Damian Casey wouldn’t have looked out of place in any team in any era of hurling according to one of his former managers.
Ulster and Antrim hurling legend Terence ‘Sambo’ McNaughton said he was, like much of the GAA community, still coming to terms with the news of the former Tyrone captain’s untimely death following an accident in Spain last weekend.
The former Antrim star managed Casey at Eoghan Ruadh last year before finding himself in the opposite corner this season when he was appointed as interim manager of Armagh hurlers.
Read more: Damian Casey vigil attended by hundreds as tragic Tyrone GAA star is remembered by club
The Orchardmen lost to Tyrone three times this season, including the Division 3A final in Owenbeg with the Dungannon ace hitting 1-10 to help the Red Hands secure promotion.
He’d go on to play a starring role, scoring 14 points, as Michael McShane’s men secured the Nickey Rackard Cup with a 1-21 to 0-19 win over Roscommon in Croke Park last month.
Before taking the reins at Dungannon, ‘Sambo’ managed St Enda’s Glengormley to an Ulster Intermediate hurling title in 2019 when they beat Eoghan Ruadh in a penalty shoot-out in Celtic Park.
Indeed, it was Casey’s nerveless free deep in stoppage-time that forced penalties with the Antrim side winning 1-0.
McNaughton said Casey was “a dream to work with” and said he was the player opposition managers feared most.
“I found him to be an absolute professional and an absolute gentleman. I’m not just saying that because he is no longer with us, I’m saying it because it is true,” said McNaughton.
“He was a dream to work with, he ticked all the boxes. He looked after himself, he was a leader and he could hurl. More often than not he turned up for you.
“If you were in the other dressing room, he was one of the main talking points from the opposition.
“Whenever St Enda’s played Dungannon in the Ulster Final, we spoke about how we’d cope with Damian.”
As fate would have it, McNaughton would go on to manage Dungannon for the 2021 season.
It was Damian Casey who led a delegation of Eoghan Ruadh clubmen to convince the Cushendall native to manage the Co Tyrone side.
After listening to the Eoghan Ruadh talisman for just a few minutes, McNaughton agreed to manage Dungannon.
“He was easy to coach, there was never any drama with him. Some fellas, if they aren’t playing well, it is always someone else’s fault,” added McNaughton.
“The news really shocked me. He was the one who convinced me to go down and manage Dungannon. Damian was the reason I ended up with Dungannon - I’d the utmost respect for him.
“He was a proper hurler. Damian wouldn’t have looked out of place in any team in any era.
“He was as good a free-taker and as nice a striker of the ball as you’d see. It is such sad news and he will leave a massive void behind.
“Damian was as good a fella as you’d ever want to meet. I’d have loved to have hurled with Damian Casey and I’d have loved to have managed him more.
"He was the real deal - I couldn’t speak highly enough of him.”
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