The inter-county season got underway for Kildare at the weekend as they took on last year's O'Byrne Cup winners Longford in Newbridge.
Due to varius reasons, Kildare manager Cian O'Neill had just 20 players for the game. So, he was glad to get an unexpected text from Eamonn Callaghan on Friday night.
Callaghan was just about to board a flight back to Ireland from Florida when he sent the message. He had been in the US for his honeymoon.
The Nass man arrvied back in Ireland just four hours before the panel met for the game. He took a place on the bench and ended up coming on for David Slattery.
O'Neill told Kildare Now about Callaghan's commendable commitment.
What can I say about Eamonn Callaghan?
The man came back from his honeymoon four hours before we met and text me last night to say 'my foot feels well, do you mind if I just warm up and get a run out?' I said absolutely, and he looked good in the warm up and we literally didn't have 21 players for a blood sub if we needed it.
I had a black card in my head, and not blood sub. I said if we get a black card, would you be ready to stand in if just to stop a short kickout? David Slattery gets his nose bust and he was ready to step up.
The game turned out to be an easy six-point win for Kildare.
O'Neill added that Callaghan's example is one from which all players should learn.
The lads need to learn from that. That man sent me a text last night before he jumped on a flight 4000 miles away to say he'd be ready and it just blew me away. I'm just raging that kick he had didn't go over the bar. It'd be a beautiful story.
Picture credit: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE
