EDDIE QUINN WAS merrily driving along on Monday morning, full of the joys as he reflected on the previous weekend.
RTÉ Radio were doing their sports bulletin when presenter Darren Frehill mentioned how he had spent the previous day in the charming surroundings of Plunkett Park, Pomeroy for Kerry’s visit to Tyrone, and managed to grab a few seconds of an interview with the man of the moment, David Clifford.
And then it arrived, Clifford paid tribute to the club facilities and how well they had been looked after in the highest village of Tyrone. For Quinn, a former chairman of the club and one of the most dedicated club members who took such an active role in modernising the facilities, it meant a great deal.
Maybe there was something in what The Donald said; that when you are a star, you can do what you want. Well, no, not THAT.
But you can score a hat-trick of goals against Tyrone, nab two vital league points for Kerry and still be swarmed by the local kids in an act of hero-worship. Your compliments will warm the hearts of those who made it all happen.
It has been said at length, usually straight after a big day in Croke Park when the cameras were focussing on him pensively holding a calf that might be cramping up, that David Clifford needs a rest.
No. Like, really, really needs a rest.
But there was always a game for Fossa, or a game for East Kerry, or a pre-season ahead, or any amount of commitments rolling out in front of a young man with a whole lot of pressure, expectation and a young family.
At Pomeroy, Clifford made his first start in a major game of Gaelic football since 13 October last year. The occasion then was the county senior semi final, playing for East Kerry, against Dingle. His last involvement in normal time was to miss a penalty kick. They lost after extra time.
He was introduced in the second half against Dublin in Tralee last Saturday week and got his expected warm welcome back, but he was a peripheral figure, marked by Theo Clancy while Dublin had all the go-forward as they were assisted by a gale in that period.
The first score of the Tyrone game came when goalkeeper Shane Ryan handed Clifford a short hand pass. His first solo was loopy, but also put doubt in the minds of the defenders shadowing him; Peter Teague and Adrian Clarke.
Neither wanted to truly commit, so neither did anything beyond Teague’s late tug-back which wasn’t enough to stop Clifford breezing through the gap to open up his scoring.
His first goal shows just how hard it is to keep an eye on him. He drifted out towards the middle of the field looking to get on the ball in a deep position. His marker Peter Teague gave him a shove as he ran past the flow of play. Paudie Clifford picked up the ball. Teague had a glance at David.
The ball then bounced off Paudie’s heel and Teague didn’t quite reach the loose ball, but had another look behind his back and there was David. Paul Geaney picked it up and in one movement, handpassed it off to David who had ghosted into space to collect, thump through the covering tackle of Michael McKernan and drill low past Niall Morgan.
Clifford cannot be watched.
What surprised many at that point was how much Clifford relished the goal. Sure, there was no James Tarkowski knee slide or anything like that, but a two-hand fist pump, a small bit of an aeroplane followed by a pump of the right fist is well beyond the GAA house style of head-down-trot-back-into-position.
His second goal was another wonder. Brian Ó Beaglaoich either played a pass into Paul Geaney or it dropped short. Either way Geaney gathered the break and while he was stood up, Clifford came like a train, shaping to go right for a split second before going left to receive the pass, into a more congested spot.
Didn’t matter. He squeezed his shot beyond Niall Devlin, Niall Morgan and Conn Kilpatrick on the line. A more modest celebration this time, given that it only brought Kerry back to within four points.
His hat-trick goal – his second hat-trick of his career after the return from lockdown when they stuffed Galway in 2021 – brought them level. Paudie Clifford, in one of his 55 possessions – according to Kerry-based reporter Sylvester Hennessy – played forward to Conor Geaney, who laid off to Dylan Casey. Casey played to Clifford, who wrong footed a tackler with his bounce, before slamming home and giving it the full fist-pump and almost – almost – a high-knees. Given he was back on the pitch after a black card, it was a moment with all the feels.
