FEW envied Jack Sheedy when he arrived in Edenderry six months ago to take over the senior football side.
They have been through some turbulent times including demotion to Intermediate ranks in 2006, and while they won it back the following year, there followed a very lethargic approach from an aging side.
In recent times things were so bad and embarrassing that the side became the butt of unsavoury jokes in the local hostelries.
The former Dublin star who played his club football with Lucan Sarsfields and An Garda Siochana was under no illusions.
With four Leinster senior medals, a national league and countless other accolades to his name Jack Sheedy has been there and back both as a player and mentor.
On his arrival in the East Offaly town the turn-out for training was little more than a half dozen players and it took a long time to increase that number.
‘I found it difficult to come to terms with having come from a culture where you had big numbers training and a huge commitment been given.’ said Jack.
Sheedy said that he had been told that there were a lot of good players but there were also a lot of other distractions. He found this information to be ‘the best lesson I got’.
But the Lucan Sarsfields man says that he is glad he persevered. In a short six months he has seen the side improving and gelling some in addition to capturing the Div 2 Football league title with impressive displays, particularly in the semi-final and final.
‘I think attitudes are slowly changing in the right direction. To be successful you can only go in one direction, and we all need to be going in the same direction’.
Now Sheedy is convinced that Edenderry has turned the corner.
‘We have a lot of good footballers. When you look at the final and semi-final of the league, we were able to look at the bench and had great options, and that is your strength and depth, and that is what shapes a team’ according to the Dublin man.
He adds that their strongest point at the moment is that they have twenty plus good players and putting them together as a team is his job.
Jack Sheedy says he has achieved his first goal for Edenderry and that was promotion. His long term is winning a championship.
‘But that’s a big step-up from winning a Div2 league title. There is a championship in this team. It is totally down to how much they want it and are prepared to give. It’s there is the lads want it. If not, then all the talent in the world won’t achieve it’, said Jack.
The Dublin based Garda was extremely reluctant to single out any players for special mention but pressed repeatedly he says that Derek Kelly has massive potential.
‘He has size. Good strong legs, ability to deliver a ball and a good pair of hands. If he has the desire he certainly has the ability to go a long way.
‘Stephen Guing has huge potential as well as Mark Young. Those three lads have a lot of ability and the three of them have size and they have pace’ said Sheedy.
As The Reds commence their championship climb they can rest assured that the man at the helm is confident that they have the ability to bridge an eight years gap and take the coveted Dowling Cup across Killane Bridge.
