SPORTING TEACHERS: ADRIAN MORRISSEYTHE SIXTH class students at St Laurence's Boys National School in Stillorgan were in good voice on Monday morning as they continued their preparations for the National Children's Choir competition. One or two may still have been a bit croaky after roaring on their heroes in Mullingar on Saturday when Kilmacud Crokes saw off Galway's Corofin to book a place in the All-Ireland club final at Croke Park on St Patrick's Day. And they could always blame their teacher for that.
Wexford intercounty star Adrian Morrissey has been teaching at the school for four years and found it easy to make the move from Taghmon Camross to the southside club. The club colours helped, but Morrissey admits the whole feel of the club is not much different to what he witnessed in his native Wexford.
“I would have been a little apprehensive to what the situation was going to be like in an urban setting, but it was an easy transition really,” admitted the 26-year-old. “Anyone coming from a country background is used to the whole community atmosphere that surrounds a GAA club.
“When I came into Crokes it did remind me of the club at home in the sense that the community was so actively involved in the club and with the school being so closely linked. A lot of the people involved in the club are very good friends outside it as well and that’s how you create a community atmosphere,” he added.
Crokes have often been accused of being a superpower of the Dublin club scene, able to attract the top players from around the country who move to the capital.
Nothing could be further from the truth according to the St Laurence’s principal, Mick Garry, who is also chairman of Crokes.
“Aidan is here at the school, Brian Kavanagh is up the road at St Olaf’s, while Liam McBarron also taught locally. The rest are all local, born and bred, they all came up through the juvenile ranks, said Garry.
Ten of the Crokes senior panel went to the school, with five of them playing a part in the 2-11 to 0-11 win on Saturday. According to Garry, the success of the club has kept things motoring, with over half of the 400-plus students playing Gaelic games.
“It’s great for the students that we have someone like Adrian here, someone who has played in an All-Ireland semi-final for Wexford. That means a lot to kids when they see someone like him playing at Croke Park and then they see him walking down the corridor,” added Garry.
Morrissey echoes the views of his principal, admitting he faces a barrage of questions from his students on the progress of the senior team every morning.
“You have to try and distance yourself from it to a certain extent when you’re in the classroom, but it’s nice to have chats now and again with the lads about it.
“Everyone’s idea of their teacher growing up was never someone that was active in sport at the time. I suppose it is strange for the lads to see their teacher out on the pitch playing with the senior club team. It’s special for them in a way, it gives them an insight into what’s going on through me,” added Morrissey.
Although all his energies have been focused on the club over the last six months, Morrissey will be ready to return to action with Wexford after their fine campaign last summer. “The All-Ireland semi-final against Tyrone was the pinnacle of it last year. Unfortunately we didn’t have the experience or the guile to get past them, but hopefully we can build on it now. I’m looking forward to getting back with them once I’m finished with Crokes.”
Kingpins Crossmaglen Rangers stand in the way of Crokes and a second All-Ireland club crown following their victory in 1995. Morrissey admits you have to beat the best to be the best. “They are a fantastic team and they seem to be able to reproduce it on a yearly basis, that’s what you want to measure yourself against,” said Morrissey, who is expecting a huge turnout from the school to make their way to Croke Park.
“I’ll have to tell them I’ll give them homework off if they go along,” he said, before adding they won’t need much encouragement.
