterstown in those years, Carr indicated, certainly had the right stuff. Their unprecedented run of success proved that.

* All photographs by Alicia Reynolds