Regardless of the venue, regardless of even the game, when a Dooley is readily available count on targets. Not simply any previous targets both. Good targets. Particular targets. Vital targets.

Objectives just like the one Gavin Dooley scored in opposition to Kilmoyley within the County Championship semi-final late final month. 

It was the type of purpose that can go down in native folklore. The explanation Causeway at the moment are getting ready for this County Closing and the type of purpose his legendary father, John Mike, would have been proud to name his personal.

Standing down the opposite finish of the pitch, nonetheless lining out in purpose for the membership twenty 5 years after his championship debut and effectively into his forties, the pater familia was bursting with satisfaction and pleasure at his son’s ability and braveness.

That the 2 of them have ended up on the identical aspect, chasing the identical prizes, isn’t one thing many fathers and sons get to expertise. It’s a very particular factor. These actually are the times for the Dooley clan.

“Yeah [I hung on] roughly to play with Gavin, nevertheless it type of solely occurred actually,” John Mike remembers.

“I wasn’t hanging on both to make it occur. If it occurred it occurred. It occurred in 2018 then and we had been overwhelmed within the semi-final by Lixnaw. The yr after I type of retired, however was requested again once more then.”

Taking part in along with your son is particular sufficient you’d should think about. Profitable a championship with him, although, that one other degree completely and took place by way of happenstance for the person who performed in purpose at underage degree earlier than his transfer to full-forward afterward.

“Our goalie obtained injured there in 2019 they usually simply requested me to fall into targets and I’ve been there since,” John Mike says.

“I truly had retired that yr, however the goalie obtained injured, tore his hamstring, and we’d no different goalie. Steve [Goggin] gave me a cellphone name so on the finish of the yr it turned out a proper good one.

“That [winning with my son on the team] was unreal. That was in all probability the perfect hurling achievement out of all of the years. You’ll be able to’t bottle that basically.

“And Maurice [Leahy, John Mike’s father-in-law] was concerned and his uncle was selector, Maurice’s son David. Then we had my very own nephew was on the panel as effectively, Cillian Dooley. It was a proper household event actually.”

For Gavin to win that 2019 title together with his dad was coming virtually full circle from his early days. The fruition of years of hard-work, and steerage. Proper again to these days of pucking ball within the again backyard.

“Even underage right here he coached us,” Gavin remembers.

“Almost yearly I used to be concerned underage he was supervisor or concerned indirectly. He’s been concerned since I began younger anyway, the entire time on the pitch or someplace anyway round.”

His father’s standing and status wasn’t misplaced on the younger man both rising up. In spite of everything he may see together with his personal eyes simply how good he was and is.

“Once you’re entering into [to Tralee] watching video games and also you see him sticking two or three targets a recreation that’s what you need to be doing,” he continues.

“It is an inspiration actually. Once you’d be going into faculty then and all your pals can be speaking, ‘oh your dad scored two or three targets’ on the weekend.

“You’d be proud greater than something and hoping to select up the knack of scoring them your self.

“He was my inspiration and even the grandfather there [Maurice Leahy] you’d need to hit the heights that they hit and check out possibly to push on additional.

“It’s simply good to maintain the custom going and maintain wanting as much as the boys and check out keep on what they left earlier than me.”

Nonetheless there will need to have been a specific amount of strain rising up within the shadow of John Mike for Gavin. There would have been an expectation virtually that he may observe in these well-known footsteps.

“To be trustworthy now I don’t actually take a look at that… there in all probability is a little bit of a strain alright, however even while you’re in video games you don’t actually consider that facet of it,” Gavin says.

“Even coming into video games it wouldn’t be behind my thoughts. Simply exit, do my very own factor, carry out in addition to I can, you realize? Work onerous and what occurs occurs.”

If there’s a standard thread between each males’s careers, it’s that means to adapt, to study, to develop. 

Even although, John Mike began at in purpose at an early age, the function of goalkeeper has moved on considerably within the meantime. After a era spent outfield, it will need to have taken some getting used to for the one-time Kerry star.

“It’s quite a bit totally different [to playing outfield],” he says.

