By Kieran Lynch

“I HAD a great time, and I loved every minute of it. As I’ve been saying to everyone recently, it’s just something that I dreamt of doing all of my life,” reflected Down football legend Kevin McKernan, having retired after 16 seasons of unwavering commitment and service to his beloved county.

A stalwart of the Red and Black, McKernan was able to do something that not many get to do, as he lived out his childhood ambitions, having played 50 Championship games, including the All-Ireland final in 2010.

“In the past week or two, I’ve sort of had questions in my head like, ‘did I enjoy it as much as I should have at the time?’ But I think I did. I loved inter-county football,” said McKernan.

“I loved the opportunity to train with the best players and coaches in Down, and it made me the best version of myself that I could be as a footballer, and as a person.

“My dad (Brendan) played on the Down team in ’91 and was involved in a very special team that won the All-Ireland. That gave me a serious ambition to go and try to emulate that.

“Without winning an All-Ireland, I have always done what I set out to do and that’s very nice to be able to say – that for 15 years I was doing something that I absolutely loved doing.”

With so many matches played, and years tallied up, the Burren man won’t be short of fond memories when looking back at his Down career. But for McKernan, it’s not as simple as one or two particular matches that he reflects on with pride, but rather the entire journey, which allowed him to rub shoulders with the best footballers in the land.

“Probably the travelling all across the country, to play against the best players,” he said of the memories he will cherish most.

“There was a period where we were a Division One or Two team for seven or eight years, and you were playing week-in, week-out against Kerry, Dublin, Donegal, Tyrone, Mayo. Getting the opportunity to travel to Mayo and mark Aidan O’Shea or Lee Keegan, or going down to Kerry and marking David Moran – I just loved that aspect of it.

“In 2011, going to Australia to play International Rules was a great opportunity for me, and going and doing that was fantastic.

“(Another highlight was) the opportunity to play in so many big games in Croke Park for your county. Obviously, we came close to winning the All-Ireland in 2010, and we played in a few Ulster finals as well, which were great occasions in the Irish sporting calendar.”

Of course, it wasn’t to be for Down on that day in 2010, as they were bested 0-16 to 0-15 by Cork in the All-Ireland decider.

In the two Ulster finals which McKernan contested, Down came up short by 11 points against Donegal in 2012, and by eight points against Tyrone in 2017.

How does McKernan reflect on the fact that, whilst his career was very successful, he failed to claim an Anglo Celt or Sam Maguire medal?

“It was the reason every year, that I kept going back,” he said.

“We came very close in 2010, and it’s a huge regret that I didn’t get winning something with Down, but there is more to life than a medal. At the end of the day, it was something that you gave everything to try and do, and we fell short, but it wasn’t for the want of trying.”

Now at 34 years of age, McKernan can look forward to spending more time on his other passions. Whilst he will continue to chase Down Senior Championship titles with Burren over the next few seasons, he is preparing himself for his second life in football, as a coach.

A primary school teacher in St Ronan’s, Newry, McKernan is passionate about helping others and being a role model to his young daughters, Emily and Sophie, as well as his pupils.

If he can combine those traits with his excellent football brain, he will have a recipe for success on the sideline.

“I have a young family, and a job now that I really want to throw myself at, in terms of my teaching career, and coaching,” said McKernan, about the what future holds.

“I’m coaching the u-15s with my local club, as well as in my primary school. I want to develop as a coach, go and watch good coaches and learn from them, and I want to be the best coach that I can be.

“I want to help others, and my two young girls are at the forefront of that. I remember an article from Vinny Corey, and he said that it was so important for him that his children could see their father investing his time in something that was good for him, but was also bigger than him personally, because he was committing to something which was important for his entire community and his county.

“That’s the biggest thing for me – my girls understanding that yes, the commitment was big, but it was for something very special.

“If it’s a young person in Burren, or a young girl or boy in the primary school which I’m teaching in, who wants to go and pursue their dream, because they know that ‘Mr McKernan did that,’ or if it’s my own girls that they know that they can fulfil their talents and be the best versions of themselves.”

McKernan isn’t just optimistic about his own future, but also for the future of Down football. The 2022 season is one which Down will want to leave in the past, as they failed to win a game, in any of their Dr McKenna Cup, Allianz Football League, Ulster Championship or Tailteann Cup fixtures, but McKernan is in no doubt to the level of quality that lies within the county.

Derry’s recent success is an indicator of how quickly things can change in football, and with young talents like Liam Kerr, Andrew Gilmore and Ruairi O’Hare pushing through, who is to say that Down can’t turn things around?

“In 2009 we were beaten by Wicklow. A year later, we were playing in an All-Ireland final,” said McKernan, explaining that a team’s fortunes can change in the blink of an eye.

“You can close that gap very quickly; you have to look at the likes of Derry and Armagh as to what can happen if you can put together a sustained team for three or four years, but it could be done in one or two.

“I know myself from playing for Down of the calibre of football that’s there. That team who won an Ulster at u-20 is coming through, and I think that there are ambitious plans to try and get things in place for the development of future squads.

“I know that there are good footballers in Down and I know how committed they are and how dedicated they are. I have played with and against boys from Tyrone and Donegal, and these boys in Down are just as fit and as strong, and it’s about getting that togetherness there.

“James (McCartan) came in very late, and coming in late was a bad start for a team that needed development and training. So, I do hope that he gets that opportunity to push this next group of players on.”