Old friends meet across the trenches

GAA: IAN O'RIORDANon the qualifier draw that pits Kildare boss Kieran McGeeney against Justin McNulty's Laois

NEIGHBOURS ARE defined by distance, and no distance can keep old friends apart – but there’s nothing like the All-Ireland football qualifiers to unite neighbours and old friends.

The first 10 years of the so-called back-door route invariably threw up such storylines, and this year has been no exception. In 2001, when the qualifiers were both the great novelty and the great unknown, Galway famously lost to neighbours Roscommon in the Connacht semi-final, before the counties were reunited in the All-Ireland quarter-final. Galway not only got one back on their old friends, but went on to win the All-Ireland – and the football championship has never been the same since.

Tyrone, Kerry and Cork have also gone on to win the All-Ireland through the back door, beating plenty of neighbours and old friends along the way – including Tyrone’s win over Armagh in the 2003 All-Ireland final, plus Kerry’s 2007 All-Ireland final win over Cork.

Indeed with an almost karmic sense of inevitably the first round of this year’s qualifiers threw up the meeting of neighbours Meath and Louth – who were more like old enemies given the way Meath robbed Louth of the Leinster title last summer. Yet when Meath ran out comfortable winners a fortnight ago, the two neighbours shook hands like old friends; no more recrimination, the line was drawn.

Then, on cue, the second round threw up the meeting of Laois and Kildare, who are not only neighbours, but actually managed by two old friends. Justin McNulty only took charge of Laois this season but finds himself in a championship showdown against former Armagh and Mullaghbawn team-mate Kieran McGeeney, in his fourth season with Kildare.

One of the iconic images of Armagh’s first and only All-Ireland victory in 2002 was of McGeeney raising the Sam Maguire, eyes tightly shut to help ensure he would never forget the moment. But if McGeeney was Armagh’s central defender that year, he was no more pivotal that McNulty, who was right behind him in the full-back position.

Whatever bond was created that summer will remain unbreakable, no matter the result of tomorrow’s showdown in Portlaoise.

Their friendship has already come under scrutiny in the football sense in the league, when Laois came to Newbridge for one of the potentially defining games of Division Two, back in March. Kildare emerged as narrow winners, thanks to two late frees from Eoghan O’Flaherty, and towards the end of our post-match inquiries, McGeeney was passed by McNulty, who quickly extended a hand to his former Armagh team-mate and captain.

“You’re buying so,” said McGeeney, who then raised a rare smile.

It was a nice moment of banter between the two, yet there was no disguising the satisfaction McGeeney took from this victory, not just because it meant he got the better of his old friend. As it turned out, McNulty won that particular war, and Laois went on to secure promotion to Division One, while Kildare were limited to another mid-table finish.

Tomorrow’s showdown has further connections in that both Laois and Kildare exited the Leinster championship at the hands of Dublin – although Kildare’s defeat was a little more unfortunate.

Home advantage will give Laois some added incentive, and yet McNulty admits Kildare have the far superior record when it comes to the qualifiers, and this isn’t just some friendly banter.

Before beating Tipperary in the first round, Laois hadn’t won a qualifier match since 2008, when they beat Longford, and had actually fallen at the first hurdle – to Down, in 2009, and last year to Tipperary.

Kildare, under McGeeney, have reached two All-Ireland quarter-finals and a semi-final through the back door, and that, says McNulty, is the reality facing Laois tomorrow evening.

“I thought Kildare were very impressive against Dublin,” he says. “They were a very fit, athletic team, which you would expect from any McGeeney team. They showed massive determination to claw the game back to a situation to maybe they could have justified getting a draw. They are going to be sore from that and there might be a bit of a backlash as they might feel they should have been preparing for a replay.

“We also understand that Kildare are qualifier specialists. But for us I think beating Tipp helped a little bit in terms of our confidence, which was rock bottom after the Dublin game. Guys knew they hadn’t done themselves justice. But I think they showed massive character to come back from that and beat a Tipperary side that had beaten them last year.”

McNulty, naturally, is playing down the significance of their friendship, but there’s no denying it either: “It’s a unique situation in the GAA. Kieran is one of my best friends, we’re very close, and it’s two club-mates who grew up together, played in the same county team and won an All Ireland together.

“I suppose it adds a little intrigue and excitement to the fixture. Obviously it’s a local derby too but really it’s all just a side show. It’s a game of football, and two teams who are going out to play to their potential and that’s what this is all about.”

Sure it is.