GAELS TALES | Budgie Boyle selects his Cooley Kickhams and (dirtiest) Louth all-time XVs

CLUB
Cooley Kickhams.

FIRST MEMORY OF YOUR CLUB
Going to Dowdallshill to watch Cooley win the minor and senior double; what celebrations there were.

BIGGEST RIVALRY
When I was playing, the Clans were our biggest rivals. They were full of county players, so there was great pleasure in beating them, which we usually did. Also, those ones over the road when they weren’t intermediate, before the Connors became O’Connors!

BEHIND THE SCENES HERO
Would have to be my father, Mike Boyle, who played for the club, winning two senior championship medals and an All-Ireland junior with Louth in the ’30s. He held many positions in the club and looked after the jerseys for 30 years until he dropped dead on the sideline in Termonfeckin at the first league game in 1985. What a great way to go, doing what you loved.

MOST MEMORABLE WIN
The senior championship win versus St. Mary’s; the holy grail. It was hard living in a house with no championship medals as my father and brother, Michael, had seven and another brother, Thomas, had one. The McCarthys next door had 14, so that day was special. I had promised my father I would win one the day he died.

Also, Lauren’s win last year in the All-Ireland junior final, considering she was crossed by a forklift five weeks earlier. Her dedication amazes me. She gets that thickness from me and her uncle Michael. Her left foot makes me very proud every game.

WE STOLE IT OFF xx IN xx
Playing for the CBS, we stole it off the Marist in 1979. We were being beaten by 16 points at half-time, but won by two. The great Pat Darcy was our manager.  

MY COOLEY XV OF ALL-TIME
Gerry Farrell; Colm McCarragher, Jim Thornton, Martin McCarthy; Liam Reilly, Tony McCarragher or Peadar Gallagher, Gerry Rafferty; Peader McPartland or Peter McCarthy, Con Nolan or Niall McCartan; Joey Hosford or Brendan Burke, John McDonald, Bammel Malone; Alo McGrath or Aidan McGrath, Michael Boyle or Budgie Boyle, Terry Brennan. Sub: Tommy McCann.

YOUR COOLEY IN THREE WORDS
Famous Cooley Kickhams.

BEST MEMORY OF SUPPORTING LOUTH
When we won Leinster in 2010.

BEST PLAYER YOU SAW PLAYING FOR LOUTH
As much as it kills me, Stefan White. I had to say that or Paddy would never make me tea again. I might even get biscuits the next time!

YOUR LOUTH TEAM OF ALL-TIME
Instead of the best Louth team, I’m going to pick Louth’s most fearful (dirtiest) team: Tom Murphy, Mickey Quigley, Patsy Kirk, Jim Clarke, Larry Muckian, Donnach Rice, all the O’Hanlons, including Jim, the Litchfields, the Reillys in Stabannon, Kevin Kirk, Martin Judge, Vincent O’Hare, Tommy Kirk (St. Mary’s), Eamonn McCann and Colin Goss. How the f*ck am I still alive! 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GAELS TALES