Dunboyne taste All-Ireland glory
November 30, 2009
The St Peter's Dunboyne under-14s enjoyed an all-conquering 2009, claiming the League, Championship and All-Ireland Féile. And it was success in the latter in July, coming six years after the county's previous Féile victory, which proved most satisfying. Team selector Brian Howlin spoke to Royal County.
Sometimes a group of players just come together, for whom little can go wrong. That seems to have been the case for the St Peter's Dunboyne under-14 side of 2009, which tasted success in every competition it entered, most notably the All-Ireland Féile Division 2 tournament hosted by Kildare in July.
The club had gone all the way to All-Ireland Féile success in 2003 and as if to prove that was no flash in the pan, they repeated the trick six years later. Not only that, but three of this year's winning panel had a fair idea what it meant to win the Féile - for James Hogan, Liam Kane and Eamonn J. Gilligan, their older siblings Stephen, Christopher and Kevin respectively had been part of the triumphant class of '03.
The management team was made up of Donal O'Neill, his number two Brian Howlin and fellow selectors Bernard Sheridan, Adrian Carolan and Tom Hogan - father of James and Stephen. For Howlin, the experience was almost incomparable, as everything came together on a hectic weekend in Kildare culminating in a final victory over Cuala of Dublin at the county grounds in Newbridge.
"It was absolutely unbelievable," he told Royal County. "All joking aside, those three days really were an incredible experience for everyone involved. The atmosphere was electric, people became very, very close and everyone got on really well. The Féile is a very difficult tournament to win. It takes place over three days, it's two halves of 15 minutes so you have to hit the ground running in every game. It takes a lot of luck to win it out but to be fair to our lads, they are an absolutely great bunch. They were disciplined, they were focused, they trained very hard."
The weekend got under way against host club Castledermot on Friday, July 3rd and it was clear from the early stages that the Kildare lads were no match for their Meath counterparts, with St Peter's eventually running out victors by a margin of 19 points (3-11 to 0-1). The following day saw an early start for Dunboyne's players and mentors, with a 6.30am alarm clock call before the journey across the county for two more group matches.
"It must be said that Castledermot were a great host," says Brian. "The parents and mentors stayed at the Killerig Hotel while the lads were all put up with host families in Castledermot and they really were brilliant. If there was a difficulty, though, it is that Kildare is a fairly spread out county and our games on Saturday were in Staplestown at the other end of the county. We had an early start but luckily enough things worked out well."
Buoyed by their convincing win over Castledermot the evening before, the Dunboyne lads were not fazed by the dawn start and 9.30am throw-in against Kildare Féile champions St Kevin's of Staplestown. The first half was evenly matched with just two points between them at the break but St Peter's held their opponents scoreless after the interval to post a convincing 0-7 to 0-1 success. That result meant a winner-take-all encounter with Silverbridge Harps of Armagh in the group's final game shortly after midday. With both sides having won their opening two fixtures, the victors would be assured of a place in the semi-finals, and again Dunboyne would not be denied. The pattern of their victory over St Kevin's was repeated: the sides were tightly matched after the first half, with a scoreline of 0-3 apiece suggesting that the game would go right down to the wire. But that was reckoning without Dunboyne's by now habitual second half surge, and for the second successive game they shut the opposition out in the second 15 minutes, coasting to success on a 1-8 to 0-3 full-time score.
The prize was a place in the last four against Antrim's O'Donovan Rossa, scheduled to take place at Johnstownbridge at 6.30pm that evening - fully 12 hours after that longest day had started for the Dunboyne tyros. Mindful of the need for some rest and recuperation, the management team took the enlightened decision to spend time in a blacked-out room at the Marriott Hotel in Enfield. Howlin explains: "The lads been on the go all morning and they knew they had another big match that evening, so we stopped off at the Marriott. We had some lunch and then we brought everyone into a relaxation room. It was jet black in there - you couldn't see your nose. There was soft music. The lads lay down and they all fell asleep for an hour. After that we prepared for the game against O'Donovan Rossa by having motivational talks and speeches."
In the event, the stopover worked a treat - even if St Peter's trailed by one to O'Donovan Rossa at the break (1-2 to 1-1) having enjoyed the advantage of the breeze. But the Meath lads had reached this stage by turning in exceptional second half performances in every one of their games and with the final in their sights, they produced another blitz on the turnaround to the delight of the parents and supporters who had made the trip from south Meath. Among their crucial scores was a goal from the penalty spot taken by Ryan Davis, who withstood the pressure of being asked to retake his kick after the referee had spotted an infringement.
A children's disco took place in the Killerig on the Saturday night but with a final against Dublin's Cuala to look forward to on Sunday morning, the lads were safely tucked up in bed early - unsurprising, really, given the longevity of their epic Saturday.
