Inside Track: Dickie Kieran was a fine goalkeeper and a friend to many

The 1964/’65 National League was drawing to a close when the game with Laois in Portarlington came along.

Dickie was in goals, I was among the subs. It was his third successive outing after taking over from his namesake, Andy, from the Naomh Mhuire club in Drogheda.

The first of Dickie’s game went well for Louth – a 1-13 to 1-3 win over Wicklow at Aughrim. The next outing, however, wasn’t so hot.

Dublin were visitors to St Brigid’s Park, and had most of the All-Ireland-winning team of two years earlier on call, the likes of Mick Holden, Mickey Whelan and John Timmons.

What they had to offer was too much for a home team that had looked very strong on paper, but simply didn’t perform. Scoring at will, the Dubs won by 5-11 to 0-3. Dickie had probably never before picked the ball out of the net as often, playing for club or county.

The selectors kept faith with Dickie, but not with many or the others. There were four new faces on the team to play Laois. One of them, Jim ‘Doc’ Butterly was in at full-back, and he soon formed a strong understanding with his goalie.

But more than that, ‘Doc’, bending the rules a little bit – no, a big bit – gave the Laois full-forward, Noel Delaney, such a torrid time, that at half-time, Delaney went up to Frank Lynch – who he’d have played with on the Leinster team – and wanted to know “who’s your man”.

It was an end-of-competition match with both teams out of the running, and Delaney may have thought it was only a matter of punching in the hour. Not ‘Doc’ – the Mattock Ranger player had ambitions, and Delaney wasn’t going to stand in the way of him realising them.

Anyway, no shots passed Dickie, with the game ending in a 0-10 to 0-9 win for Louth.

Maybe the selectors should have struck with the St Kevin’s man. He wasn’t in for the Leinster Championship with Westmeath at Navan a number of weeks later. Louth lost by 2-11 to 0-9.

These and other stories came to mind soon after I heard of Dickie Kieran’s passing last week. There’d been many chats with this most genial of characters over the years and these were recalled.

We wouldn’t pass on the street or at a football match without having a few words – maybe more than a few. There’d be a laugh – and, no doubt, some exaggerations – and it would end with a laugh and a handshake.

Then there was an occasion when he stuck his head around the door of ward In the Lourdes Hospital, me badly needing someone or something to lift me out of the dumps.

On another occasion he sent a message of congratulations after a greyhound we’d bred at our place won the English Derby. Those were little things that meant so much.

While his senior county team career might have been short, Dickie didn’t go without a major award. He was in the striped No 1 jersey when Louth won the 1966 Leinster Championship.

It wouldn’t happen today, Louth made travel to Cork for the All-Ireland semi-final, just four days after the provincial final win over Kildare. Leg-weary, Louth were beaten 0-10 to 0-6.

Dickie played club football with his two local clubs, St Kevin’s and Lannleire. He also dabbled in soccer, and when others had long hung up their boots, he played with Louth in the Masters’ Championship. As always, he guarded the goal area well, making it no-go territory for the cold-hearted.

He won a Junior championship medal with Kevin’s in 1968, keeping his goal intact in the defeat of Fane Rangers in the final. His save from a penalty that day at Knockbridge was crucial. The previous year Kevin’s had been beaten by St Bride’s at the same stage.

There were also other wins. Our accompanying photo shows Dickie being presented with the Macardle Cup. This was one of three successive wins Kevin’s had in the competition, at the time the second grade’s main league.

Dickie Kieran rose to great heights in the food industry, but never let that cause him to lose the common touch. The esteem with which he was held can be gauged by the attendances at the obsequies and the number of messages of condolence on RIP.