Following the recent Amsterdam Marathon, rest and recovery was well overdue and as much as the body needed a break, so too did the keyboard. To help bridge the gap, guest blogger and old friend Eric Brannigan takes over, for one blog only!
Now I’m not much of a blogger (unlike Trevor Cummins) but here goes!
My older sister Ger likes to recall every now and then how Trevor used to call to our house on West View and look innocently up at whoever answered the door and ask “is Eric comin out?” He could barely reach the knocker but reach it he did. More often than not it was my mother who answered the door. Now I was Sheila’s only boy and not everyone who called to the door for me was deemed suitable company for yours truly but shur she couldn’t say no to Trevor, innocent as could be. He had her at hello! Inevitably in those days “out” meant crossing the road to a bobbly, nettle-infested patch of grass known locally as “The Plant”. It has since become a park for tourists to listen to the Bells of the Cathedral (and now and again for local young ones & young fellas to have a few cans and have the odd shift!)
Back then we had as little interest in the young ones and cans as we did in the bells! Now, bobbly and nettle-infested The Plant may have been but for us it was literally a field of dreams. It was Anfield, Old Trafford, Colmans Park and even Selhurst Park (Cummins fancied himself as the next Vinnie Jones – he hid those qualities well from my Ma!). It was in the Plant that we lived out fantasies of FA Cup Finals, World Cups and played the most intense games of ‘nods & volleys’ imaginable…so intense in fact that one poor young lad got knocked clean out when he was on the receiving end of a particularly sweet volley…a story for another day.
It was in those games that Trevor’s competitiveness first came to the fore. He was though a bit of a Mammy's boy (ahem…Pot/Kettle!). Trevor was a bit fond of running round the corner to Mammy Phil on Midleton Street when he was on the receiving end of a bit of stick! None the less there was a crew of us there including myself, Trevor and Aaron Mansworth and really sport brought us together, we just loved it, despite the drama it caused! In spite of the age gap we all got on, Trevor was very enthusiastic in those days, infectiously enthusiastic, particularly about sport. I was a few years older than Trevor so we never played competitive sport together growing up but I remember well watching him play soccer with Springfield. He came up with a group of very good young players including Graham Wilshaw, Shane Brennan, Shane Cronin and Barrie Hastings. Trevor wasn’t as talented as those guys back then but he got on just fine….why? Enthusiasm, dedication and hard work…. watch this space.
As the years went on Trev and I did our own thing but always remained friends. I remember in or around the early ‘00’s I started playing a bit of soccer with Cobh Wanderers Junior team. They were being managed by Jamie Cullimore at the time and coached by Mossie Mahony, an excellent physical trainer with a no nonsense attitude. Mossie's sessions were tough but very enjoyable. Two things stand out for me about those sessions, the first was Trevor's attitude, he absolutely tore into it. The second is how his approach brought on my fitness levels no end, he was a great training partner.
I remember well one session in particular, Mossie had us doing these squares… Jog, Run, Sprint, building in intensity, it was tough going but great training. At that time Derek Barret was on the Cork Senior Hurling team and he was playing a bit of ball with us in the off-season to keep fit and fit he was. Barrett's a sound man but competitive…very competitive, I learned that from playing Gaelic football with him for years. Anyway this session was going on and it was the type of stuff that would sort the fit lads from the not so fit fairly quick. Towards the end of the session I was just about holding on to the front group with Trevor and Derek setting the pace. I clearly recall coming round a corner on the last set and Derek was in between myself and Cummins.
As I said, Derek was competitive and he gave myself and Trevor a friendly ‘nudge’ just at the corner, this was enough to knock me off my stride and that was it…I was gone, not Cummins though, not a hope. Trevor just upped the gear and caught up with Derek in time to finish neck and neck, serious going given Derek's fitness level. The grit was there along with the intensity and no fear of hard work, he was flying. Not long after Trevor was in the Wanderers Senior first team and rightly so. There were better players than him up there but very few had a better attitude, intensity, hard work and enthusiasm were his key attributes.
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| Eric, Trevor + Aaron - Photo by Larry Cummins, Evening Echo |
Now before I get too carried away, he’s far from perfect! Trevor spent a few years where he was a bit too fond of the beer! During that time Trev developed an intense disregard for your personal space… he could scourge you….Jesus, could he scourge you! Trevor could burn your ear off, regardless of your level of interest. The subjects were as wide ranging as Chelsea, Jose Mourinho (he does a good impersonation), German Industrial Techno, David Bowie, any fuckin racehorse you care to mention, even the GAA….! I found that one the hardest, Trevor waxing lyrical to me about the GAA!
I have to admit there were one or two nights I met Trev after a few pints when I felt a little uncomfortable. It definitely was intense and as for the hard work, well he was hard work at times I can tell you!! About two years ago or thereabouts Trevor made a decision to change his lifestyle. I’ve no doubt meeting and settling down with his partner Vicki and the arrival of their first son Alfie had a role to play but it was ultimately Trevor's decision. He decided to return to what he loved…competitive sport, not just sport, the competitive aspect is key. It has to be intense there has to be a challenge.
Trevor's commitment to his decision is quite simply inspirational. He has achieved so much in such a short space of time through sheer dedication and hard-work, needless to say he was fairly intense when it came to doing the work. The last twelve months in particular has seen Trevor rub shoulders with seasoned athletes all over Munster on both track and road. Trevor performed admirably along the way including a near podium finish in the 5,000m county final this summer. Trevor has made many friends and attracted many admirers along the way, non more so than the great Sonia O’Sullivan who can no doubt easily recognise his work ethic and commitment to his goals. On Sunday 18th October 2015 Trevor towed the start line of the Amsterdam Marathon.
The goal was straightforward, no ambiguity… go round the course in under 3 hrs. A little under 2 hours and 58 minutes later he crossed the line, Job done. I know Trevor was very proud to wear the Ballymore Cobh AC colours on the day, in turn the club should be very proud of having amongst their number a man of the calibre of Trevor Cummins. Not because he runs good times but because he sticks to his goals, he doesn’t take the easy option, he does the work and backs himself on the day. Very few will run sub 3 hour marathons, anyone can work as hard as they can and commit to a goal, that’s Trevor's legacy, that’s why he’s so valuable to his club. I’m sure Trevor was a very proud man crossing the line in Amsterdam. I’d wager he was proud of his club, his family, his coaches, friends and fellow athletes for their help and support along the way.
Most of all I hope he was proud of himself. He utterly deserved his result; I know I was very proud of him. The intensity, hard work and enthusiasm Trevor displayed all those years ago over in “The Plant” stood him in good stead after all & long may it last. I know for a fact that Trevor employed a positive selfishness in his preparation for this marathon. On that note a massive mention should be given to his ever patient partner Vicki for putting up with him along the way, behind every man & all that craic….!!! I might call round to his house during the week and ask Vicki if Trevor is allowed “out” for a game of nods and volleys! I better leave him win, if I don’t he might go running round the corner to Mammy Phil and rat me out & I could just do without that grief at my age!!
Well done Trevor, onwards and upwards.
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