Roll on the decider at the county grounds in Newbridge. Again Dunboyne struggled to hit top gear in the first half, at the end of which they trailed by double scores (0-4 to 0-2). Mentally, however, they had been here before, and the second half held no fears for the St Peter's lads. Points from Simon Clarke and Ryan Davis into the wind levelled matters while Shane Cumiskey and captain Steven Brown started to mop up possession around the middle third of the field. That dominance provided the platform for scorer-in-chief Davis to tag on three more points and break Cuala's resistance. Astonishingly, for the third time in four games the Dunboyne lads kept their opponents scoreless after the interval, with the final scoreline reading 0-7 to 0-4 in their favour.
Cue a great night's celebrations. "We had great support from the parents over the whole weekend," says Brian, "but it seemed like the whole club came down for the final. After we won the final we stopped off in the Glenroyal Hotel in Maynooth for a while and we then had a Garda escort back to the clubhouse in Dunboyne. It was an unforgettable weekend."
The Dunboyne panel which lifted the All-Ireland Feile Division 2 title in July was: Keith Doyle, Sean O'Neill, Ronan Dunne, Ryan Davis, Gary Harper, Andrew Markey, Eamonn J Gilligan, Cathal Meehan, Mark Sheridan, Shane Comiskey, Sean McGrath, Jordan McLoughlin, Gavin Ryan, Seamus Lavin, Daire Boylan, Liam Kane, Steven Brown (Captain), Andrew Creevey, Conor Finn, Killian Smith, Tiernan Buckley, Andrew Hemryck, Ben Carolan, James Hogan, Simon Clarke.
Tom Hogan, Donal O'Neill, Brian Howlin, Adrian Carolan, Bernard Sheridan formed the management team while special mention too must go to the waterboys for the weekend, Daniel Howlin and Niall Carolan.
Certainly able to 'Hackett'
2009 was very much an up and down year for Meath captain and Dunboyne talisman Neil Hackett. The high of climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand to lift the Nicky Rackard cup was tempered somewhat by the disappointment of a heavy defeat in the Meath Senior Hurling final against Kildalkey. By David Sheehan.
The 25 year-old admitted it had been a topsy-turvy season. "Yeah, it definitely was. Taking the county first, we started back in January, we trained hard and we set our goal out to win every game. We got to the league final and we were beaten by Kildare up in Cavan in May (Meath lost by 2-18 to 1-18). That was a bit of a blow but our main objective for the year was to go on and win the Nicky Rackard Cup in Croke Park and we did that. As far as the club went, Johnny Murray (manager) was the new man in and we were all very focused. We decided we were going to have a right crack at the championship, and it all went fairly well, we won every game we played but then in the final, look, Kildalkey just completely outshone us on the day. It was just one of those days where everything clicked for Kildalkey and nothing went right for us."
Fair to say then, that defeat in the final, took a lot of getting over? "Oh definitely yeah, I mean you can win medals with your county or whatever, but everything comes back to the club, the club is what counts. So for a week or two after the final it was serious depression but sure life goes on. Aren't we lucky to be able to get up for work in the morning and get on with life!" Amen to that.
The margin of that final defeat surprised most hurling followers in the county. A tight, hard-fought battle was expected, especially given that Dunboyne had already beaten their final opponents in the group stages earlier in the summer. "We had beaten Kildalkey in the league and in the group by a point, but form goes out the window in a county final."
Even three weeks after the final, having had time to think about it, Hackett finds it hard to put his finger on what went wrong in Páirc Tailteann that day. Still seeming a little baffled by Dunboyne's poor showing, he says of the final: "Every one of us were focused, maybe the occasion got to one or two of us but you can't take away from Kildalkey, they were awesome on the day. I can't say exactly what went wrong, everything leading up to the final was positive, everyone was in good form. It was just a day when everything went for them and nothing went for us, what can you say?"
Still, every cloud and all that. Winning the Nicky Rackard with Meath must have made up in some part for Dunboyne's woes? "Yeah true enough, it did. Going up to Croke Park with you club mate - there's just myself and Paul Fagan from Dunboyne on the team and we're good friends - so going up with family and friends there, walking up the Hogan Stand and lifting the cup, it was great. It was my first time playing in Croke Park, so it was a great experience. There were only a couple of hundred people there, I'd just love to play there when there's a full house to see what the atmosphere is like and test yourself in that environment, but a day in Croke Park, and to captain the team - it was an absolute honour."
As great a day as that was, there was no denying that anything less than winning the Nicky Rackard would have been disappointing for Hackett and his colleagues, something which he freely admits. "That was our goal - we set out to win this and nothing was going to stand in our way, and thankfully that's how things worked out."
So, the Christy Ring Cup next year - consolidation or progression? "I think we'll be going all out to win it, I see no reason why not - we have the players, we have a good structure in place, we have good support from the county board and we have a trainer in from Tipperary (Paddy Williams) who we had this year and who was very good. If all the players make themselves available I see no reason why we can't go on and win it."