“You are watching their six forwards and also you’re watching our six boys, are they on high of them. You’ve a greater view of the entire recreation anyhow. The puck-out technique isn’t too unhealthy. Some days you’d have good days, some days you’d have unhealthy days.”

Gavin, in the meantime, has kicked his recreation up one other degree or two this season underneath the tutelage of Stephen Molumphy with the Kerry seniors.

“In equity now for the reason that boys got here in they’re top-class,” he enthuses.

“The coaching periods, every part. You actually stay up for it. There was nothing repetitive, it was at all times new. Everybody introduced into it. It actually lifted everybody then, the periods had been good due to that.

“In equity to the boys they had been high class. Every thing they did was skilled and it was simply sensible to be a part of actually. It introduced me on then. The power and conditioning aspect particularly.

“Even earlier than this yr, to be trustworthy, I not often would have gone right into a fitness center. I might have been sick on the sight of it! I placed on a little bit of weight alright now. The boys coming in would have improved the whole thing. Kerry hurling is on an excellent higher observe than it was earlier than.”

All through this championship with the odd uncommon exception, the county gamers have roared into the fray and appeared very a lot a minimize above. The velocity at which they’re enjoying at inter-county degree, having tangible profit in membership competitors.

“They’re very high-paced video games,” Gavin continues.

“Even while you miss a recreation in there you are practically sluggish to get going once more. That may convey you on a pile. Even the likes of Antrim there, they’re effectively in a position to compete as a Liam MacCarthy workforce and enjoying in opposition to them is a pleasure.

“And enjoying in opposition to Wexford in Tralee there was an unreal event and if you happen to’re enjoying in opposition to groups like that each week it’d convey you on much more. The likes of Cork and Wexford. You’ll get just a few beatings, however ultimately you’ll get there. That’s the place you need to be.

“The throughout expertise have improved actually. We’re getting good problem video games there in opposition to Waterford and groups like that. It will convey you on a pile enjoying at that greater normal simply above you.

“It will make you assume sooner on the spot and enhance your reactions and every part. When you’ve two or three males up your again if you happen to don’t have the contact for it, the ball is gone. Even simply focussing on that, it’s bringing all of it collectively on the sector then.”

John Mike, in fact, had a tales profession with the Kingdom enjoying underneath a bunch of managers, together with a few spells underneath his father-in-law Maurice Leahy, one other legendary determine within the Kingdom’s hurling firmament.

At membership degree John Mike began like a home on hearth, profitable the title in simply his second yr on the senior squad. Little did he realise on the time it will take some time earlier than he obtained again to profitable methods, 21 years because it turned out.

“We had misplaced 4 or 5 finals on the way in which,” John Mike recounts.

“We had been at all times in and across the semi-final. We misplaced 2006 to Ballyduff, we misplaced 2004 to Kilmoyley they gained the 4 in-a-row. Then we misplaced 2008 once more. We misplaced one in 1997 as effectively, earlier than I gained it in 1998. It was Ballyheighue that yr.”

After the 2019 success, 2020 and 2021 had been disappointing ones for the Causeway membership. There or thereabouts as ever, simply not getting over the road, not pushing on from that breakthrough success.

Oddly sufficient they’re in all probability going to enter this weekend’s ultimate as underdogs, however within the wake of Gavin’s purpose within the semi-final and the style during which Causeway dug out that victory, the thrill within the camp should be enormous.

“There’s at all times been a very good buzz across the place, even from earlier than that recreation,” the 22-year-old Gavin says.

“We’re having fun with our time this yr. We weren’t actually checked out very a lot in the beginning of the championship with all these guys gone away the likes of Billy [Lyons] and Jason Leahy and all of them, we simply got here down and mentioned we’d take pleasure in ourselves, hurl away, go into city and play our recreation and work onerous on the pitch.

“For those who can outwork the opposite workforce that is half the battle and we’ve skilful sufficient gamers that can come to the highest in the long run.”

From high of the pitch to the underside, the Dooleys have it coated. Their journey isn’t but at and finish. Not by an extended shot.