THE MASTERMIND OF some of Meath football’s greatest days was in the spotlight tonight.
Sean Boylan’s life on and off the pitch was the subject of a documentary that aired on RTÉ as the Dunboyne herbalist was the focus of attention.
The four-time Sam Maguire winning boss was the central character of ‘Sean’, directed and produced by Cavan native Alan Bradley.
It examined the extraordinary longevity of Boylan’s career as Meath manager, the huge success he enjoyed with different Royal teams, his interesting family background and the remarkable bond he developed with players on those sides.
Gerry McEntee, Mick Lyons, Darren Fay, Trevor Giles, Colm O’Rourke, Brian Stafford, Graham Geraghty, David Beggy, Joe Cassels, Tommy Dowd and Colm Coyle were the Royal greats that all shared their experiences of lining out for teams that Boylan was in charge of.
And the documentary drew plenty praise with glowing tributes paid to Boylan by several GAA figures.
Joe Sheridan (Meath)
What a man.... I can’t express enough how great he was as a manager but more importantly he is as a man. #sean #thegreatest pic.twitter.com/dLRKqFwKZU
— Joe sheridan (@Squarecut84) August 6, 2020
Steven McDonnell (Armagh)
Steven McDonnell / Twitter
Steven McDonnell / Twitter / Twitter
Gary Sice (Galway)
Conor Counihan (Cork)
Anthony Daly (Clare)
Anthony Daly / Twitter
Anthony Daly / Twitter / Twitter
Conor Laverty (Down)
Conor Laverty / Twitter
Conor Laverty / Twitter / Twitter
Barry Geraghty
A brilliant documentary on Seán Boylan what a gentleman manager and friend to all always trying to help out no matter what the sport injury or problem #Sean pic.twitter.com/NMtK5Uk8GO
— Barry Geraghty (@BarryJGeraghty) August 6, 2020
Eamonn O’Hara (Sligo)
Turlough O’Brien (Carlow)
Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny)
Henry Shefflin / Twitter
Henry Shefflin / Twitter / Twitter
Paddy Bradley
Davy Russell
Davy Russell / Twitter
Davy Russell / Twitter / Twitter
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A great man a great Manager and so humble about what he has achieved thanks for some great memories in gaa.
Brilliant programme. The Boylan and Meath glory days were a bit before my time but very hard to not respect and admire him!
Great programme about a great man. Nobody has a bad word to say about him.
And yet he sent out some of the hardest men and toughest teams ever to do battle on a gealic football field. The men under his charge would skin you soon as look at you.
And I mean that as a compliment. Genuine ‘hard’ men in the best sense of the word.
@Johnny B: Mick Lyons was asked when he returned from Australia, “did you catch many marks Mick?”
“No” he says “but I left a few” Lyons & Robbie O’Malley put the fear of God into any full forward line
What a man,was blessed to have been there through the boylan years,had some players work under him, probably never see again a team so powerful,when they went to battle it was one in all in,but they could play as good as the next,were would you get men like Lyons,harnan,gillic,MC entee,Hayes ,o Rourke,dowd,fay,coyle,raw power,