Duffy & Goosey, now that's a duo! While some might perceive their involvement in this cycle as an attempt at a joint mid-life crisis, rest assured, their primary aim is the betterment of the club! Fair play to the two lads, it's like one big double 40th birthday celebration!
Shane, along with his wife Orla and their two boys Finn & Cealan began to become involved with the club in recent years and we couldn't be happier to have them. The boys play on our U10 and academy teams and their Dad is always on hand to help out, help that is often needed in managing the energetic bunch of youngsters!
Mind you, Shane is a handy man to have around if you're tossing a wall. When the blocks of the old wall around Páirc Naomh Ultan needed tearing down, he almost tossed all himself!
Geard, Thomas Geard or Duffy as he's more commonly referred, has represented the club plenty down through the years, starting from his days in the underage teams and eventually progressing to the senior level. As a bright-eyed 18-year-old in 2002, he contributed to the Intermediate Reserve team's triumph in the Championship.
As the years passed, Geard remained a presence within the club. In 2010, he played a pivotal role in the reserve team's campaign, which saw them narrowly miss clinching the Junior B Championship, falling short in the final by the narrowest of margins. Geard's performance on that day was nothing short of exceptional, up and down the field with the agility of a yo-yo. It seemed that the little pre-match stiffener worked wonders for his performance!
Having headed to London for a while Geard found himself back again in 2013, putting in a number of performances in the senior side throughout the season! He was on the move again towards fields further away in Australia and years later, following another spell in London, he found his way back to Ireland, where he has now made his home in Cork. Apparently he flies the black and amber flag down Leeside!
We'll need to factor in some extra buffer time for Duffy prior to the cycle, considering he's not the easiest man to get up from Cork. Perhaps we should extend the bank holiday weekend after it for all the craic that'll be had once it's completed!
