As Ronnie Drew gears up for another rendition of McAlpine’s Fusiliers, he puts the cigar out, and gives the pint glass a temporary rest. Before the music even kicks in, he begins his storytelling in a way only Ronnie Drew can, and the only way Ronnie Drew knows how.
“Twas in the year of ‘39,
When the sky was full of lead,
When Hitler was heading for Poland,
And Paddy for Holyhead.”
A turbulent time, an era of fear. A fear of the things we knew, and a fear of the things we didn’t. In 1939, the world was turned upside down.
In 2023, Poland’s neighbours Ukraine are at the centre of all the heat. They say that the Russians have links with China, that you can’t trust the Americans, that we should just stay out of it all. So much water has passed under the bridge, yet so much stays the same.
1939 to 2023, and Monaghan are back in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final. Ronnie Drew was five years of age the last time. This time the great man is 15 years dead and gone.
For Dermot Malone, it must be hard to comprehend. In his first year at the helm, it’s been quite the achievement. All-Ireland finals are few and far between in the land of the drumlins.
So how do you keep it all under wraps with a team of teenagers? These things are better left unsaid, it seems.
“We’ve made it clear, we’re here to play the game, not the scenario.
“In fairness, the seniors have taken a bit of the focus away from us. That certainly hasn’t done us any harm.
“We’ve had a big following all year, and I’m sure now we’ll have convinced anyone that was on the fence, and hopefully a few neutrals.
“We obviously would have preferred Croke Park, but look. It’s not the end of the world.”
This young team has shown an incredible attitude. Their Ulster campaign featured back-to-back penalty shootouts after draining periods of extra time. They were written off against Tyrone, and dead and buried at stages against Derry.
Off the back of the highest of highs and lowest of lows, they faced Connacht champions Mayo. The underdog theme continued, and so did Monaghan’s defiance in a 1-16 to 1-8 victory.
Kerry up next, the team that downed them at the semi-final stage in 2018. The team they had never beaten in Championship football. Paddy Lane, the kid prodigy, with 2-26 to his name to date, held to just 0-2 from play.
“I knew we wouldn’t be far away. The Ulster Championship had shown to be the strongest competition after the quarter-finals, with ourselves winning and Derry winning well against Galway.
“Credit to our defence, we knew that Paddy Lane was a large part of their attack, but we’re not surprised to be here. The perception is that we’re punching above our weight, but even if you look at Donegal and Tyrone, they’re very strong too, and we came through Ulster.”
While confident, Malone is under no illusions against a side that has beaten them three times in 2023 alone. His opposite number, Damian McErlain, was keen to stress that Derry are not favourites, but Malone is well aware of the task in store.
“There’s strong word in Derry that this is the best minor team they’ve ever had. They’ve got a great combination of strength, power, and pace all over the pitch.
“Of course, Damian will be trying to play them down and big us up, but the reality is they’ve beaten us three times.”
While the Castleblayney Faughs man acknowledges the maturity of his group, keeping away from the hype has never been more difficult than in the era of social media. In the tensest moments, both Monaghan and Derry will need absolute focus on Sunday. That isn’t so easy to achieve.
Other challenges such as summer jobs have influenced preparation, with the school routine that has existed all season suddenly gone. The classroom has been replaced by shops, offices, and building sites.
Malone accepts you can’t avoid it, but you can manage it:
“There’s more buzz and more media than any other game all season, but we have to accept that.
“It’s as simple as the lads scrolling on TikTok, or Twitter, or Instagram, and it’ll be popping up everywhere. We can’t stop it, but we can definitely curtail it.
“Sleeping and eating right are two huge things. I’ve worked as a builder myself and it can be tricky to balance everything. We’ll be trying to get the lads to get a day or two off work, but life doesn’t always work that way.”
The Oak Leaf challenge is all too familiar. Monaghan had the luxury of sitting and watching Derry v Dublin two weeks ago in full knowledge they were in the decider, and the Farney would have been far from surprised to see a first ever all-Ulster All-Ireland final materialise.
Malone was impressed with the victors “control”, referencing their ability to regain the initiative after losing goalkeeper Jack McCloy to a red card. Conall Higgins, who scored the winner from the spot against Monaghan in the Ulster final, may well return to a potent forward line, having missed the semi-final through injury.
For Monaghan, Seán Óg McElwain has become a key member of their own attacking unit, having come off the bench to raise a green flag in the last meeting between the sides. Tommy Mallen has been consistently excellent, while Malone’s fellow Faughs man Max McGinnity has found form of late.
Now the biggest game of their lives await, perhaps even Malone’s, after a life devoted to the white and blue. Even at the final hurdle, his side are still taking it “a game at a time”:
“I’m still talking to the same boys, we’re all still going to work, going about our lives. We’re not getting carried away with the limelight”.
Tomorrow afternoon, the time may well come for that. In the meantime, it’s all about 1pm in the Box-It Athletic Grounds. Malone will hope that the talk of a 1939 defeat soon holds no relevance, as Monaghan claim a first-ever All-Ireland minor title.
After all, history is a tale told by the winners.
