BRIAN Howard fills the frame of the doorway as he walks into one of the changing rooms at Watty Graham Park, the home of All-Ireland club champions Glen.
The Dublin midfielder/half-back is an imposing physical unit and, at 27, he’s approaching the peak of his powers. This season he added another Leinster medal to bring his collection to eight and another All-Ireland would bring him up to half-a-dozen.
Winning is what drives him, or he’d never have got this far but there’s more to it for the Gaelic Players’ Association Education and Programme manager.
“I love GAA,” he says.
When he’s at home he’ll watch whatever’s on, regardless of who’s playing, the stage of the competition or the age group – minor, U20, senior, club, men’s, ladies… If it’s on the telly, he’ll be watching.
His pathway to the Boys in Blue began as every child’s should: running about the local club, Raheny in his case, chasing a ball, having fun and making friends.
“The younger you can start kids the better,” he says.
“And look, if they don’t like it, they don’t like it but trying to encourage players to get involved is the main thing and regardless of whether you want to play for the Derrys or Tyrones or whatever that may be, or if you just want to play for Junior B, it’s so important because it’s a GAA community.
“The friendships you make out of it, how good it is for you to be out socialising with your friends. Like all my friends are friends for life now that have come through from under five when I was down in Raheny.
“I’m still in contact with these lads that I came all the way through so the friendships you make, how good it is for you… Just trying to get kids started at a young age is massive.”
He had an uncle who’d played for Dublin minors back in the day but that was as close as the Howard family came to representing the county.
However, they were loyal fans and young Brian was in Croke Park with his parents many times before the Dubs ended their 14-year wait for the Sam Maguire in 2011.
“I remember going to matches with my mam and dad and my first real memory would have been about 2008-2009 with Ciaran Whelan and David Henry and fellas like that on the team,” he says.
“They weren’t always winning, there was a few tough days. I remember watching them and just the raw emotion on my face when I saw them lose.
“But then 2011 was probably the real start of it. I always wanted to play for Dublin, I always wanted to play at the top level but I remember walking up, I was in the Davin Stand, walking up there for the All-Ireland final in 2011 and I made a mission there and then to say: ‘I want to be out there on the All-Ireland final day’.
“From then on, from about 11 on it was a huge ambition and I knew to an extent what it was going to take.”
Former midfielder Ciaran Whelan soldiered on for the Dubs during the barren years between the All-Irelands of 1995 and 2011. He missed out on the glory days but he took his promising, keen clubmate under his wing at Raheny.
Brian Fenton, who made the breakthrough into the Dublin seniors in 2015, was another who helped Howard on his way.
“I knew Brian from the club and I was able to ask him for advice,” says Howard.
“When I got the call-up it was amazing and Brian sort of took me under his wing in that regard
“I was very fortunate enough to be on Dublin development squads from U12/13s at that time and I was able to keep playing with the best in the county so I knew that was the level and I knew what was around me in terms of that age group. I knew if I took a backward step I was going to fall off.
“So I always kept trying to get better and better and that started with the club progressing and we had a great team at underage. Sean McMahon was on the squad as well so the two of us sort of came through together.”
DUBLIN face Galway at Croke Park on Saturday (6pm) in the second of this weekend’s All-Ireland quarter-finals.
The Dubs cantered through Leinster with only Louth in the final putting up any sustained resistance. Roscommon (by 12 points) and Cavan (19) were knocked out of the park in the first two group games but Mayo did push them all the way in the group decider and it took a last-gasp Cormac Costello point to equalise and ensure the Dubs took top spot.
“We knew we didn’t play well,” says Howard
“I think if we’d won that game by a point maybe from the outside our performance might have been glossed-over that we got a win but we know it was nowhere near good enough.
“It was a great test and (to get a game like that) at that stage in the competition is good. It’s so valuable for it to go down to the wire. You can try and replicate it in training but it’s never going to be the same as actually on a match day, so it was good to get that test.”
That draw meant Mayo finished runners-up and had to go through the preliminary round last Saturday. Speaking before that game Howard expected Mayo to be “there or thereabouts come the end of the year” but, as we all know, they’re out of the Championship now after losing a penalty shootout to Derry.
Galway did come through their preliminary quarter-final but they’ll be underdogs in Dublin’s backyard. However, Howard rejects the commonly-held assumption that Croke Park is a “massive factor” for the Dubs.
The rest of the country may love going to ‘Headquarters’ but Howard loves the provincial grounds out in the sticks where fans invade the field afterwards just as much. He enjoys that connection.
“I love Breffni, it’s one my favourite stadiums outside of Dublin,” he said.
“Even underage, I remember beating Cavan in an All-Ireland semi-final there and thankfully I played well so I’ve good memories from there and it seems to always be when you’re down there, it’s the sun shining.
“The pitch, the way it’s sort of down the hill, fans, spectators are on the pitch, it’s good, and when you go down to those games, you feel so connected with the fans.
“Whether they come on to the pitch after the game, you’re signing autographs, you’re taking photos… It really brings you back down to earth, because you feel, if you’re in Croke Park, it’s sort of: These are the players, everybody else is just watching you and then you go back into the dressing room and off you go.
“When you’re down in the likes of Hyde Park you’re able to share that experience with fans and kids, regardless of what jersey they have on.
“If it’s a Mayo jersey you’re signing it, you’re taking photos… At the end of the day, that’s why they’re there, they love the game regardless of who comes out on top. It’s just so positive to see the sun shining, you’re there, you’re with the fans, you’re having a bit of craic.
“There is a narrative that the Dubs all love Croke Park and I’d be very surprised if any other player in the county doesn’t love Croke Park because that’s the home of the GAA. It’s one of the best stadiums in the world and I think anybody, if you get the opportunity to play there, it’s one you’ll remember forever.
“But it’s just an honour to represent your county and regardless of where that is, it’s a huge privilege.”
Last year, three of the four group winners (the exception was Armagh) progressed to the semi-finals. This year Armagh are expected to join Dublin, Donegal and Kerry in the last four but Howard – as we all tend to do at this stage of the season - sees other contenders in the mix.
“Donegal, Galway, Armagh… There’s so many teams that you wouldn’t be surprised if they win an All-Ireland,” he said.
“There’s the narrative that it’s the usual teams that should be winning but you can see how competitive it is. There’s a lot of teams out there that will have a say and it’s just the quality of players that are out there, how the game has progressed and what’s expected in terms of your physical conditioning.
“Games are going to go right down to the wire. The last day there was two draws (Dublin-Mayo and Armagh-Galway) in the last round of the round robin, so it’s a really exciting time for the GAA in terms of the games coming up. I think the four games will be crackers.”
