The enchanting stardom and mystique of David Clifford
The Kerryman is transcending county bounds not like many before him.
There have been plenty of big stars and household names in the GAA before, but none have transcended club and county bounds quite like David Clifford has.
Everyone will have seen the clips from Portlaoise a couple of weeks ago as kids flocked to Clifford like a swarm of bees let loose from their hive at the final whistle of Fossa’s Junior Football Championship semi-final against Castletown.
One leg cocked over the guardrail, like a sprinter waiting for the gun to set off on a 100m chase, except it’s the referee’s whistle and if there was a foul replay, most of the kids would be getting flagged as they were half way across the pitch and the whistle had barely touched the ref’s lips.
What’s mad is a huge majority of those kids weren't from Kerry. They’re just hooked on the phenomenon that is David Clifford.
It’s a remarkable power of stardom Clifford wields, and what makes it all the more special is the accessibility the amateur nature of the game offers to kids who emulate the forward on the playground or in their back garden, with ratty old nets holding on for dear life.
Whether he’s kicking ball for his club all the way to All-Ireland accolades, his county—as he will be doing across the country in a few weeks time—or his college, as he swanned gracefully around collegiate pitches for UL in years past in front of a few hundred awestruck spectators, there’s a remarkable amount of ease and accessibility to getting up close and in prime viewing position of arguably the most enchanting athlete in Irish sport at the moment.
There’s many things that make Clifford special, not least is supreme talent, his gracefulness with ball in hand, and his penchant for winning, but what enhances his mystique was the fact everybody knew he’d be really good before he ever entered the senior ranks, and he still exceeded expectations.
An All-Ireland winning trailblazer with Kerry, a club champion with Fossa, a string of personal accolades and all at just 23. Not only should be not be anywhere near his prime yet, he’s already achieved everything that there is to win with club and county. He’s playing with house money for the next 10 years in a path to craft a CV fit for potentially the greatest to ever kick a size five.
As the curtain comes down on his club commitments, it’s over to county action again as Kerry embark on defending their All-Ireland title. That means spreading the gospel of Cliffordball to Ballybofey, Castlebar, Omagh, Salthill, and, of course, the lucky populate of Tralee, Killarney and surrounds.
While league action mightn’t sound too enticing in the ice and rain of this time of year, the chance to see a live glimpse of David Clifford will pull a few stragglers out, and undoubtedly plenty of starstruck kids and their more reluctant parents.
If the GAA could bottle and sell the stardom Clifford holds in the palm of the hand, they’d be a very wealthy organisation. Kids would be screaming for it at Christmas, while Logan Paul’s Prime drink gathered dust on the shelves.
To Clifford, he seems humble and not hugely overawed by the power he swings in his left and right boots. His post-match interview after Fossa got the better of Stewartstown Harps this weekend as the red mist descended towards the closing minutes was refreshingly calm and warm for a man who himself had just seen the red card.
Clifford takes it all in his stride. He probably doesn’t see himself as the shining star so many around the country do, but as he takes it all with a large dollop of humbleness, the emulators and dreamers will be able to get up close and bask in the glare for many years to come.