The Last Line with Chris Breen

It’s an old story, but True North – The Field of Dreams, the BBC documentary detailing the rise to prominence of the Crossmaglen Rangers, generated plenty of praise, as it offered remarkable behind the scenes access into the day-to-day lives of the senior footballers, and management of one of the country’s most successful clubs.
In my opinion Crossmaglen are one of the greatest football teams ever in Ireland.

Since 1996 they have won an astonishing 19 county championships, 11 Ulster club trophies and six all-Ireland finals. An accomplishment which we are unlikely to see another team repeat again.

Like most sports coaches, players and fans and I’m sure there were many from codes other than the GAA, I watched with envy the untold story of Crossmaglen Rangers in the hope I could learn something new.

Being honest, when I hear or look at Crossmaglen Rangers, I often think of my own club Enniskillen Gaels. Just over a decade ago, many a battle took place between Crossmaglen and the Gaels. That’s how close we in the Gaels were to Crossmaglen and the summit of Ulster club football. The Gaels, like Crossmaglen, were one of the top club sides in Ulster Club football in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The Crossmaglen story however is even more remarkable in that they remain the front runners in Ulster. One or two players who played back in those successful teams from the late 1990s continue to line out for them. Players like Paul Hearty, a player who has won a remarkable 19 Armagh senior club championships. To put it bluntly, for Paul and the rest of his community, football is a passion, a faith, a way of life and a refuge in Crossmaglen as they go in pursuit of sporting excellence.
It’s hard not to be envious of what they have achieved. I was amazed, but not shocked at the level of hunger which continues to be shown by their club, given they had won all there is to win in the game.

Their hunger never seemed to waiver after all these years of success. The demands that they place on themselves as players and the respect they command for their club is unrivalled.
The documentary reiterated that there are many more secrets to success. True North covered the story of the astonishing Margaret McConville, mother of former player and manager Oisin.

Success is a result of more than the 15 men who take to the field on any given day. The players in Crossmaglen understand this and great, unforgettable people like Margaret have contributed enormously to their achievements over the past 20 years.
However, there are striking similarities between Crossmaglen and our own clubs. Behind every club is an abundance of volunteers, remarkable people who give up their own time to make sure us as players are provided with the best environment possible to succeed.

Like many others, I can see it in my own club where there are exceptional volunteers and their passion for Enniskillen Gaels is second to none. Their core aim is the promotion of sport participation in our club and it is great to see them capture the enthusiasm and goodwill that sporting success engenders.
The GAA is unrivalled in terms of the number of volunteers that provide endless hours of service to the Association’s many clubs.

In all our clubs, members undertake the administration duties, coaching of teams, washing of jerseys, the lining of playing pitches, tea making in addition to performing a host of other specialised tasks.
Without volunteers, clubs and the GAA cannot function. Our clubs are in our DNA and this is what makes our clubs so special. 

Yes, I have taken many things from the documentary as mentioned but one of the standout moments for me was the fact that all players said at one stage or another that what they were doing was creating a legacy to pass down to the next generation.

As Paul Hearty put it in one of the team talks, “We are Crossmaglen and this is how we do things.”
Therefore as players we need to understand that all the so-called secrets of success won’t work unless we all work.
We have no God given right to succeed, but if we have the will and the desire to succeed then that is a very powerful thing. 

As GAA people we are all obsessed with bettering ourselves, our clubs and our communities. It helps bring so much unity to our lives. So, never under-estimate the work that people do behind the scenes that ensure the day to day running of your club, and the sacrifices these volunteers make to help you be a success.
I will leave you with the words of Margaret McConville, “What would we do without the GAA?”