Bernard Flynn. The Meath footballer with quick feet talks about life, and career and gives an insight into that epic Dublin vs Meath Saga.

Bernard Flynn. The Meath footballer with quick feet talks about life, and career and gives an insight into that epic Dublin vs Meath Saga.  By Steven Kelly. 04/02/2023.

It is fair to say that Bernard Flynn has been there and done it all as a Meath footballer. The former St Mary’s of Drogheda student had a stellar playing career with the Royal county. The former left corner forward ace has 5 senior Leinster titles to his name as well as 2 All-Ireland titles and 2 All-Star awards. Flynn was part of Meath’s triple-threat full forward line, alongside Brian Stafford and Colm O’ Rourke. He also played for various club teams throughout his career including stints with St Colmcille’s of Meath, St Joseph’s of Laois and Mullingar Shamrocks of Westmeath. So what was it like growing up for Flynn?

“I grew up in Drogheda in Co Louth and my dad who was from Kildare bought a patch of land just inside the Meath border. I would have started playing Gaelic Football at a very early age. Being the only son and having 5 sisters in the family, it became an obsession for me to be honest. I always put myself under pressure to be the very best. Jackser Kavanagh would have been a huge influence on me as a footballer. He always gave me great advice. I played underage throughout my childhood and St Colmcille’s were very good to me. I was inspired to work hard and dedicate myself to Gaelic Football as much as I possibly could.”

Bernard’s development as a player continued into his secondary school days when he was part of the St Mary’s of Drogheda’s team. As a result of his performance, Flynn received a call-up to the Meath Minor team. He was part of the side beaten by Kildare in the 1983 Leinster Football Final. In the same year, Flynn was drafted into the Meath Senior Football panel. 

“It was crazy in fairness. Getting to play minor and senior in the same year for your county was very rare, to be honest. I remember getting to play with the likes of Colm O’ Rourke and Gerry Mcintee. It was a complete shock for me. A lot of that Meath senior side had huge success and I was coming in as a teenager. I initially felt slightly intimidated. The lads in training wouldn’t pull out of a tackle and I suppose it made me physically mature quicker in a way. From a Meath man, I have to say I loved Mikey Sheehy of Kerry. He was my hero and attacking wise he was just an honour to watch in full flight.”

Flynn was an integral part of the Meath side, winning 5 Leinster and 2 All-Ireland titles, however one of the finest memories for any Meath man over the last 32 years, would have been the epic saga that manifested between the Royals and Dublin in 1991. The Leinster round-one affair between the neighbours ended after an enthralling 4 game episode. Meath eventually won out on a scoreline of 2-10 to 0-15. This sequence of games will more than likely never happen again. In Bernard’s own words: 

“To be a part of a game like that was something else. Not many people knew this but we had a relatively good rapport with the Dubs. I still speak to the likes of Tommy Carr and would have had great battles with Mick Deegan in those games. The whole nation was enthralled in the games with Dublin. It got to the stage where we were away from our girlfriends and wives for some time, all that mattered was the next game with Dublin. We ate right and trained hard. Sean Boylan planned a trip to Scotland after the 3rd game. We trained away and had our few pints also. That series of games affected us greatly. The likes of Colm O’ Rourke and Mike Lyons were hugely important. It was a huge relief to get over the line in the end. I would have to say the best game I had was in the 3rd game. I got on a good bit of ball and kicked a few nice points from play.”

See the game here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brvb9RVHljw

Having been an ace corner-forward for well over a decade it is fair to say that Bernard Flynn would have come up against his fair share of tight-marking defenders. “I would have to say Mike Deegan of Dublin and  Kieran McKeever of Derry were tough to come up against. I would try beating them with my creative play. They were all as tough as nails. I always felt I put myself under so much pressure to perform. That is one regret I would have, that I wasn’t more relaxed. Everything had to be organised. To be honest it was slightly OCD. That was just the way I did things. I was in a bubble and I didn’t want to come out of it. Football back then was more if you could beat your marker you probably had a score on. It is very different now. You have tactics and systems much more thought out than we had. One thing that never changed was our relationship with the Meath people. After games, we would come out to the fans and by the end of it you knew most of their names. We used to even have beers with lots of the supporters, which was nice.”

Being part of a successful Meath team and sharing such memories is something which to this day for many former players, is talked about constantly and Bernard echo’s this: 

“I think if you look at the successful Kilkenny and Kerry teams in Hurling and Football and even the Dublin team which won the 6 in a row, all these teams shared one thing in common and that was that they kept the game very simple and did the basics very well. In our day we had a great bond and we always relive those memories we shared as players whenever we catch up. I was at Joe Brolly’s wedding not that long ago and bumped into many guys who I played against and we talked for days about our football. It was practically our lives for so long. I think the way the game is now you need to keep it as fresh as you can. I think that more money needs to go to the weaker counties because there is a gap that exists. I am going to tell you that Colm O’ Rouke is the man at the helm and I believe that the real target is to get Meath out of Division 2 and beat Dublin in the championship within 3 years. If you ask any Meath supporters they will not be happy until this happens. I believe this is a genuine goal and with hard work, Meath along with KIldare can close the gap on Dublin and make Leinster great again. O’ Rourke is a winner you could see that in him as a player and Meath people want to win.”

It is fair to say that the passion of Bernard Flynn the supporter is equal to that of the dynamic player that graced pitches throughout Ireland. Now writing for the Irish Mirror and a former Meath U20 manager, it is easy to see why Flynn was one of the most honest players of his generation and that ultimately came down to his sheer hard work and dedication.