Jack Bambrick hails from Ardclough.
They say it has a population of 300. They say it’s the smallest club in Kildare.
Naturally, Ardclough GAA is a junior side but they’re also sitting bottom of Division 4 of the football league right now in Kildare. On Wednesday night, they played third from bottom outfit Cappagh and lost 0-4 to 6-10.
But, listen, every team falls on hard times or bad patches and this is the story of one their products. This is a good story.
Jack Bambrick is a proud Ardclough youngster who, until the the last three years, wasn’t playing much serious football. Injuries had plagued him and the word is that he was on the brink of just stepping away.
When he went to DCU, everything changed. He impressed up in Dublin. He excelled. And he fit right in with the best of them from other counties so much so that the story goes it took a phone call from one of the DCU coaches to prompt the Kildare under-20s to have a proper look at this fella Bambrick.
Any selector worth their salt wouldn’t need a second look to determine if this man had the stuff inside to make a cut of inter-county football – the good stuff.
On Friday in Tullamore, as the Lilywhites clinched the first Leinster under-20 title and humbled the mighty Dubs, it was Jack Bambrick who was given the most thankless task of them all.
His assignment: James Madden.
The frightening Ballyboden forward. The famous Dublin hotshot. The rising star offered a professional AFL contract by Brisbane Lions.
Bambrick was told to follow him and silence him so, despite wearing number 4 (to begin with), he started on the 40′ and stuck to Madden like a coat of nail varnish.
All over O’Connor Park he shepherded the St. Enda’s talent, sticking in a fist, hitting with a hard tackle, nicking in front and, for 60 whole minutes of provincial final, inter-county football, he did what most defenders have and will fail to do to Madden, he kept him scoreless.
After 14 minutes, he had to come off as his pristine white Kildare jersey was soaked in red blood. With a broken nose, he hurried off the field, he got treated at the side and rather than rest up, see how it goes, rather than worry about the break, he hauled his arse straight back onto the pitch and took up his post once more in the shadow of Madden.
This man had been through enough hard times to stand back and watch any more from the sidelines. He had enough apathy and no shots at the big time. Here was his shot and, by Jesus, he took it.
It was an inspiring performance on the night to culminate an inspiring rise.
From a young man not playing much ball, hailing from a tiny club, to rattling the Dubs, winning Leinster and wrestling with the beast.
Jack Bambrick is an example to every youth player out there. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, it doesn’t matter what your story is. If you want it enough, you can have it.
