Diarmuid Mullins

Originally published: Town Tattler Vol 1 Issue 1

We caught up with Diarmuid Mullins, former dual player with The Town, and the manager of double Munster minor champions, Limerick. He has recently been appointed Limerick U20 Hurling manager. He is also the principal of Crescent College Comprehensive in the city. Diarmuid’s Dad, Sean RIP, was also a great Portlaoise clubman and sadly passed away last August after a short illness.

Earliest Memories of Portlaoise GAA

Games that I attended with my Dad when he was managing underage club teams in the late 1980s. He tended to be involved with less successful teams as far as I remember. Footballers such as Flicker at corner back, Doc Fitz, Nocky Kerry, Mossy McDonald and Fergie Morrin were names I remember in underage games.

I also vividly remember the Leinster club hurling final in 1987 against Rathnure, and Jimmy Houlihan hitting close-in frees miles over the bar and the drama at the end of the game as Rathnure stole the win. Portlaoise had one last chance in the final moments to claim a draw and I remember a conversation on the way home about how Portlaoise were the better team.

The football replay against Parnell’s in Newbridge stands out too and I remember the semi-final against The Burren in O’Moore Park. Those days sowed the seeds for the Sunday morning underage leagues and training that soon began. Football and hurling every second Sunday was a great start as a player, but more importantly, long-lasting friendships were developed.

Biggest Influences

Outside of my Dad, who encouraged me but also didn’t suffocate me with advice, there were so many people who gave their time to young players. Jimmy Wrest, P.J. O’Brien and Ollie Byrne were the hurling coaches. Ollie had a Cody-esque element of managing and we had great days from U12 to Minor, winning plenty, learning loads and travelling the county and beyond.

In football, John Mulligan, Ollie Hughes, Joe Daly and the duo of Murt Parkinson and Brian Delaney led the way for us. Great days and plenty of good advice. All of these men wanted us to play hurling and football the right way and were always willing to allow players to express themselves as much as possible.

I think we were fortunate to have such people involved. Central to this success was the administration of the club with John Costelloe, Secretary, and Joe Phelan Snr, great chairmen and secretaries who gave their time. Fun was the name of the game.

At senior level in hurling, Cheddar, John Taylor and Damien Fox were all involved, along with Atch, Mark Kavanagh, Mick Lillis, Tommy Conroy and Niall Tully in football. All different approaches and plenty of learning that I have taken forward.

Hurling or Football

Portlaoise was and should always be a top dual club. I loved playing both codes and despite the success at minor level in football in 1996 and 1997, I enjoyed hurling more but only just.

I think in my time the real GAA person in Portlaoise supported both codes and the need to divide both codes needs to be always discouraged. I still think playing both must be encouraged at least until senior, until players may wish to concentrate on one or another.

I enjoyed training most nights and playing loads of games as a dual player. Portlaoise have had really top hurlers and footballers in Laois down through my years, John Taylor, Pat Critchley, Niall Rigney, Colm Browne, Tom Prendergast, Atch, Kevin Fitz, Ian Fitz, Kieran Lillis and the ultimate dual player in Cahir. So dual is the way to go and there are plenty of players for young players to look up to.

Biggest Disappointment

There was plenty, but probably losing the minor football final in 1996 with six of the All-Ireland winning panel. Ballylinan Gaels scored a last-minute goal.

We also lost a few hurling finals and semi-finals to a good Castletown team in 1999-2002, which we could have won after beating them in 1998.

Obviously, as a panel member in 2004, the All-Ireland Club was a disappointment as the lads played such great football against Kilmacud in the Leinster semi-final and against Crossmaglen in the All-Ireland semi-final. Generally, I used to move on after a loss fairly quickly. Maybe I didn’t invest enough as a player in my latter years.

Biggest Thrill

Definitely the double minor hurling win in 1996 and 1997. Great games against Camross and The Harps. The first senior football championship final win against St Joseph’s was great as we hadn’t won one in nine years and the hurling final win in 1998 was great.

Beating Graigue/Ballycallan in the Leinster semi-final and the fun after those wins was great also. At a really young age, the Féile hurling and football All-Ireland wins were fantastic fun too. Winning five U21 championships in a row was great.

Feelings after you transferred

Obviously, a sense of sadness. However, the travel was tough and I had really enjoyed Limerick since I started college at 18. It was time to make it easier for myself to enjoy GAA locally and it wasn’t possible to commit to Portlaoise.

Despite transferring, Portlaoise will always be where I learned to play and it is the club that I still look out for. I don’t think I was missed that much!

Playing Days in Limerick

I had coached Mungret in my last year with Portlaoise so I transferred to them. I really enjoyed my time with Mungret, winning a few county titles in football and hurling.

More importantly, I found a great outlet for my interest in GAA coaching and management. By chance I got involved with Mungret in 2004 training the footballers. After that I had stints with Ballysteen, Limerick U21s, Burgess, Kilmallock, Limerick senior footballers, UL Sigerson, Mungret hurlers and Limerick minor hurlers.

Some success, but really I think coaching is all about improving players and making sure that the club teams are in a better place than before I got involved. It is a hugely satisfying experience learning from players and developing different systems of play for different challenges. The key also, I think, is to maintain the fun element and positive relationships are vital.

Structures in Limerick v Laois

The Limerick structures in the underage academy are very good. Each age group is working to an overall ethos and plan. The decision, by agreement with clubs, that Saturday is strictly an academy training day with no club fixtures has worked.

All the coaching teams work in unison, all are volunteers, contrary to a perception of huge investment in Limerick. The investment is in people and time. The onus is on developing players for senior and success at underage is a bonus. Culture and skill development is the key.

I can’t comment hugely on Laois but it would appear that a more coherent plan is needed. I think some counties look for short-term fixes, for example recruiting Derek McGrath for just a minor team when maybe a three-to-five-year plan to allow Derek to assess and guide development at all levels is what is needed.

But one area Laois has a definite edge is the superb Centre of Excellence that they have. Limerick have no such excellent facilities, so credit to the county board there. Maybe we shouldn’t have moved!

Keeping in Touch with Portlaoise

My closest friends are still the Portlaoise lads but I don’t meet them enough. The size of the town has changed but the decency of the great friends I played with is still there for me, thankfully.

My Family

Busy times with my wife Davnet and four young kids, great days ahead watching the four of them playing GAA, I hope. I was recently appointed principal of a great secondary school, Crescent College Comprehensive, and that’s a great new challenge.

Limerick Minors

Two great years and hopefully an All-Ireland semi-final to come. It was a great experience to play in front of the seniors and to win the double in the Gaelic Grounds was a great day. Just privileged to be involved.

My Dad

Dad really enjoyed his second but longer life in Portlaoise, from playing in 1976 at the start of that great team and all his years involved in the club. He really enjoyed the characters of the club and believed that participation was the key.

He would prioritise the U16B football team as more important than the marquee team, and rightly so! Despite winning Leinster clubs with Vincent’s and Portlaoise, hurling was his huge love really and he rarely missed a home Laois hurling game in recent years.

A big loss to us but he lived his life well and Portlaoise GAA was one of his many passions.

Hopes for Portlaoise

I hope Portlaoise continues to be a flagship club in Leinster. However, it takes hard work to keep a big club like Portlaoise evolving and developing.

Hurling appears to need work and a dedicated plan around primary schools might help. Portlaoise should always be aiming to produce top hurlers and footballers but also compete at the highest level.

Central to this has to be a player development pathway which needs constant review and to be resourced in terms of quality coaching.

What Portlaoise GAA means to me

Fun, memories, great friends and a source of great pride to have played with this club.