Johnny Bawn Brosnan, grand nephew of four-time All-Ireland winner Paddy Bawn Brosnan, has been playing with Dingle for almost 30 years, and lined in the 2012 Kerry SFC loss to Dr Crokes at the age of 32.
Brosnan also admits to filling in as a goalkeeper this year with the Dingle seniors in the County League.
Now part of the backroom team as selector and coach, Brosnan knows all about the hurt of losing county finals as well as the Munster Club final two year ago to Castlehaven.
“It was very tough on both sides really that day. A penalty shootout in the end of the day is what separated us but the weather will be remembered too. Like anything in life, you learn from the struggles you face and you come out stronger from it. Hopefully the experience of being there two years ago will stand to the lads. Barrs are, as I said before, a serious tradition there. They are an excellent team, quality throughout. So I hope it will make a cracking game.”
While all the talk surrounds Dingle’s Mark O’Connor and St Finbarr’s duo Brian Hayes and Ian Maguire at midfield Brosnan was quick to point out that Billy O’Connor, who is now in the twilight of his career, is a very important player for Dingle.
“Everyone loves Billy,” Brosnan said. “He’s just an honest guy really. Maybe in his early years he’d be late every now and again. But no, no, Billy takes his football very seriously. He’s just a fantastic individual and very good with the younger boys. He’s very much like a father figure amongst them. He does his talking on the field. He’s a tough boy, well able to mix it. He’s an inspiration really.”
Brosnan is adamant Dingle must play to their own best abilities against a side he notes have similar qualities in terms of style to that of a lot of Kerry teams.
“It’s like anything, you have to play to your own strengths, obviously, but what you do, do it best,” the selector/coach said. “That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day. They play a lovely style of football. Very much like a Kerry style. In a lot of ways, they have their heads up; they’re moving the ball on fast. They’re a fine team to watch, in fairness to them.”
So what would it mean to bring a Munster title home? It’s a feat yet to be managed, but one Brosnan insists would be the “ultimate prize” for a “golden generation” of Dingle footballers.
“We’re yet to win this. We’ve a golden generation of lads that have taken their football very seriously. We’re a club of 130 or 140 members. We’re looking at the Barrs; there are over 1,000 members there. They are a city club, a big club. Dingle in the wintertime can be a fairly quiet spot, at the end of the day, we’re a small town. But it would be unbelievable. It would be the ultimate prize for us really,” concluded Brosnan.
