Then there was one
Dick Clerkin laughs when he’s asked how he thinks he’s looking for a man who is now the most experienced Gaelic footballer in the country. His response is that he’s not sure about keeping his looks but he hasn’t been been able to keep his hair.
That’s the battle we face now, to persist with the ‘Bishop’s Cap’ or go with the zero blade. I’m holding onto what I have but I think the tide’s going out and its certainly not going back in’.
With the retirement of Paul Barden on Wednesday after 16 years of involvement with Longford, Clerkin, along with Henry Shefflin, are now the only two players left playing inter-county in 2015 who began before the year 2000. Indeed as Shefflin is yet to make a decision on his future Clerkin may be out on his own shortly.
He was involved for Monaghan’s win over Tyrone last week in Healy Park in the league and is set to feature again this weekend as they host Cork. He believes that a number of factors have allowed him lace up the boots for a 16th season.
‘A very understanding wife and a lot of luck. At this stage of your career you take things almost week by week, knowing that personal circumstances and injuries can have a big impact on your longevity. Paul (Barden) I know had an ankle injury, and he was struggling to get over it, and that’s just the reality. When you get to this age, the body just slows and goes down. It mightn’t be too far away for me but for the minute it has held together, and I’m lucky enough I can put myself forward.
Clerkin has been an almost ever present for the Farney county since his debut in a league game back in September of 1999 against local rivals Cavan at Breffni Park. The day was a special one for Clerkin, who comes from a storied Monaghan football family. But the midfielder admits it was also full of  mixed emotions after Hugo Clerkin, his father, had been replaced as part of the backroom team, with players claiming they had lost confidence in Clerkin and Liam Austin the year before.
‘I do remember my debut but not so fondly unfortunately. There was some upheaval in the management which my father was a part of and it was difficult time for ourselves. We went down to Cavan and knowing the players involved in that and how harshly we felt that management team had been treated, there was a lot riding on it. People would have been very conscious that I was Hugo’s son and it was a great day as we beat Cavan.’
Clerkin is known as one of the most physically abrasive and uncompromising players around. He’s never been shy to indulge in the rough and tumble of top level GAA but despite perceptions has only been sent off a handful of times. An incident on that September afternoon in Cavan has stayed with the midfielder:
‘I was only 18 and I played wing half forward. I done OK and maybe the emotion and occasion got to me a little bit and there as a bit of a scuffle midways through the second half to get the crowd going. Knowing my physical and fiery approach the manager actually took me off at the time which was tough going.  I got a bit of a rough reception from the Cavan crowd and I’ll never forget it and it was tough getting that in your first experience as an inter county player. It was quite significant  and my feelings towards Cavan haven’t really lifted since that.’
The 33-year-old feels that deciding to continue to play on for many players is more of a mental than physical decision. He believes he understands why players such as Henry Shefflin or even Barden kept coming back year after year,
‘Mentally you have to want to be there, regardless of the physical aspect. You can see in someone like Henry Shefflin, he just loves playing and hurling with Kilkenny and if he’s willing to put his body through the ringer and come back injury after injury, year after year. I’m in the same boat. I just love playing for Monaghan and I’ve been lucky I haven’t had the injuries like others. But I’d like to think if I did have to deal with them over the last few years that I’d still be pushing myself to come back and not let those injuries put me back. The desire to keep training for as long as possible  is the big drive for a lot of people.’
So how does Clerkin relate to the younger members of the Monaghan panel. It can’t be easy to be a man facing into his 16th inter-county season  and who remembers life without Whatsapp groups or Twitter and Facebook. He admits there can be a social disconnect between older and younger players that may feed in to some calling it quits
‘Over the last few years certain things have hit me. Not so much how old I am but how long I’ve been around and how young everyone else is rather than how old I am. A few weeks ago I was doing a bit on the bike and a few of the older lads were missing and I looked down  and I realised how young everyone else was. Their average age was about 10 years younger than me  and I was like ‘Jesus should I be here’. With two kids and being married I’m a long way away from where the Snapchat and Tinder generation is. Naturally you do feel you are that bit older than the rest of the posse.’
Its a strange aspect of GAA history that some of the longest serving players have often been those who feature at centre field. Anthony Rainbow, John Galvin, Darragh O Sé and Clerkin have all enjoyed extended careers playing in the middle of the park. He feels that the role is not as demanding as other positions on the pitch and a ‘less is more approach’ can apply :
‘I know in midfield the pace of the game requires so much energy. But other games in midfield sometimes you can get away without needing that massive pace or speed endurance, because your role is not like a corner forward or wing forward. Slow and steady wins the race sometimes as a midfielder. Depending on the game and the game plan, you can get way with that bit of savvy you get with experience.’
Clerkin also responds to an accusation from his colleague Conor McManus that he might save himself at training and that’s been the real secret to his three-decade spanning career. He thinks the forward is being less than serious in his jibe.
‘I’ll have to challenge  him on that. For a man that spends so much time on the table or down in the gym running perimeters while the rest of us are training I’m not sure he’s the best judge on how I train! The boys might be laughing at me, I don’t get injured often and I don’t miss many games, and its almost a joke if I am  up on the table for anything.’
Sports science is also a factor in the longevity of many players in the 21st Century both at club and inter-county level. Proper preparation and recovery is a huge part of any GAA player’s daily routine and Clerkin is sticking to the tried and trusted. He doesn’t see any need for him to think of retiring just yet, and he certainly wont be trying any new techniques to improve his flexibility at 33.
‘There’ll be no early morning training session for Dick Clerkin, there’ll be no yoga and pilates 2-3 times a week between sessions. There’s other demands being placed on me and I’ll see how far that gets me and once management are happy I’m happy. For me it will probably be personal life that will finally decide when I’ll retire. I’ve a wife and two kids and hopefully more. You want to be around for that. That is the priority but its different for everybody. ‘
For now he’s almost  the last man standing from the class of 1999, but hopefully we’ll get to see his ‘Bishops Cap’ haircut for a few more season yet.
