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05th Nov 2015

Rory Kavanagh tells great story about himself and Eamon McGee climbing out a window for a night out

Whatever it takes

Conor Heneghan

It was their big night after all.

With no inter-county action to speak of, a number of recently released books are currently occupying the news agenda within the GAA.

There’s been plenty of talk about books released by Tomás Ó’Sé and Jim McGuinness and judging by an extract serialised on donegalsporthub.com today, another one released by a man who played under McGuinness sounds like it could be a cracking read.

The extract in question, from Rory Kavanagh’s book ‘Winning’, details the aftermath of Donegal’s comprehensive defeat to Mayo in the 2013 All-Ireland quarter-final, when Kavanagh and teak-tough defender Eamon McGee were contemplating hanging up their boots.

Neither player ended up doing so, of course, but at the time they saw the night out after the game as a retirement party of sorts and boy, were they determined to make the most of it.

GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Final 21/9/2014 Donegal Donegal's Rory Kavanagh Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

You can read the extract in full on donegalsporthub.com here, but we’ve taken up the story after both Rory and Eamon have been collected by Rory’s wife Kathryn, who assumed that the night was at an end.

She was wrong.

“We had poor Kathryn tortured the whole way home. We were soon plonked at my kitchen table, eating crisps and talking shite,” Rory writes.

“Kathryn popped her head in the door. As she turned for the living room, she said, ‘aren’t you two boys glad you’re home?’ Eamon shook his head, looking at me in disgust.

“Eamon McGee doesn’t take orders from anyone,’ he then said, for some reason now speaking in the third person.

Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship Final, Clones, Co. Monaghan 20/7/2014 Monaghan vs Donegal Donegal's Eamon McGee injured Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

“Our discussion, getting increasingly serious now – no shite talk – turned to how could we get out again? The evening was still young.”

“We needed a plan,” Rory continues.

“With no key for the back door and with Kathryn watching television in the other room, our main avenue of escape out the front door was blocked.

“‘I’m outta here,’ Eamon said, as he walked towards the kitchen window. ‘Headed for the town.’

“I turned to watch a 6 feet 2 inches, 14-and-a-half stone man try to manoeuvre his way out my kitchen window. But he did, and off he went into the darkness. I sat there for a minute or two, thinking.

“I sized up the window. I’d a bit more difficulty than Eamon but was making commendable progress. I’d swung a leg out the window.

GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Final, Croke Park, Dublin 23/9/2012 Donegal vs Mayo Donegal manager Jim McGuinness and Rory Kavanagh celebrate at the end of the game Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Donall Farmer *** Local Caption ***

“Now, I was half-in and half-out. Just as I was about to lift the other leg, the kitchen door opened. It was Kathryn. And she just stared at me. I stared back at her.

“We didn’t say anything for a minute. We just continued to stare at one another. And stare some more. I had a look on my face, like the little boy who has just got caught with his hand in the biscuit jar.

“‘What the hell are you doing?’ she demanded. I was still staring.

“‘Eamon’s away out the window,’ I replied. ‘I better go get him.’

“I swung over my left leg and landed safely in the back garden. I took off, still wondering how far he had gone.

“I soon found him. He was out at the entrance to the estate, waiting on a taxi. We flagged one down and off we went into the night.

“Nobody tells Eamon McGee what to do.”

Unfortunately for the lads, or at least for Eamon, there were consequences…

https://twitter.com/EamonMcGee/status/662180262076395520

Sounds like a great read and a decent Christmas present for the GAA fan in your life.

Topics:

Donegal,GAA