James ‘Skinny’ Fahy

Originally published: Town Tattler Vol 6 Issue 2

This month, our own Laura Bergin caught up with James Fahy, better known as Skinny. This is their interview.

Where are you based now James?

I’m living in Youghal, Co Cork now. I met up with Dick Sides (RIP) here on the beach a few years ago.

Getting started?

I went to the Primary CBS, Tower Hill, and Brother Guing was the main man there for GAA and he got me started on the road, shall we say. Then I went to the CBS secondary school Tower Hill, where dual sports was a big thing there. I started playing U12 in both codes in 1977.

Club?

In the club we were blessed back then with people like Bill Phelan, Peter Carroll, Ollie Byrne and Peter Fennell, all great Portlaoise men, who gave up their time to look after us. We had a lot of success as underage. Our U12 team in the hurling went the whole way to U21 and won every championship without being beaten in any of those years, and that was a great achievement in itself.

Best Underage Hurler?

Paul Bergin, an absolute incredible player, he was miles ahead of us all.

Best Underage Footballer?

Matt McDonald, God rest him, taken too soon from us. Actually aside, myself and Matty, Liam Duggan and Tom Conroy were on the Laois U21 football team. We were beaten in an All-Ireland Semi-Final by Donegal by one point in 1987 and Matty got a kick in the head and had to be stretchered off, and we had to change the team around. Definitely I’m convinced we would have went ahead and won the All Ireland, as it happened Donegal went on and won it. I think they won it by 10 points and eight of that team went on to win a Senior All Ireland in 1992, so you just never know but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.

Best Memories?

I suppose the double double in the Centenary year in 1984 when we won the two seniors and two minors, that was an incredible achievement for the club. Obviously I don’t think that will ever be done again, unless we do it. Hopefully we will.

Senior Players?

I only played one senior hurling match, that was due to, do you remember back when there was a big row between Portlaoise and Clara, I think there were about ten lads sent off, so the junior hurlers had to step up.

Best Hurler?

In hurling I mean John Taylor was the absolute stand out player. My God, he was a pleasure to watch and what a player.

Best footballer?

When I was starting out, where do you start? I had Curly, Colm and Gerry Browne and Atch Whelan. They just made my life so easy and they were all phenomenal players. My first game outside underage, I played a Junior Football match in Mountmellick. I played corner forward. I can’t remember who we played but playing at No. 14 was Brian Rigney. He made my life easy that day as well. He broke the ball and I did the easy stuff.

Your time as captain...

I was captain in 1990, beating Ballyroan 1-9 to 0-8. James won’t say it but he scored 1-3. We played Ferbane in the club championship and we were 13 points down at half time and we drew. What comes next was the biggest regret and mistake that I’ve ever made as regards football. I went on my holidays for the replay instead of staying back with the team and it’s something I’ll take with me. If I had it back, obviously, I would have changed things, but then as it transpired I had to give up the game in 1991 because I have monocular vision. I’m basically blind in my left eye and the doctors told me in fear of something happening to the good eye that I needed to stop, so that was a premature end but that was the way it was to be.

Most Enjoyable match?

I think the most enjoyable team one I ever played was when we won a Junior ‘A’ in 1977. We beat Timahoe and I just remember the fact Jimmy Wrest was our captain and Jimmy had never won a medal before. I just remember the craic and the gallery we had. It was absolutely brilliant and I was delighted for him.

Keeping it in the family...

I must mention my grandson Lee McStay. He’s playing dual there U14 with Portlaoise and he’s doing very well and as it happens today he’s playing his first game for the county with the U15 footballers. So I’m so proud of him and I hope to God someday he lifts the County Senior Cup like I did in 1990.