Before they both wilted in the shadow of the mighty Dubs, Kildare and Laois clashes had a reputation for being tasty affairs.
Midlands rivals who shared a border and Mick O’Dwyer during the nineties and noughties, the pair between them won half of the six Leinster Championships contested between 1998 and 2003.
Glorious glory days, when Dublin did not lock the Delaney Cup away in Parnell Park for years on end – the counties did battle on several occasions in Croke Park and, for the more competitive members of both sides, these were the matches you lived for.
GAA Hour presenter Colm Parkinson was one such player. The Laois forward (and occasional defender) loved playing against Kildare and they loved playing against Wooly.
No, really.
The Kildare lads were big fans of Wooly.
Parkinson was sure to be fired up and makes no secret of his propensity for a little bit of chat on the field.
Unfortunately this also happened to be in the days before Laois got their shit together under Micko, and when Kildare were rising high under the inspirational Kerryman.
The Lilywhites would reach an All-Ireland final in 1998, hammering Laois 2-13 to 0-8 in the Leinster semi-final along the way. It would have been 3-13 except for a rather glaring miss by Kildare powerhouse Willie McCreery.
Retelling the story in Newbridge at Thursday’s GAA Hour Live ahead of the provincial decider between Kildare and Dublin, McCreery remembers exactly who was first on the scene after he scuffed a tired one-on-one effort wide.
It was of course every Kildare man’s favourite Laois fellow. Parkinson was straight in the racehorse trainer’s face – McCreery recalling the exchange.
“Some miss, Willie! Some miss,Willie! You’re gone! You’re gone! You’re gone!”
It didn’t end there of course, as McCreery continues.
“Ten minutes later, who gets the curly finger?” says McCreery, gesturing at Parkinson. “I go over, ‘Seeya Wooly’.”
Karma is a bitch.
Watch the video below – come for McCreery’s passable Parkinson impression and stay for Wooly’s reaction.