Just the 3-3 from David Clifford on his first start of the season. 🔥 #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/BwsOUv7idp
— The GAA (@officialgaa) February 24, 2025
Watching all this unfold was former Tyrone player Enda Kilpatrick, a Pomeroy player, manager and clubman, along with being a cousin of Peter Canavan.
In a county where they call his cousin ‘God’, he knows all about hero worship. But Clifford-Mania feels something else.
“I don’t like to use the simile, but it’s like a Premier League soccer player coming to your ground,” says Kilpatrick.
“But he deserves it because, number one, he is a great guy. And number two, he is absolutely fantastic. You cannot give him an inch.
“Petey Teague, I thought, did a right job on him yesterday, but he slipped three or maybe four times and there was three goals and a crossbar hit. You cannot slip for a second. Because it’s a goal.”
When it comes to seeing genius among them, the Tyrone crowd aren’t gawping mouth-breathers. The solo dummy has been passed down through the generations from Frank McGuigan to Peter Canavan and now his son Ruairí is making it his own. Then you have The Sean Cavanagh Shuffle. Tyrone have always had tricksters.
Clifford has created a whole new genre with his use of the bounce.
His bounce buys him space and time. His bounce shifts his weight from one foot to the other. His bounce can break the ankles of opposing markers or send them sprawled full length on the turf.
“You’d think players have watched that and are coached it,” says Kilpatrick.
“It’s a bit like Cavanagh showing to the left and going to the right. And still people always bought it. But you always fear they are going to commit to the first direction they turn.
“Clifford just is a genius and his brother Paudie is not far behind him.”
Now, to Pomeroy.
Home of 2021 Footballer of the Year Kieran McGeary, his brother Hugh Pat who is now on the Down squad, and Frank Burns, the club were county and Ulster intermediate club champions in 2016, beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by Westport.
They were managed that season by Mark Harte who could claim some connection to the area, as his grandfather Peter was the sacristan in Pomeroy.
The club itself have the kind of digs that are, frankly, the envy of other counties. In recent years they have built a community hub at the grounds that caters for all sorts of activities.
While the game was going on, there was a children’s birthday party ongoing that was a long-standing booking. The Kerry and Tyrone players may have been amused as they made their way from changing room to gym for their final tune ups to look in at some pass the parcel or pinning the tail on the donkey. On a more sombre note, the building also is used for AA meetings as well as the usual round of Pilates and keep-fit classes.
After a week in Tyrone that was wetter than an otter’s pocket, the club received notice on Friday that they might be hosting the game. On Saturday morning, that came through, with Omagh waterlogged. The Pomeroy Plunketts WhatsApp groups lit up with calls for help.
The following morning, power washers were clearing off any loose stones on the terraces while vacuum cleaners roamed the carpets. There wasn’t a toilet bowl that was safe from strong bleach. Floors were mopped. The brass was polished. Car parking logistics figured out.
For Sunday, they found 100 bodies to put into hi-vis vests to work as stewards. 25 others were pressed into action doing tea, soup and sandwiches for the hungry hordes.
Part of why they were able to host it comes with the natural advantage. The pitch actually has no drainage, because, well, this is the highest village in Tyrone. Where else is the water going to go?
As it happens, the pitch markings were in good shape as they had it lined out that week.
Pomeroy are like any other Tyrone club; locked in a perpetual cycle of running draws, sending carloads of ticket sellers to every corner of the country to update their facilities.
Last summer they completed a draw that gathered enough money to finish the pavilion and put a new training pitch in place, bringing their number of pitches now to three.
In one corner of the ground, the TG4 camera picked up a decent-sized fast food shed. Entitled ‘JP’s Diner’ with a horseshoe symbol, this is what Pomeroy did with their share of the JP McManus donation to all GAA clubs. They spent the money on something to generate money as the cheeseburgers and chips fly out.
“JP was good enough to give us the money, so we felt we would be good enough to put his name on it.” Kilpatrick laughs.
Staging a game like this, in a venue as well appointed as this, feels like a breath of fresh air.
