Lawlessness and the GAA men who have it as a trait is the subject of Darragh Ó Sé's Irish Times column today.
Mick O'Dwyer, who first put the word in his head when talking about Pat Spillane, has it according to the six-time All-Ireland winner, as do Brian Cody, Davy Fitzgerald and Anthony Daly.
It's a characteristic which was also held by his uncle and former Kerry manager Páidí Ó Sé.
Darragh relates a tale from late in Páidí's time at the Kerry helm which epitomised his couldn't-give-a-damn attitude.
Around January 2003, just months after the Kingdom had lost the All-Ireland final to Armagh, the Kerry team were on a team holiday in South Africa.
Also at the same location on holiday were the Kilkenny and Dublin panels. After spying Brian Cody and Dublin manager Tommy Lyons across the pool, Ó Sé thought he would give his inter-county management counterparts some 'food for thought.'
We were out by the pool one of the days and Páidí was writing postcards. When he saw Cody and Tommy Lyons over at the far side of the pool, he got a glint in his eye.
“Are they looking over?” he asked.
“Sort of,” we said. “They’re not really looking anywhere in particular.”
And he got up from his seat and jumped in the pool. Still wearing his shorts, t-shirt, socks and runners. He swam a length and got out the far end, saluted the two boys and came back to his seat, the shirt, the shorts, the socks and the runners all dripping wet.
“Now,” he said. “That’ll give them food for thought.”
