Farming and football at the heart of Hollymount Carramore’s rural tale

On the 25 February 2011, Fine Gael and Labour engaged in talks in Dublin to form a Coalition. On the same night 200 kilometres west, Hollymount and Carramore met to decide a similar fate. Five years later, the country boys of south Mayo make their way to city.

Not my words but those of club Secretary Ger Mc Hugh, whose passion is an embodiment of the club. Its success has been as rapid as it has been impressive.

In a rural, farming area between Claremorris and Ballinrobe, Ger explained the history of the Hollymount Carramore GAA club and the ties that eventually bound.

“Before the amalgamation, we would have both been small clubs. We played together underage and after that separated. Coming together at senior level was long talked about, and eventually it came about five years ago.”

He is not bad at explaining the family connection within the club either. Club chairman Liam Coen had to intervene half way through his explanation to save time. “Jesus, stop him or we’ll be here all night!” he laughed. The craic was good.

Family

There is good breeding in these parts. Names like Feerick, Maloney, Costello and Campbell come to mind. They are surnames seen on the team sheet and in the stands alike. Family is the fulcrum of the area and this unity is on display for all to see.

The Coens are a rare stock too. Liam sits at the top table as chairman, his nephew Darren captains the team and his son Stephen was Mayo minor winning captain in 2013. Darren’s brother Mark is not half bad either. A keen suckler farmer, Liam acknowledged the importance that farming plays in the local area.

“More of less everybody on the team and within the club has some connection with farming. We have three or four lads on the team who are full time, with more part time.

“It has done so much for the young lads around here. If it wasn’t for farming, or football for that matter, you would wonder would many be still around.”

Dairy farming

Clubman Alan Fahey shared a similar view. Operating a dairy farm with his father, the 29-year-old believes that both activities have been a catalyst in keeping him and other in the local area.

“Myself and my father run the dairy farm at home and I get great enjoyment out of it. There are times it gets tough, no doubt, just like football. I remember mornings getting up at 5am so the milking would be finished in time for football later in the morning. I wouldn’t change a thing though, and I doubt the other lads farming on the team would either.”

The connection between farming and football really does run deep. The story of Louie Macken springs to mind. A dairy farmer by morning, an accountant by afternoon and a footballer come supper time, he captures the life of the modern footballing farmer. Early starts and late nights.

The clubs supporters sing to a similar tune as the players. Dare I say anyone knows more about the history of football in the area than suckler farmer Micheál Costello? With three sons on the team, and a fourth an Ireland winner with St Vincents in Dublin, the gene pool is strong. I wouldn’t question his memory either. His briefings on the history of the club, before and after amalgamation, were impressive.

Local businesses

The businesses get involved too. Brendan Campbell is a local agri-contractor and one of the team sponsors, and his son’s Niall and Dwayne play on the team. He discussed the importance of community from the working point of view.

“We do silage, slurry, reseeding and that sort of stuff. We would do a lot of that work for the boys farming on the team as well as the local farmers, which is a great boost for us and we appreciate it.”

I could not resist asking Brendan if either of the boys lived up to that “Silage lad” stereotype, i.e. one of the lads who misses games or trainings in summer as it clashes with the silage.

“Ah no, the lads wouldn’t,” he laughed. “I would miss an odd game here and there if it meant getting them there to play.” It seems everyone here are team players.

Among the success of the present lay poignant reminders of the past. Almost 22 years to the day marks the tragic passing of one of the area’s most celebrated sons, former Mayo player Richie Bell. The plethora of tributes highlights the esteem in which he is held amongst club members. Nothing would celebrate his memory more than a victory come Saturday.

As the rural community ready themselves for their potential greatest day, the buzz and anticipation around the locality is unavoidable. Fever pitch if you will.

Forget about the election for the time being, there is an All Ireland to be won first.