Bouncers are now the norm!

Given the occasion and just who was gathering inside, it came as no surprise to be greeted by a bouncer at the door of Stephen and David Beggy's pub in Navan on Saturday evening. The venue hosted the Meath launch of Billy Morgan's autobiography 'Rebel Rebel' and the 'hot tramps' congregated at the well-appointed Navan hostelry. When the animosity that existed between Meath and Cork in the late 1980s is taken into consideration, it was understandable why security measures were taken. However, those days are long behind the combatants from the '80s. Sworn enemies are now bosom buddies - the security staff at the door would be the norm for any reputable public house in our modern society. At first glance around Beggy's you could have been forgiven for believing you had missed a row. Bernard Flynn was supported by crutches while another man had his arm in a sling - the signs of a tough battle perhaps - the injuries were incidental. It was a night for nostalgia, where old disagreements were recalled with the laughter that many believed would never happen. MC for the night, David Beggy informed the gathered audience that it was the animosity of years ago that helped forge the friendships that last to today. Gerry McEntee, in his role as Meath representative, spoke about the respect that exists between the two sets of players now. The Meath legend recalled his run-in with Morgan in the 1987 All-Ireland final - it was a serious incident at the time, but both men recalled the altercation with laughter. There was also fond recollection of the man who brought the animosity between Meath and Cork to an end, the late John Kerins. Unfortunately it took the sad and untimely death of the 39-year-old Cork goalkeeper in 2001 to bring about the realisation that football was just a game. The entire Meath team attended the funeral and several of the Meath player have become firm friends of the deceased's family, a fact that has melted the previously frosty relationship between the two counties. Speaking about the loss of his great friend and recalling the funeral Morgan wrote, "All the Meath team came along. We had a great night together. That was the night we became friends with Meath. The only pity was that it took John's death to bring us together and we have been very close since." Saturday night's launch underlined that the bitterness was behind them. Several of that great Meath team, McEntee, David Beggy, Colm O'Rourke, Kevin Foley, Robbie O'Malley, Flynn and Martin O'Connell turned out to honour Morgan. It hasn't always been like that. For years there was loathing between the Meath and Cork players and Morgan recalled the period with brutal honesty and amazing foresight in his superb autobiography penned with Listowel publican, son of poet John B Keane, Billy Keane. "We wanted to beat Meath more than anything in the world. They had beaten us in two All-Ireland finals and there was a needle that was made even worse by our game against them in the semi-final of the National League," wrote Morgan recalling the 1990 All-Ireland final. "Even though we had won the All-Ireland the year before, we could not call ourselves a great team until we beat Meath. "They beat us with 14 men and we beat them with 14 men. It was an absolute pleasure. The slate was wiped clean." While the slate was wiped clean for Morgan by the 1990 victory, all the problems had emanated from the 1988 All-Ireland final and particularly the replay. Morgan recalled how a couple of Cork tackles had went astray in the first game and he maintained that Meath were out for retribution in the replay. "My instructions were, if there's a row, the whole team should pile in, not necessarily throwing digs but backing each other up. But throw digs if you have too," said Morgan to his players prior to the replay. After McEntee got sent off and all the Cork players 'piled in' Morgan informed his players to ignore the previous instruction and resort to playing football. Morgan recalled that that decision "was the biggest mistake of my footballing life." "Meath roughed us up and the boys didn't respond in kind because of my instructions. It was like giving them guns without ammunition," said Morgan. "Fair play to Meath, I take my hat off to them. That was a good Meath team. We didn't get on too well back then, it was open hostility." Morgan spoke about his initial reticence about coming to Meath to launch his book, but after persuasion from Keane he agreed. The former Cork manager received a great reception in Eason's on Saturday afternoon, where he signed copies of 'Rebel Rebel' and spoke with great emotion and captivated the audience in Beggy's. He said it was Meath's hunger and desire that made them the team they were. "Meath should be known as the Loyal County as well as the Royal County," he suggested. The night was a fitting tribute to a great coach. His book is a must-read for anyone with even the remotest interest in the GAA by one of the game's greatest characters.