Dingle’s emotional All-Ireland triumph earlier this month was made all the more memorable by the tight family bonds on the team.
Daingean Uà Chúis won their first ever national title in dramatic fashion with victory over St. Brigid’s in the final, with Mikey Geaney scoring the winning point right at the end of extra-time.
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What was remarkable was that Mikey was but one of five Geaney’s who played a role on All-Ireland final day, with Dylan, Conor, Niall and Paul all starting the game.
The Geaney family connection is famed in Dingle, but they are also related to three of the O’Connor’s who are on the team as well.
Mikey, Paul, and Niall Geaney appeared on The Late Late Show on Friday night, with Mikey delivering a brilliant line about the future of the family dynasty.
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Mikey Geaney reveals amazing aftermath of Dingle win
It has been an especially significant month for Mikey Geaney, for whom All-Ireland glory with Dingle has now been followed by the birth of his first child.
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“My wife, Nicole, had a baby girl yesterday morning, first-born,” Geaney told host Patrick Kielty on Friday’s Late Late Show.
Mom and baby are doing well, they’re over in the Rotunda being well taken care of.
Given the prevalence of the name ‘Geaney’ in the Dingle squad, Kielty jokingly asked Mikey if his newborn is already being integrated into the team.
“She’ll be a while before that!” came the reply.
Geaney is not the only member of the Dingle team to have celebrated the birth of a child since the team’s victory.
Perhaps even more noteworthy was the story of goalkeeper Gavin Curran, who was caught out by commuting back and forth to Australia between the games.
“Gavin and Claire, his partner, are based in Australia,” Mikey Geaney explained.
They were due a baby in January, so Gavin was commuting over and back between Australia between the games. He’d play in the game and then be on the flight the next morning at 6 o’clock to Australia.
His baby was born the morning of the final, and then he rushed back over the Monday morning at 6 o’clock to be reunited with the family.
It’s another extraordinary aspect of Dingle’s All-Ireland win, with Curran missing the birth of his child to help them to victory over St. Brigid’s.
However, Mikey Geaney admitted he would have found it hard to make the same call.
“Dangerous decision there,” Geaney joked when asked if he would have chosen playing in the final over the birth of his child.
“No, sport is magic and stuff but nothing compares.”
It was a superb segment on The Late Late Show’s GAA special, with All-Ireland winners in camogie, ladies’ football and hurling alongside the Geaney’s in studio.
In the end, it was Dingle captain Paul Geaney who best summed up the importance of family in club GAA.
The two lads beside me there, Mikey [is a] first cousin, Niall [is a] first cousin.
Niall’s two brothers as well, Conor and Dylan, were on the team, and then they had three other cousins as well, the O’Connors. They had two brothers and five cousins involved each, so it was crazy!
That’s what club is, it’s about family and community. It makes it more special then when you win.
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