Liam Sheedy honoured by Laochra Gael episode
By Shane Brophy
For those of you that can remember, there was a popular British television show from the late 1960’s through the early 2000’s called ‘This is your Life’ where high profile personalities were surprised by hosts Eamonn Andrews and subsequently Michael Aspel with a red book, and then brought to a television studio where they went through their lives with contributions from family and friends.
The popular Laochra Gael show on TG4 has been a similar version of sorts in GAA terms for the past 22 years, and this Thursday night (9.30pm), former player and All-Ireland winning manager Liam Sheedy becomes the latest Tipperary personality to have his great career recounted.
To get the approach from TG4 to take part in the show is akin to getting surprised by the red book, and speaking to the Nenagh Guardian this week, the Portroe man said it was humbling to be part of the series.
“It’s a wonderful programme. I’m a big fan of the programme,” he admitted.
“I spoke to Margaret (wife), Aisling 24 and Gemma 18 (daughters) and we said it would be a nice thing to do and have.”
He added: “I won’t tell a lie, I was nervous.
“I find it much easier to sit and talk about hurling than have to sit and talk about my journey which wasn’t straightforward. There were tough times when the result doesn’t go your way and are more in the spotlight than you ever were before. When you win you are the hero and when you lose you get it all wrong, despite putting in the same about of effort.”
It can be easy to focus on Liam Sheedy’s impact on Tipperary hurling in a managerial focus considering he won 2 All-Ireland senior titles and 1 All-Ireland minor title manning the side-lines, but he started out as an All-Ireland winner as a player at under 21 level in 1989 and went onto play at senior level winning a National League in 1999.
“If someone had to tell me back in 2000 when I was walking out of the dressing room (Pairc Ui Chaoimh), I had a back injury which was limited my ability to train at full tilt, that I’d go onto train Tipp to win a minor All-Ireland and 2 senior All-Irelands, 2 Munster’s and a league, I would have taken the hand off them because we are a very proud county,” he added.
“When you look at our record from 1971 on, we haven’t been steeped in winning titles and I feel I was honestly fortunate enough to be around at a time when some excellent players got to finish their careers first time round, and second time round some of the guys who were only kids first time round were still knocking around and still doing the business.
“It is a great honour to be asked to manage any team but to manage your own county not once but twice and to get up them steps (Hogan Stand) is a very proud moment.
“It is just nice to look back and cherish the memories, they were great journey’s and great times but I just happened to be the one steering the overall operation. I couldn’t speak highly enough of the impact Eamonn (O’Shea) and Mick (Ryan) had on the overall group and me, and all of the people that stood in the back-room teams, Tommy (Dunne), Eamonn (O’Shea) and Darragh (Egan), Eoin Kelly when they were asked to help out and were never found wanting.
“I was fortunate to have wonderful people around me that gave me a very good structure and no matter how good or how bad the result was, I always had a close circle of friends that would always look out for me as it can be lonely enough when it doesn’t go well as in 2010 when you get hammered below in Cork in the first round of the Munster Championship when you are tipped as being the team that is supposed to be toppling Kilkenny later in the year, they are tough moments.
“The same in 2019 when you lose a Munster Final seven weeks out from an All-Ireland final, they are fairly dark days. I have a really good support structure around me with great friends and family, and it is important to have those because we all do these jobs to the best of our ability.
“I am nothing but proud of getting the opportunity to represent my own club, first and foremost because everything is about the club for me, and then you go and get a chance to make an impact with your own county, so it has been a super journey.”
The show includes contributions from his native Portroe, including his brothers John and Mike, and current Antrim manager Darren Gleeson, with the clubs impact on his success as a player and a manager a central feature, including Port’s historic North final win in 2012 when Liam was coach.
“Both would stand side by side, toe to toe,” he said of winning an All-Ireland with Tipp and a North senior title with his native parish.
“The win with the parish was incredible when you think of Portroe, John McIntyre speaks about it on the programme, we would have been a way down the pecking order so to go and win a North Final against Toomevara was a special moment.
“And when you have two nephews involved makes it that bit more special, Michael and John, they are great lads and great craic and we get on really well.
“John (brother) was manager with Fr Gardiner and John Hogan, we had a really enjoyable few years with the club and that is the important part about it, there wouldn’t be a Liam Sheedy but for the Portroe club and the investment they put into me over the years, but when you get a chance to go out and stand on the side-line whether you are representing your club or county, they are special moments with a special group.
“I wouldn’t have one ahead of the other, I was very fortunate to play a role in the success at club and county level.
“The journey is important too, when you look back on the journey we went on up on the side of the hill in Portroe where we started training and I nearly broke them there on the hill, but I knew when they kept coming back for more there was something building. And likewise when you look back on some of the trips to the Curragh and Knockadoon and those camps when we really got to empty the lads and see what was in them, the journey both with Portroe and Tipp were hugely enjoyable.”