John Horgan must be considered one of best Brian Dillon's players of all time
Brian Dillon's John Horgan racing away from Bishopstown's Brian Dennehy. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Brian Dillon’s GAA club produced many great hurlers over many years but when the name of John Horgan is mentioned the word class is always associated with this outstanding hurler.
“The GAA was rooted in my family with my father Willie the All-Ireland Senior hurling referee of 1991 and my mother was an All-Ireland camogie winner from 1970 so playing was a natural thing from a young lad,” Horgan said.
Indeed, his mother Peggy played camogie with another northside club.
Naturally, the Street Leagues was the first taste of GAA for Horgan at Dillons, then run by club stalwarts Jamsie Corcoran, John O’Leary and Martin McDonnell.
“I started playing as a 10-year-old and at that time you could play U14, but you learned your trade playing against bigger lads and funny enough my first success was at U14 level where my father was manager with the late Brian Hanley.”
He played Harty Cup with Farranferris but unfortunately, a health problem spoiled his year.
“Canon O’Brien was our coach and we had very good players like Tom Kenny, Shane Murphy and John Gardiner but the year I was in Leaving Cert I picked up glandular fever.
“I missed out and I was also involved with the Cork minor team with John Considine and they went on to win the All-Ireland in 2001 but such is life I was happy for the lads.”
It wasn’t long before Horgan was elevated to Brian Dillon’s Junior team.
“It was in 2000 that I started playing Junior hurling but at that time football was the number one code at our club but we had a few stalwarts like Kenny Cotter and Tony Coomey."
They had been trying for years to win that illustrious city championship.
“In my first year, we won the McCurtain Cup and Millennium Cup and that was a big deal at the time as the hurling in the club was not used to success.”
Hurling was rejuvenated at the Tank Field.
“It gave us the impetus to go on and be formidable opponents at Junior level and before I retired, I ended up winning five city Junior A championships.”
There is one championship win that Horgan recalls with total pride.
The local rivalry with Mayfield was something special according.
“I think at the time our games against Mayfield attracted record attendances to Ballinlough but in truth it drove both clubs on as the standard was brilliant in all our clashes.”
On two occasions Brian Dillon’s lost county finals and Horgan believes they were opportunities missed in both deciders, especially against Kildorrery.
“We had defeated a brilliant Grenagh team in the semi-final and we went into the final against Kildorrery and the replay with a lot of confidence but despite leading in both games we failed to get over the line.
“Losing to St Catherine’s by a point after a replay in 2017 was a nightmare as we had the game in our hands and left it behind us and to be honest that was also hard to take.”
Horgan in many fans' opinion was one of the best strikers in Cork hurling for many years but his lack of success with his club is something he will always regret.
“I do not know was it a mental thing but to come so close on so many times as I think we lost eight city finals.
“On the teams I played with at Dillon’s you could break down in three categories as I came on to an ageing side and then from 2004 to 2012, we had players like my brother James, Mossy Carey and Brian Barrett.
“It was after that the really talented players like Darragh Rodgers, Cian McCarthy and Killian Brosnan to name few came through and suddenly we looked a formidable unit.”
Failing to win a county was something that eluded Horgan but his love for the game will always be in his heart.
“We had the players and God only knows how we fell short but look the lads on and off the pitch gave their all.”
Now residing in Whitechurch with his wife Emma and daughter Charlotte who plays with Rockbán, the name and skills of John Horgan will never be forgotten by the Brian Dillon’s faithful.
App?
