Kevin McManamon: ‘We were in a very special place for those years’

By Cian O'Connell

The opportunity to reflect was welcome. Kevin McManamon thoroughly enjoyed the process, looking back on the medals and memories gleaned.

Being part of the TG4 Laochra Gael series offered that chance. During a player career, there is always another match or challenge to embrace. This was different.

"It was lovely, a nice touch and it's probably something that I haven't really done that much," McManamon says.

"Obviously, I had loads of conversations, but actually the kind of timeline and the story of it all was nice and I was delighted I got on very well with Edel (Fox), who directed the show as well.

"So, I put a lot of trust in her and she was really, really kind and did a really good job on it. So, I was delighted with how it all came together."

It was a thrilling time for Dublin following the 2011 All-Ireland triumph. The following decade brought joy and silverware. "I suppose we had really good players, really good managers, coaches and they all came at the right time and even when a couple were leaving, we replaced them really well," McManamon responds when asked to identify some of the key ingredients in Dublin's success.

"So, that helped, that we were winning games sometimes that we maybe wouldn't have won in previous years.

"We also developed a really, really good camaraderie and culture and brotherhood in the team that we still talk about, we're really proud of.

"A lot of us are heading away now in a couple of weeks and still trying - we've no point in doing it anymore, just the fact that we're mates and we like socialising with each other and playing golf and having a few scoops.

"You were able to meet a lot of friends and stuff like that, people you want to go to war with and you want to learn from.

"We definitely were on it - it's only when I got off - on an upward trajectory the whole time, it was really exciting, what can we learn, what can we do differently and stuff like that.

"That was my life for 10 years. We were in a very special place for those years."

Is the environment that is created a natural thing? "Potentially, yeah - well some of it is organic, but a lot of it is through effort, it's like tending to a fire, you have to keep putting fuel on the fire, you know what I mean?," McManamon replies.

"Jim Gavin was a master at building an excellent culture, he really, really did an excellent job, there was great trust in the group, great high standards, psychological safety, all these things that high performance teams need.

"We had good coaching, good support staff, really strong in terms of giving us and supporting us, doing everything we needed. It's obviously a myriad of things, but leadership is certainly one of them."

McManamon has worked with teams in various roles since retiring, but is relishing operating as a coach in Jonny Cooper's Dublin U20 set-up. "I work in Waterford so I'm up and down now for the odd little training here and there, I'm enjoying it, so I do a bit of forwards coaching," he says.

"Jonny Cooper is the manager and he's doing a really good job. We're only in the door, so it's going to take a bit of time to get used to the players and player development and to build those friendships and relationships with the players.

"It's all good, we've got a few friendlies here and there, we've got championship now with Wexford, Louth and Westmeath.

"Just excited, Louth were Leinster champions last year, so we're hopefully going to get a cut and these few Dublin ages together haven't won a huge amount. So, it's a good challenge to be able to bring something home if we can."

Laochra Gael Series:

Programme 1: Conor McManus, 9.30pm, Thursday 22nd January

Programme 2: Cyril Farrell, 9.30pm, Thursday 29th January

Programme 3: Grace Walsh, 9.30pm, Thursday 5th February

Programme 4: Marty Clarke, 9.30pm, Thursday 12th February

Programme 5: Pádraig Horan, 9.30pm, Thursday 19th February

Programme 6: Neil McManus, 9.30pm, Thursday 26th February

Programme 7: Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, 9.30pm, Thursday 5th March

Programme 8: Kevin McManamon, 9.30pm, Thursday 12th March