Last night's Laochra Gael profiled Meath forward Bernard Flynn, one of the many colourful and entertaining characters who starred on Sean Boylan's famous Meath teams. Flynn is the perfect subject for a Laochra Gael - brash, funny, but steely and brave as well. As gaelic football has evolved into death by 1,000 handpasses, last night's episode made many people nostalgia for the hard-tackling glory days of the game.
Viewers were absolutely amazed by the toughness that Flynn showed on the football pitch. FLynn was often a marked man, but he pushed himself straight through the pain barrier. This shoulder from Martin Gavigan in the 1990 All-Ireland semifinal was the textbook definition of 'bonecrunching': it literally broke a few bones in his chest.
'I broke a bone..for 7 or 8 minutes i couldn't breath' - Bernard Flynn
Ná caill #LaochraGael na hoíche anocht 21:30 @Laochra_Gael @SportTG4 pic.twitter.com/oB5QvRPDGC— TG4TV 🏳️🌈🫶🏳️⚧️ (@TG4TV) April 15, 2021
Or how about this loving tackle Flynn receives at the end of this clip from a Dublin defender? It's like watching a different sport being played. Either tackle could be considered a red card by today's standards.
Tommy Carr ag labhairt faoi #BernardFlynn ar #LaochraGael pic.twitter.com/UI3LatlosZ
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) April 15, 2021
“You couldn’t hit him hard enough or often enough”
Bernard bocht 😅#laochragael #bernardflynn pic.twitter.com/5AMvlh7t9T— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) April 15, 2021
Flynn proved impossible to keep down though and the programme really captured his indefatigable spirit - both on and off the football pitch. Flynn also spoke honestly about the physical toll the game took on him. A long run of injuries caught up with him on the day of the 1994 @league final.
"I got away with it that day, you didn't another day. I was trying to cod myself a little bit. I was suffering in silence, inside, deeply, I really was. Deep down, I knew I couldn't keep going.
"I was genuinely in agony at that stage. I was taking a lot of painkillers. I was eating tablets non-stop. The knee wasn't quite right. The hip had escalated to a stage where it was getting hard to jog.
"In those days, Sean Boylan did everything he could. Gerry McEntee sat me down and arranged a meeting with Pat O'Neill from Dublin - who subsequently managed Dublin to the All-Ireland [in 1995]. He sat me down and said, 'Bernard, you're in bad shape. Your hip is in a bad, bad way. He said, 'If you don't give up football, you'll be in a wheelchair'."
There was a tonne of love for the Meath corner forward on social media last night.
“Bernard was just that type of guy you wanted to belt and hit as often as you could. He was cheeky, he was arrogant on the pitch. You could not hit him often enough or hard enough.”
Tommy Carr’s glowing tribute to Bernard Flynn on #LaochraGael
Be the holy.— Seán Perry (@perry_sean) April 15, 2021
Absolutely brilliant episode again @Laochra_Gael!What a career @bernardflynn!Him being an adopted Mullingar man, I’ve had the pleasure of being managed by ☘️ and getting to know him. Great fella. Great club man for @mullingarshams and great to see his story being told @SportTG4👏🏻
— Conor Moore (@ConorSketches) April 15, 2021
Flynn - never the humblest man on the pitch - seemed genuinely chuffed with the huge outpouring of affection.
SEE ALSO: Bernard Flynn Paid Heavy Price For Playing Through Pain Barrier
