The Book of Armagh: Spreading the Gospel to the WASPs
Talking Balls Comments
Edwards is one of rugby’s most highly rated coaches, as much for his tough uncompromising attitude as his cerebral approach and his ability to motivate players.
McCloskey was of course Joe Kernan’s right hand man at Armagh and introduced a series of innovations to the Armagh set up. Last season he worked with Paddy Crozier in the Derry set up and was at one stage considered as a possible Derry manager.
McCloskey, who previously taught in St Brigid’s primary school in Belfast, was once been linked with a job at Chelsea and was also in the running as Gaelic Games High Performance Director at the Sports Institute Northern Ireland. It is understood his commitments with Armagh meant he ruled himself out of that position.
He has agreed an initial one-year contract and according to the Irish News, will meet up with the squad at a training camp in Poland in July and will begin his work in London on August 10.
“It will be a big challenge for me but I am really looking forward to it. I went over early in the year do to a bit of coaching and I thought no more of it, but a few months later they rang me up and offered me the full-time position.”?
McCloskey once invited Edwards to meet the Armagh squad when they travelled to Bath in 2003. He believes it signifies another important advance within the GAA.??”It is nice to reverse the trend. Usually gaelic teams go and watch soccer or rugby teams to get ideas, but it is nice to see rugby and soccer clubs coming to the GAA.”
Working with Edwards will itself be an experience. A devout Catholic and deeply spiritual man, Edwards is highly regarded by his players and fans alike. Despite his tough image, Edwards is renowned for his considered approach. An advocate of players reading before games to avoid over thinking about games, he was spotted on the sideline during a break in play in the 2007 Heiniken Cup Final reading Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor E Frankl’s classic book about the Holocaust.
Between McCloskey and Edwards, could be a match made in heaven. Good luck to John McCloskey and fair play to him for spreading the GAA gospel.