Look, we all have to live in the real world. County boards like uniformity, clarity and structure. County grounds usually come with a team of stewards who know their beat inside out, and people know the matchday routine.
But all the same, there is something about a Kerry team landing to a small village in the heart of rural Tyrone that, in time, will become part of the folklore of the place; the site of David Clifford’s hat-trick.
Truly, some days, the league really is just the league.
Holy moly… an Ulster report calling it a basket case on 42.ie where the comments section is open. Im going to grab the popcorn
@Patrick McHugh: hahahahahaha
I’m a huge fan of carberry. I don’t think I’ve seen an Irish player with as much natural talent and skill as he clearly possesses, possibly ever.
However, as an ulster fan, I’m not sure how comfortable I feel with the whole thing. If he did come to ulster, and then went on to fulfil his huge potential, becoming a world class 10. Would he stay at ulster? Clearly not, most likely he would go straight back to leinster, take over from sexton and be their 10 for the next 12 years. This makes ulster nothing but a feeder club for leinster.
I’d rather have an experienced hand, probably NIQ, someone like leliiafano, who would provide some stability and help develop mcphillips and Curtis.
Or maybe I need to realise how bad things are at ulster, and being leinster’s feeder club is an accurate reflection of where we are at the moment.
@Farzad Saadat: this is what connacht is used as by the irfu. Feeder club for the the other 3 provinces. It’s sad.
@Farzad Saadat: if he went up
To ulster and he is the starting out half and ulster start to compete and then win stuff why would he leave? Ulster have proved they can compete in the past, HC 2012, so can do it again
@Farzad Saadat: you do understand that you will have about 8 or 9 ex Leinster players at ulster next season so how you could possible become a feeder club for Leinster baffles me.
@Farzad Saadat: Just like Pienaar helped develop…..who exactly?
@Kevin Heaney: look at the number of Irish 9s who had a chance under Pienaar and didn’t step up. For example Willis, Heaney, McIlroy, Porter, Lloyd plus academy players. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
@Kevin Heaney:
We were told constantly he was babysitting our young 10 so by that metric he helped develop sextons backup. Not his fault what happened thereafter. He also helped turn Paul Marshall into a capped 9. This is a guy who was on the verge of quitting rugby prior to Pienaars arrival. Pienaar did plenty when here. Its Ulsters fault and not his that we didnt bring through someone other than Marshall.
@Kevin Heaney: Paddy Jackson – Irish international out half.
It would be a great move for carbery. He would seriously strengthen Ulster and would be match fit and cobweb free for when Sexton is unavailable. Can’t see where else he will get game time to fulfil his potential while still being available for selection for ireland
@domas1507: eh Connacht? they need a 10 badly.
@domas1507: how many games do you think sexton will be allowed play next season even if he is fit? And after the World Cup he’ll more than likely retire. Ulster don’t even have a coach and have not even qualified for the European cup as yet.
How is playing for a side without a coach and who without their internationals are very poor?
Stick around and learn from the best 10 Ireland has even had and play in a fantastic environment with top class coaches.
@domas1507: at Leinster obviously. Sexton played 9 of Leinstes 35 games this season so far. That leaves 25 for Carbery and Byrne to share starting duties on. Then he’ll also get his Ireland experience during summer and November
@Chris Mc: Ulster do have a coach Gibbs and there will be a new one for next season. Not going to go into it without one as you seam to think. Sticking around and learning for a top player isn’t always best eventually gametime is needed. Carberry is 3rd choice for Cullen. 1 game at 10 was is this season. If he keeps moving around he risks becoming another Madigan. Not able to cement one position. In the build up to the WC being 3rd choice 10 isnt enough gametime. Also one year is being talked about he can go back after the WC with more experience at 10 than if he stayed.
