Like father, like son: Dungloe’s Walsh and Sweeney follow familiar footsteps

A winning scoreline of 1-8 to 0-4 for Dungloe against Naomh Columba were the bare figures that meant the Rosses Park club were Donegal IFC winners for the second time in their history last month.

The club’s only other success was back in 1986 when Dungloe had two points to spare on Naomh Conaill on a 0-8 to 0-6 at Pearse Park in Ardara.  

From the contemporaries, Gerard Walsh and Dylan Sweeney have the bloodline links with the team of 36 years ago. Their fathers Hudie Walsh and John Sweeney respectively were members of the 1986 team. The case of two sons walking in the footsteps of their fathers is an adept one.

Hudie Walsh, in 1986, lined out at left full-back wearing the number four jersey and 36 years later his son Gerard also lined up in the same position with the same numbered shirt. John Sweeney, just out of minor football in 1986, was a dashing right half-forward nicknamed ‘Flash’ and, sure enough, his fleet-footed son Dylan Sweeney was in the number 10 for the win over Naomh Columba.

Gerard Walsh and his father Hudie celebrate Dungloe's victory in the Donegal IFC

“Gerard is a bit like myself when I was playing,” says a proud Hudie, who was a no nonsense defender. “He has  played all over the field both in the forwards and in the defence. He has also played midfield on a few occasions. Gerard is 31 and I think that is where the similarities end. He is a much better footballer than I was. 

“But it is a different game now than it was back in my playing days. The level of preparation and fitness levels have gone through the roof and the commitment and effort that is put nowadays is unbelievable.

“Gerard is living and working in Derry but he never misses a training session let it be here in Dungloe, or in Drumragh where they trained once a week during the summer or Ardara or Convoy under the lights in recent weeks - he never misses a session.

“He is a very loyal Dungloe clubman and even when he was at college in Belfast he travelled home at weekends to play games. All the lads are the same. They are really a dedicated bunch of players. They are the best group of players I have seen in the club in all my time watching football and hopefully they will now get a run in Ulster.”

Hudie’s only fear as Dungloe take on Cuchullains, Dunloy, the Antrim intermediate champions, in Ahoghill, on Saturday in the Ulster IFC quarter-final, is rustiness. 

Dylan Sweeney, centre, with his father John and grandfather Fred following Dungloe's victory in the IFC final

“It will be six weeks since the county final and they might be lacking match sharpness,” he says. “I know they have played a number of challenge games in the last few weeks. I was at their game against St Molaise Gaels, the Sligo, intermediate champions.
They were a bit rusty early in that game but they slowly got up to speed and won it by a point or two. St Molaise are a very good team and had a number of Sligo county players on the team.  It was a very good game of football. But we have to remember it was only a challenge game.” 

John Sweeney is equally as proud of his son Dylan and his contribution to the senior team since making the step up from minor last season.

“When we won in 1986 there was no Ulster championship,” says John Sweeney, who along with clubmates John Connors and Danny Gallagher were members of the Donegal U-21  All-Ireland winning team of 1987.  “The final against Glenties was the end of the line. I have been telling Dylan and the rest of the lads that call up to the house that they are lucky to be getting a chance to play in Ulster and a crack at more success.  

“They take the game very seriously and they watch what they eat and what they drink and they have a real professional approach to the game. Unlike when we were playing we played the game on a Saturday or Sunday, trained Tuesday and Thursday night but we enjoyed the crack and the few points too. These boys are different and that is the way the game has gone.” 

“Dunloy are a very good side. I watched them in the final and I was very impressed with them. ”They play a very defensive game and like to break fast and they have a couple very speedy forwards. They are going to be tough and hard to beat. But our lads are well prepared. Dessie Gallagher has done a great job and if they play as well as they can they should win. But it won’t be easy.”

The Sweeney family have a long association with the club and championship success with the club. Dylan Sweeney is a fourth generation adult  championship winner in the red and white of Dungloe. His grandfather Fred was a double senior champion in the 1950’s and his great grandfather Neilly was a senior winner in the 1930s. Everyone in the Rosses and indeed further afield hope that Dessie Gallagher’s side’s numbers come up on Saturday.