On Sunday afternoon, the Wexford Senior Football Championship could be graced by a seven-time All-Ireland winner as former Dublin attacker Eoghan O'Gara is in line to feature for Shelmaliers against Sarsfields.
No doubt an extra few bodies will be present in Chadwicks Wexford Park to watch the bustling forward feature for the champions in the main event of a championship double-header that also features Crossabeg-Ballymurn and Starlights.
O’Gara’s last championship debut came 12 years ago and fittingly was against the Model County, as he came off the bench to spark Dublin into life. They eventually won out after extra-time in Leinster quarter-final. He made a massive contribution from that game right up until his November 2019 retirement.
So how does a man who won the biggest prize in football, and won it many times over, get motivated to play in a different county with a different club just a few weeks shy of his 37th birthday? For Shelmaliers manager John Hegarty, that’s an easy question to answer.
"He’s the most decorated footballer to ever play championship in Wexford but at the same time he hasn’t won county titles ever, so there definitely is something for him to aspire to."
Shelmaliers’ favouritism in Wexford was strong before O’Gara’s transfer given their exploits last year.
They came agonisingly close to becoming the first Wexford side to reach a provincial club final in football as they led Naas deep into additional time in their Leinster semi-final.
Eamon Callaghan converted a free though and the Kildare side would go on to win in extra-time.
That’s not to say that O’Gara smelled an opportunity of glory and left his home club Templeogue Synge Street because of that – he has been based in the Model County for a long time now.
"He’s been living here for six or seven years. His kids are going to school in the area and his daughter is playing with the club," Hegarty continued.
"There always been wishful thinking and chat but I hadn’t been directly involved, in regards to talking to him, until this year.
"I’ve no doubt there had been chats previously [about transferring] but he had his Dublin commitments, his club up there. He felt that he owed them time as well and you have to respect that.
"A quality footballer is always going to fit in easily so regarding that, you’re never going to have any concerns. It’s his attitude and application that has been really excellent for us."
The manager believes those leadership qualities can only inspire the youth in the club, especially as they also have former Wexford captain Brian Malone to look up to.
"It can only be great for those kids coming up because they get the opportunity to learn from the likes of Eoghan and Brian Malone and Simon Donohue.
"Brian has had a hugely successful inter-county career, he made 160 or 170 appearances for Wexford or something amazing like that, that’s phenomenal.
"For a lot of that though the club wouldn’t have been successful in hurling or football and it’s only in the last four or five years that’s success has arrived.
"There’s no question about Brian’s hunger and his leadership qualities are second to none. Eoghan coming into, obviously that is massive too."
Some of that success has already arrived this season with Shelmaliers storming to the Division One title with a 7-12 to 0-16 win over Crossabeg-Ballymurn.
Malone, a noted half-back, played inside and dove-tailed beautifully with O’Gara, helping himself to a hat-trick in the process. This weekend will see the start of another journey that the club hopes will end with silverware at the final destination.
O’Gara is not the only Dublin All-Ireland winner playing his trade in a different jurisdiction currently.
His 2011 team-mate Kevin Nolan, Player of the Match in the famous breakthrough win over Kerry, is currently lining out for Cremartin in the Monaghan Intermediate Championship.
Nolan is captain of the Shamrocks side and although they have lost all three group games, their combined losing tally has been just nine points.
For O’Gara, he’ll be hoping his new championship surroundings has better luck on the results front.
