Brighton and Hove Albion’s loss was Ballygunner’s gain. Dessie Hutchinson helped himself to 1-3 from play in the Gunners’ county final win over De La Salle last Sunday, and he was as jubilant as you might expect afterwards, having collected a medal with his two brothers — JJ and Wayne — on the field of play at the final whistle.
“It’s unbelievable, it was always in the back of my mind and to just be out there with all of the lads, my two brothers, my mother and father coming out, my sisters, another brother, girlfriend, the whole lot, it’s just unbelievable.
“Those two lads drove me all year, I look up to them. Wayne was going into his 17th county final there so the experience of that was unbelievable and JJ coming on drove us on. It’s great to be involved with the two of them and it’s probably the best day I’ve ever had in sport.”
For a man who lived the dream of professional soccer cross-channel with Brighton before returning to play for Waterford in the League of Ireland, that’s quite a comment: he’d rate Sunday that highly?
“Yeah, I would. I’ve done a lot, I’ve played for my country, went away, everything, but that out there was special. A day like Sunday coming in and seeing the supporters and everything, it’s just one big community all going for the one thing and there are so many people involved in it, it’s just great.”
De La Salle asked Ballygunner plenty of questions last weekend (“Their gameplan was good. It was very hard to get the ball into us in the first half, it was tough to break through but we just kept chipping away and eventually the space opened for us and we were able to move on,”) but eventually Hutchinson realised his dream, which seemed impossible until recently.
“When I actually came into the panel at the start of the year, that’s when I really realised just how hard this group works. They’re my best friends, I’m playing with my best friends. You have your two brothers, you have your whole family going to games. It’s everything. You know the lad beside you is going to give everything that you give.
“Sometimes in other sports, you’re competing against each other, but it’s just an unreal community and there are so many people involved in it ... it’s unreal.”
Hutchinson’s influence on his teammates was considerable all year, said ‘keeper Stephen O’Keeffe: “If you want to talk about hunger, he’s the one that’s most delighted to be here. It’s unbelievable to have an injection of enthusiasm like that and he’s a lovely fella as well, he gets on with everyone here and any time he was away he was always coming back and slotting into a training session.
“He was never full away, I suppose. He came in after the Munster final last year and you could see straight away his pace. He needed a bit of work on the touch but you could see there was something there. He brings a professional athlete’s mindset to it and he raises everyone else’s game because we’re nearly following his lead sometimes.
“Going to the gym and stuff and you’d be asking ‘what are you doing there, Dessie?’
“It’s all different stuff he’s doing and it’s just unbelievable to have him in and I’m delighted for him. That’s his first county medal I suppose and it’ll mean the world to him. I’m delighted that I got to win one with him.”
By Michael Moynihan Staff writer - Irish Examiner