@Kingshu: If Byrne was really second choice it would have been him on the bench for the quarter and semi final of the Champions Cup not Carbery
@domas1507: moving to Ulster would be a terrible move for Carbery. They have a pack that is routinely beaten up and humiliated in Europe. With the skillset Carbery has, trying to play behind that pack would be a nightmare. It would absolutely stall his career. Add to that, Ulster are a mess, they have no coach, the fall out from Jackson/Olding will linger on and, more importantly than all that, Ulster do not compete for medals anymore. At Leinster, he’s in the best squad, he has quality coaches and players around him and maybe he likes living in south Dublin. There’s no incentive to move.
@grandslamkbo:
As long as he keeps getting gametime over Byrne at 10 i agree. Playing behind a worse pack routinely doesn’t stall your career though. It prepares you for times when its going to happen (which it is at international level). This is why Jackson was comfortably ahead in the pecking order until his off field stuff. Jackson had very little handed to him on a plate.
@Paddy Kavanagh: seriously whoc want to move to Connacht.. “to hell or to Connacht”
@Paddy Kavanagh: Munster need one too.
@Chris Mc: best…. ten…. Ireland…. ever…. had…. right….
@Paul: Munster should sign Jackson
Could play him every game. Won’t have to play for ireland.
Understandable that ‘Carbery to Ulster’ suits neither Leinster nor Ulster fans. However, from the Ireland perspective, we have a number 2 fly half who is getting no big match experience in that position (and this season little experience in ANY matches). So we are incredibly vulnerable if Sexton gets injured again in the RWC.
Exiling Paddy Jackson is not cost-free
@Kevin Ryan: are you forgetting Carbery was injured for months?
@Sam Harms: yeah, he would have played more if he had not been injured. Then again we also saw that even when he was fit Leo usually preferred to play Ross Byrne at 10. So we could go down the rabbit hole of discussing why this was and the alternatives at 15.
So looking ahead to next season it may be that the IRFU’s real objective was to ensure that Carbery does play at 10 for Leinster when JS does not, apart from international breaks and associated rest periods. But the bottom line will still be that he won’t get the big match experience unless JS is injured.
@Kevin Ryan: Johnny only started for Leinster 9 times this season and next season will most likely be similar again, leaving plenty of time for Joey to play.
@Sam Harms: yes, but not the big games. That is fine for his own development and for Leinster’s succession when JS retires. But NOT as someone to step in as Ireland no 10 if JS gets injured. As per comments on the other thread, that was something that Paddy Jackson had been getting the experience to do.
With him gone, and Carbery not wanting to leave Leinster, Ireland have to either take the risk that he will not be needed in a crisis next year, or can step up notwithstanding his lack of experience or hope that some alternative solution turns up; eg Bleyendaal getting over his injury problems, having a cracking season for Munster and declaring for Ireland.
@Kevin Ryan: ulster haven’t even qualified for the champions cup yet so until they do what big games will he get at ulster? He’s been on the pitch for everyone of Leinster European games this season when fit.
@Chris Mc: OK, I can easily acknowledge that if Ulster do not qualify for the Champions Cup, the case for Carbery being there would be weakened – but would not go away completely as there would still be a fair few big matches against the top Pro14 teams – like Leinster. Would you be in favour of ‘Carbery at Ulster’ if they do qualify?
If it were just about moving pieces on a board, I think a better result would be Carbery to Munster – as they will be in the Champions Cup and could do with Ireland’s no 2 fly half, and Keatley to Ulster, as they need an experienced man. Would you prefer that?
Raising Carbery’s participation in this year’s Champions Cup just brings us back to Leinster’s preference for Ross Byrne as back up to JS. How do you think that will play out next season?
@Kevin Ryan: Carberry was covering for Kearney while he was out injured. If Leinster had more depth at FB, Carberry would have played OH more often. It helps that Larmour is now up to speed at FB, so there’s less need for Carberry there. Experience at FB will have done Carberry no harm at all, but he will need more time at OH in future and he will almost certainly get it as he and Byrne are likely do most of the work next season.
@gpq: yes, but, see my last reply to Sam Harms. Do you think this will be sufficient experience for Carbery to be a reliable backup to JS in next year’s RWC, which is Ireland’s immediate problem?
