It’s tough being your county’s star forward, it’s tougher again when your dad is the manager.
Shane Dooley is an Offaly legend of sorts, he has become the county’s top scorer in the Championship during his 10 years playing for the side but another county legend is his father Joe who won three All-Irelands in his playing days.
Shane was always going to have big boots to fill which in turn would mean some added pressure but some of the most stressful times for the Tullamore native came when his father took the managerial reigns from 2012 to 2014.
Speaking on the GAA Hour Podcast last Thursday, Dooley said:
“There was a bit of pressure alright when my father took over as manager, there’s pressure on him and pressure on me to perform and pressure on him to be picking me if I wasn’t performing”.
Dooley also revealed that his father’s interest and love for the game hasn’t wavered since leaving the role back in 2014.
“If I was in the house it’d be ‘Was there training this evening?’ and ‘Who was there?’ his heart is still in it.
“He loves to hear about how things are going; he’s a proud Offaly man at the end of the day”.
The corner-forward also revealed that he tried his hand at making it as a dual player last year but didn’t have too much luck breaking into the county’s starting line up
“I joined the panel at the start of the year and got a few O’Byrne cup games and I hung in there for the year but didn’t get much of a look in unfortunately”, he said
Yet, despite the hectic training schedule, Dooley had his priorities in order
“I was missing the odd football training here and there because of the hurling; I was giving the hurlers full commitment. It was an enjoyable year, I really enjoyed it and it stood to me when I went back to Tullamore at the end of the year”
He also brushed off comments made by Ger Loughnane questioning the Offaly squads fitness saying
“It’s sensationalism and off the cuff stuff to get headlines and that so I wouldn’t mind it too much.”
Offaly will now face All-Ireland winners Tipperary in the quarterfinals of the Allianz Hurling League after a narrow victory over Kerry at the weekend.
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