Inside Track: Don’t be hoodwinked, JJ Gabriel’s real surname is Carroll

Someone gave me a coaster a number of years ago with the Carroll coat of arms on it. It has two lions facing each other with a sword between them. There’s also one of these steel helmets.

It has a a motto in Latin, ‘In fide et in bello fortis’. Had I paid attention when the ancient language was being taught at school I’d have been able to translate it.

Still, there’s always Google, and a visit there told me that in English the inscription reads, ‘Strong in faith and war.’

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A work colleague once told me that the Carrolls were descendants of cattle thieves from the midlands. I think he was trying to be funny.

But it wasn’t challenged until a family-written obituary came into this paper for someone named Carroll. It was family-written and obviously well researched: It said our linage traced back to the Princes of Oriel.

That was more like it, strong in war, against whom I don’t know. But it didn’t really matter, there was royalty there.

So we are strong in faith as well? If we are, why then would one of ours want to change his surname “for religious and branding reasons”? It has happened, as reported in a Sunday newspaper.

There’s this chap who was christened JJ Ó Cearúill. He’s 14-year-old and is a footballer who is being hailed “as not only one of their (Manchester United) brightest prospects, but one of the best of his age group in Europe.” If he’s that good, he should have ‘precocious’ on his shirt, nothing else.

He has changed his name to JJ Gabriel, for the reasons mentioned above (Maybe with the Angle Gabriel in mind? Maybe, but almost certainly not.)

Anyway, anyone who was in on this page from the very start (2004), and is still reading it, might have an idea where this story is going.

Remember all the pieces that were written about your scribe’s namesake, Joe Ó Cearúill?

Some background. Joe was a London-born footballer with Irish connections. Although twice capped by the then-Republic of Ireland manager, Steve Staunton, Joe was more of a journeyman, in every sense.

He began his career as a teenager with Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, taking instructions from one of the Wenger team, Liam Brady. His main claim at Highbury was that he played in a testimonial for Dennis Bergkamp.

After that he was linked with a succession of clubs in and around London, none of them remotely near the top flight. There were the likes of Forest Green and Boreham Wood. He also played in Scotland and here in this country.

St Patrick’s were his Irish club, and when the Inchicore team came to Oriel for a pre-season friendly, sports photographer, the late Mick Slevin, suggested I go up and have a photo taken with Joe.

He didn’t play that night, so I hadn’t long to wait to have the photo taken. We shook hands, posed and exchanged pleasantries. For years afterwards I followed his career, getting the occasional story for these pages.

All of the foregoing is a longwinded way of saying Joe is father of the newly-named JJ Gabriel, and, not surprisingly, is taking more than a passing interest in his son’s progress. He’s already been approached by the FAI with regard to the youngster’s international intentions.

Senior is not committing to anything, but at this stage you can bet on Joseph Junior not wearing the green jersey. That won’t come as a surprise since the lad, being described as a “mini Messi”, has already played for England under-15s; his future would almost certainly be with the Three Lions.

Adidas and Nike are said to be in a tussle to get his signature, and giants, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, are also snooping around. But for the time being, and maybe for longer, JJ is staying at Old Trafford.

Although giving years away to his opponents, he has had several outings with the Man U under-18s. (I’m drawn to another article on this page, the one that cautions against sending young men to war too soon.)

As far as Inside Track is concerned, move over Joe, there’s someone to take your place. The change of name aside, let’s hope the young lad’s career blossoms.