Have to say im going to miss Gibbes and i love Reidy. The former calls a spade a spade and if we had started the season with him in charge i wonder where we would be now. Is it any wonder Ulster barred some media from their press conferences though. It really is gutter journalism. Spreading the basket case quote everywhere without taking in the entire context of what BoD said is pretty poor too. still if it gets people analysing Logans ‘contribution’ then so much the better
@Ross Watson: Indeed. BOD was not having a go at Ulster and if the journalists had an ounce of dignity then they would provide the context of the statement.
Just waiting on the charge of the light brigade
It may be an unpopular opinion but I don’t think that the likes of Carbery, Byrne, or even Frawley, would play as well outside of Leinster’s attacking system. They are all talented players without a doubt but I would argue that the wealth of Leinster’s attacking options also makes their job easier.
When a Leinster 10 walks onto the pitch, they have a number of attacking scenarios they can play out. They invariably have a strong pack in front of them, a passing option inside and outside them, a second line of attack behind that an option and a wing showing for the cross-field kick. Take a few of those options away and you suddenly have an out-half forced out of their comfort zone.
If push came to shove and Leinster were hypothetically forced to lose a 10, I think Byrne would probably be the most adaptable. His strong tactical-kicking game gives him an out when his team are unable to run the ball or are going backwards.
However, before people clamour for such and such a 10 at their province, I think that they should be mindful that the out half is playing in a Leinster team that is maximises their ability on the pitch.
@EK: I also don’t think they are what Ulster need. They need real experience and someone who can hopefully bring McPhillips on. Why does Steenson not feature in this conversation? He still has a good couple of years in him and is currently not Exeter’s default first choice. And who knows what might happen in the World Cup with injuries, might be a handy backup to have a la Donald
@J Free with one F J Free: has Madigan been considered?
@J Free with one F J Free: Steenson signed a new two year contract this year unfortunately. He would have been a great signing and wouldn’t have cost the world.
What was the full context of O’Driscolls comments?
@Trevor Dunne: term basket case has other connotations a day is highly offensive.
@Trevor Johnston: what’s the point of looking for offence when none was meant. BODs support for Irish Rugby in total is unquestionable, all 4 provinces. His comments were meant in the context of one player possibly going to an Ulster Rugby that IS in turmoil. Not just the Jackson/Olding debacle fallout but the frequent turnover in coaching staff, the remaining uncertainty who will be in charge as coach/ board next season; There are some promising youngsters at u18 -20s coming through but Ulster are weak in the pack and are struggling to make CC Rugby. While all that may change, for the *moment* when you put all that together Ulster Rugby has issues to address and is a place you’d have to think long and hard about going to if you are currently in a good (if not ideal) position.
@Lian McGuire: so you would be happy that term basket case is appropriate.
@Trevor Johnston: he’s just explained itTrevor. It was the context that bod used it in. It looks like you’re simply choosing to find it offensive which is guess your prerogative
@Trevor Johnston: A basket case is ‘anything that does not function’ properly or ‘someone or something that is incapable of functioning normally’.
So yes that’s a good description of Ulster at the moment.
@Trevor Johnston: I would. Having watched it on YouTube I think it fair assessment.
@Trevor Johnston: people will take offense at anything at all now. Give it a rest. It was crystal clear what BOD was referring to and he was absolutely right.
BOD knows if certain things happened in the republic they would have been swept under the carpet. Well done Ulster rugby for getting rid of the trouble makers. BOD obviously has a different point of view.
@prop joe: Wow
People are forgetting that Sexton rarely plays so carberry would get a lot of game time and after world cup he will be first choice at 23-24 years old, that’s the same age Sexton started to be first choice over Felipe
BOD said “they are a bit of a basket case at the moment”. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it is 100% self-inflicted or that they could do anything about it but it’s true.
Nobody can say that they aren’t. No coach, no fly half, in the news for the wrong reasons, not likely to get into the Champions Cup for next season. With a little stability and few new players they have the culture and pride to turn things around next year.