On 6th December 2009 Dermott Monteith died and it closed the chapter of a remarkable character. Love him or not, as there were plenty of each, but you cannot deny his cricket brilliance as he was undoubtedly amongst the best of Irish bowlers, perhaps the greatest.
On a personal note, I may not have loved him, but he was the most engaging cricketer I ever met, and I’m pleased we shared a warm and codial friendship for over 30 years. Statistics barely scratched the face of a remarkable individual with an inborn confidence that few equaled.
Dermott believed in himself and of course, he was arrogant, but his ambition took him into another level from mere mortals. His arrogance and attitude didn’t win friends with many others, but typically, he never craved friendship and shrugged it off as ‘you like me or not.’ It didn’t matter to him. Monty was different, very different. That became very clear when he wrote his Autobiography-it could have been “My Way", but he chose “A Stone in the Glasshouse".
It was published in 2003 and I re-read it recently and it tells a story of what he wanted, and although wasn’t quite warts and all, it covers his favourite friends, clubs, tours, opponents and officials. As John Elder said in his Foreword ‘the whole story was ‘untold for a variety of reasons.’ Dermott declined the help of his wife Ellen to edit, but it was "My Way" throughout.
We have all the statistics these days, and his phenomenal performances at every level were exceptional. but it was interesting to hear from the ‘horse’s mouth’ in his book.
At least he was right in the first paragraph when he said, ‘The book is mostly about me.’ However, that’s what an Autobiography is all about!
The book includes hundreds of people he met, but perhaps unusual that he omitted most of his family. As expected, he spoke on his ‘Influences’ and credits Lisburn teammates Cecil Walker and Michael Bowden, Michael Reith, Jack Shortt, Roy Torrens, and Des Cashell. In his “Early years” he talks about playing rugby and cricket at Inst, and a one-year spell at Queen’s University. The reason he left was because he wasn’t awarded a ‘Blue’ after missing a game. I’m not sure about that. We never knew whether it was academic, or results, but he said he left the club in - ‘a fit of pique.’ It was strange because he scored the most runs, took the most wickets and topped the averages. We wonder why?
Perhaps he was a home boy. Dermott’s heart was at Wallace Park and he loved Lisburn. The team was packed with international players, and they won a plethora of trophies.
I love the story of Lisburn Umpire Billy Tayloy when Lisburn beat Waringstown in a cantankerous close match and after the game Billy remarked “Jez Bowdie, we beat them!” It was overheard by Roy Harrison and war started. Billy was a stalwart at Wallace Park and Dermott said his LBW decisions were dubious, but not cheating. Subsequently, Clubs stopped using ‘local’ Umpires who were involved in a match.
Over the years Dermott learned his trade and flattered umpires.
Dermott loved sport and played cricket and rugby at Senior level, played amateur football and table-tennis league. He was also a good golfer but never joined a club. His biggest problem was fitness, as he hated training, and at the time cricket was very social so Dermott made the most with drinking and late-night revelry.
I toured with him in South Africa with the Ulster Grasshoppers in 1981 and he was the hub of activities on and off the field. The same could be said on MCC tours and MCC Captain John Hamshire on one of those tours later said he was ‘a hell of a man!’ However, MCC Secretary Colonel John Stepherson thought different after Dermott’s misdemeanor with a young lady at an event that was hosted by Sir Charles Rankin at his home! Perhaps, that should be omitted from the book, but Dermott thought otherwise and dismissed the well-worn cliche that “what happens on tour stays on tour!”
The saddest chapter of Dermott’s life happened 40 years ago when he walked home from the rugby club and was knocked unconscious by a hit-and-run motorist. It was a cold, icy night and a miracle that he recovered after a series of operations and many months in hospital. It ended his sporting career and his business. The mystery behind the circumstances simmered for many years as no motorist was ever found and perhaps amazing that Dermott never held bitter about the motorist. Very strange, given the horrendous injuries that ended his cricket career and business.
Dermott always fancied himself as a writer and published Ulster Sports Illustrated magazine and wrote some articles for press. The magazine failed and ironically, he found his cliché as an Irish selector and President of the Irish Cricket Union. He published his Autobiography, perhaps as an ego trip, as writing an Irish cricket book does not produce much remuneration no matter how interesting his achievements were. Despite that he felt he might be offensive, it wasn’t controversial and perhaps he denied his strongest asset as a writer because he was never short of an opinion.
His drinking and smoking never stopped and he spent most time watching TV in latter years. His good buddies Cecil Walker and Michael Bowden slowly reduced their visits to his home, and Cecil told me not to visit as he wasn’t the person he was in the past.
His death came as no surprise, but I will always remember him as a brilliant cricketer and great company on and off the pitch. And what a character!
Rest in Peace Monty.
JCH
