Persistence will always triumph.
As you have probably heard, a small GAA club from Derry created history at the weekend as Robert Emmett’s Slaughtneil became the first club to win three senior Ulster provincial titles in the one year.
Slaughtneil’s senior footballers overcame Kilcoo by three points at the weekend to win the Ulster club senior football title, adding to the clubs recent senior camogie and senior hurling triumphs.
What is happening here is simply astounding https://t.co/QC1mdUJQ1z #GAA #Slaughtneil #TheToughest
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 27, 2016
The achievement has been well received around the country. Some of the most respected former players and pundits in the GAA paying tribute to this remarkable feat.
All hail @GACSlaughtneil
The champ champ champshttps://t.co/rjSG6QN0E1— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) November 28, 2016
The title wins represent everything that is required in order to reach the very top in sport and in particular, the GAA.
It represents passion, determination, skill and perhaps most importantly – persistence.
These attributes are also essential for players who take part in more than one code.
In fact, over half of the team that defeated Kilcoo in yesterday’s football decider were involved in the club’s hurling success just one month ago.
This is something which dual-star Chrissy McKaigue allured to when he spoke to RTE Radio 1 after his most recent provincial final triumph:
“It’s pure relief because it’s very difficult to get back to this scenario again so you want to make it count.”
The determination that is required to mentally and physically get yourself prepared for another final was clearly present in McKaigue’s teammates.
“It’s testament to the playing group, to who we are as people. We have put in a lot of work and we’ve been through a lot of adversity.”
McKaigue shared, on his Twitter account, the quote, which simply sums up the gravity of Slaughtneil’s triumph.
If ever a statement conveyed our club, our people and our players . #champions #Slaughtneil pic.twitter.com/oM6t8OAn8y
— Chrissy McKaigue (@CKaigue) November 28, 2016
The quote is from the 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, often regarded as someone who embodied spirit and hope.
For a club who had never won a provincial senior football title before 2014, spirit and hope have clearly been in abundance as Slaughtneil made history.
Dick Clerkin makes his GAA Hour debut to talk about a wonderful career and argue passionately with Colm Parkinson over Sky Sports GAA. Subscribe here on iTunes.
