ST BRIGID’S know a thing or two about Ulster juggernauts coming down the road and crushing dreams – just ask Frankie Dolan.
The talismanic former Roscommon forward was part of sides that narrowly lost out to an all-conquering Crossmaglen in 2007, and then on St Patrick’s Day four years later.
By the time the Connacht champions made it third time lucky at the semi-final stage at the end of 2012, though, Dolan and co had enough. Led by Kevin McStay, this was it. They wouldn’t be bullied or pushed over - fire would meet fire, whatever was required to get them over the line.
St Brigid’s toppled Cross that day in Mullingar, then backed it up against Ballymun weeks later to lift the Andy Merrigan Cup for the first time. Eleven years on from Frankie Dolan’s finest hour, they are back at Croke Park for the big one – another Ulster champion, this time Derry kingpins Glen, standing in their way.
What Dolan wouldn’t do to be running out on Sunday, instead an elongated wait for a back operation – a consequence of wear and tear from football and years working as a postman – make even a round of golf difficult to negotiate at the minute.
Besides, he had his moment in the sun during the twilight years of a colourful career. He knows how lucky he was after so many times when it seemed that particular ship had sailed for St Brigid’s, and for him.
And it was Cross who proved the immovable object when push came to shove on those first couple of occasions – a kick of a ball doing the damage both times.
“There was only a goal in it in the All-Ireland semi-final, then the same when we came up against them in the ‘11 final.
“In Mullingar the first day, they ground us down. It was disappointing because we had trained like lunatics at the army barracks in Athlone that Christmas and there was a real feeling of belief around the camp.
“After that we kinda fell off… it was a while before we reached that level again.”
And when they did, more heartache waited around the corner.
That St Brigid’s outfit was at the beginning of its arc, just coming to the boil but not quite ready for what Cross would throw at them. Dolan has only ever watched the game back on two occasions since, and left Croke Park that day wondering whether it would ever happen.
“We were raw enough then, a mix of younger lads rather than lads with experience.
“To this day I’m still mad as hell with myself for underperforming. Noel [O’Brien] had deployed me in a free role around midfield, it was something that had worked well against Nemo… the plan was for me to find space between the linesand provide quick ball to the likes of Senan Kilbride and Cathal McHugh, but it just didn’t come off.
“Of all the games I’ve ever played in, that one ranks as the most disappointing. To get that close and not play to our potential was something that took us a long time to get over.”
Both teams went the traditional meal upstairs in Croke Park afterwards, but there was no chat, no conversation whatsoever.
“We respected them but there was also a certain level of disdain for them too, especially after that game,” Dolan wrote in his autobiography, released last year.
“The feeling was mutual, and I don’t think they lost too much sleep over us lads from down south anyway. I sometimes got the sense on the pitch that some of them had a real chip on their shoulders… some of the sledging was dreadful stuff, but I suppose it went both ways.”
St Brigid’s were determined that it went both ways when the clubs next met in the 2012/13 All-Ireland semi-final.
Back at Cusack Park in Mullingar, there was a significant shift in attitude. Unknown to management, senior players – Dolan included – made the rest aware that there were to be no more hard luck stories.
This time, by whatever means necessary, they were going to get the job done.
“We were a different team then.
“Lads had built up that experience of playing at the back end of the season against the top teams in the country, so they were getting a bit more confident of performing in that environment. No-one was sitting back worrying about what was coming round the corner.
“Cross had got into our heads at times during the previous two games and we wouldn’t allow them to do it again. It was made clear to every man that we would have to stand up and be willing to play right on the edge – sometimes even crossing the line.
“Like, I have the height of respect for Crossmaglen, what they achieved over the years is nothing short of unbelievable, the hard work and determination they’d have had to put in to get to that level for so long is remarkable.
“But lads realised we have to do something different here to try and beat these. That probably was the winning of that semi-final, moreso than then football side of things.”
Injury forced sharpshooter Oisin McConville off early, and St Brigid’s didn’t look back, coming out the right side of a ding-dong encounter. With that monkey off their backs, they went on and toppled Ballymun in the final – Dolan the hero on the biggest day of all as he grabbed the winning score a minute into added time.
It still feels like yesterday but on Sunday, the class of ‘24 have the opportunity to create their own remarkable piece of history against Malachy O’Rourke’s men.
Glen go in as heavy favourites, just as Crossmaglen did against pretty much anyone they came up against during the Noughties. The Derry champions come in with the memory of last year’s controversial final defeat to Kilmacud still fresh.
It is a hurt Dolan knows all too well but, having followed Glen’s rise, he doesn’t expect emotion to do the talking once the ball is thrown in.
“When we were there in 2013, we never talked about 2011. It’s always in the back of your head that you’d love to get back and have a rattle at it again, but you move on.
“People are obviously delighted to be in an All-Ireland final, and St Brigid’s are probably ahead of time. We went to the Connacht final in hope, and produced a serious performance against Corofin, then got over Castlehaven.
“We’re in bonus territory now, Brigid’s have that little bit more tradition than Glen. These young lads would’ve been at our All-Ireland finals, semi-finals, Connacht finals, the wins, the losses - they’d have grown up around it, watching us train.
“They know what it takes to get to that level.”