There is an expression in west Kerry – “mad for road” – which has nothing to do with driving but simply the desire to play football. And it’s just one of the reasons Marc Ó Sé is back for his 15th season with Kerry.
A couple of months shy of 36, age clearly hasn’t suppressed that desire, nor indeed have five All-Ireland titles.
Ó Sé also admits that last year’s All-Ireland defeat to Dublin was not the way he wanted his career to end – and there is still that small matter of surpassing the record number of Kerry championship appearances held by older brother Tomás.
“It would be an easier thing to walk and retire, having had a good career, but I definitely feel that there is a small bit more left. And I always remember my father saying years ago ‘there’s nothing worse than wasted talent’.
“I think it’d be a shame if I quit when I still feel that I have something to offer. And I’d find it hard to walk away anyway. I really enjoy it and I love playing.
A young 35
“Okay, I’m 36 in another month or so, but the way I look at it I’m lucky I haven’t had many injuries. I’m a young 35 or a young 36, looking at it from that point of view. The body feels good.
“ I just have to be playing well enough to get a place on the team. Obviously, there is serious competition. But you know your own body better than anyone does.”
By that Ó Sé means he’s not content to simply play along for the ride: he wants to earn his jersey back, whether that be at full back or corner back.
He admits things may have been different if Kerry had beaten Dublin last September, although the fact he didn’t feature, having torn his hamstring 10 days previous, has further increased that desire for more road.
“Maybe you would think more about it if you had won, possibly. It didn’t go according to script, I suppose. The body feels great, and I suppose I’ll be retired long enough.
Calf injury
“And you want to be playing, not making up the numbers. After the semi-final things just didn’t go my way. I was sick for a few days after the semi-final, got a calf injury, and then in the days leading up the final tore my hamstring. That was 10 days before the final. I passed the fitness test the night before, although I wasn’t myself. It wasn’t the way to go out. You want to be part of it.”
He won’t, however, feature in Saturday’s league opener against Dublin in Croke Park, as he is affords himself a gentler early season schedule, targeting the Down game on February 28th as his opener.
Ó Sé was speaking at the launch of the 27th Comórtas Peile Páidí Ó Sé tournament, which takes place in west Kerry on February 19-21st, although talk of the proposed All-Ireland B championship also being named after his late uncle wasn’t something he favoured whatsoever.
“I know Páidí’s name is mentioned, but I don’t know about an All-Ireland B. I wouldn’t be for it at all. I come from Kerry. We are very lucky. We win All-Irelands. We lose All-Irelands. But I wouldn’t like if I was playing with a so-called weaker county and I was told that you were in a ‘B’ competition.
“And I suppose Páidí holds the record, along with four other fellas, of winning Sam Maguire eight times. And he is being remembered, hypothetically, for a competition that he never even played in. That possibly doesn’t go with the territory.”
For more information on Comórtas Peile Páidí ó Sé see www.paidiose.com