Do you think that it's important for a county like Meath to have a coach from a traditional hurling county, and what's more, was Williams surprised by the level of ability in Meath, given that most people outside of the county would perceive Meath to be weak in the small ball code? "Paddy was a new face and a new voice, he played with Tipperary and we look up to lads like that, he has come in and done a great job. He knows the game inside out and he knows that it takes to win. You have to admire and respect him, coming down for training every Tuesday and Thursday, and at weekends too. As far as the talent in the county goes, I told him that there were good hurlers in Meath, some aren't making themselves available but that's their decision, but we've lads in there who are all good stick men, good hurlers. Paddy was really impressed with them, he couldn't believe the skill we had. There a couple of more lads out there who, if they made themselves available, would be great additions to the team and panel."
One wonders why players are choosing not to line out with the hurlers, with participation in the Liam McCarthy Cup arguably within touching distance - is it a lack of interest in lining out for the hurlers, or a primary commitment to football? "I think it's a bit of both" says Hackett "some aren't interested; some are dual players so that (committing to both) would take a lot out of them. Let's face it, Meath is a football county, but every county has it's share of talented hurlers so you just have to get on with it and make the best of it."
On the whole then Neil, you're confident that with the players Meath have, you can give it a good crack next year and maybe make the breakthrough back into the top tier competition? "Oh I really think we can, I see no reason why not. We'll get back into training in January and we'll knuckle down, give the Kehoe Cup a rattle then get stuck into the league. Then it'll be the Christy Ring in the summer and that'll be the real test for us."
What of Dunboyne, a lot of people were talking about how it had been 57 years since Kildalkey had won a senior championship, but Dunboyne haven't won it since 1914. "That's right - 95 years. It's in the back of the head every day, it has been a long time, but all we can do is look forward to next year. We've a couple of lads in their thirties, and then a heap of young lads, so it counts mixing the young with the old. We've Johnny Murray there as coach so hopefully he'll be around next year and we'll give it a serious rattle."
On a personal note, in a club better known for it's football team down the years, was hurling always the first love? "I stopped playing football around 16 and concentrated on the hurling. My father Jim is from Borrisokane in Tipperary and I've plenty of uncles and aunts down there who I am very close to and I get down to most weekends. Growing up, at four or five I always had hurl in my hand and I've been in love with it since, so it's definitely my first love."
It's clear from speaking to Hackett that he is very passionate about hurling in Meath and raising both the standard and, with that, the profile of the sport in the county. It is also clear though, that to progress to the next level, a county like Meath needs every player good enough to represent to county to make themselves available. But as Hackett says, he and the rest of the Meath panel will make the best of what they have, and if that group can apply themselves in 2010 as they did in 2009, maybe the Dunboyne man will get to perform in Croke Park in front of more than just a few hundred people before his career is finished.
Camogie U14 Championship 2009
The U14 Championship commenced on Sunday 29th March 2009 when we played Dunderry in Rooske Road and won. Our next match was on Tuesday 14th April 2009 against Killyon in Killyon which we won comfortably. Our most closely contested match was against Kilmessan. This match took place in Kilmessan on Wednesday 29th April 2009 but once again our girls came through with a victory.
Next up was Blackhall Gaels in Batterstown on Wednesday 27th May 2009 which we won also. We were unbeaten going into our semi-final which was played in Rooske on Monday 8th June 2009 against Boardsmill. Yet again our girls were victorious and into another final. This was a great boost for us and jazzed up the squad as we headed to Féile Laois / Offaly 2009.
The final was fixed for Saturday 27th June 2009 against Kiltale in Donaghmore Ashbourne.
As we had played and beaten them in the U13 final on 23rd November 2008, we knew they were going to be a great side and they lived up to our expectations. It was a closely contested game with girls from both sides digging deep and putting on a display of some excellent camogie skills.
In the second half, Kiltale piled on the pressure, but with both Lisa Carroll and Chloe Coyne working like Trojans in the middle of the field, Aoife Slevin holding centre half back and Ellie Burke commanding the full back line putting in a 'Player of the Match' performance, Dunboyne held strong and at the final whistle this bunch of girls had added the U-14 Championship title to their names.
Appropriately, the afore-mentioned Ellie Burke, our Captain, received the U-14 trophy and also the 'Player of the Match' award.
Feile na nGael - Laois/Offaly,
19th - 21st June 2009
On Friday 19th of June a panel of 23 girls got on a bus to make their journey to Coolderry in Co. Offaly to represent St. Peters Dunboyne in camogie Feile na nGael. We were hosted by Coolderry where we given the warmest of welcomes.
After arriving and meeting host families the girls got ready to play their first match. We played our first game at 2pm against our host team Naomh Brid Coolderry. Unfortunately the girls never really got going but still only lost by a single point.
Later that evening the girls met up to go St. Brendan's Park in Birr for the Feile Parade, after which returned to their host families.
On Saturday the girls played their second match at 10am in Carrig, against St. Cillians. The girls had returned to their true form having a convincing win over a very strong camogie team.
After a short rest the girls played their third match at 1.15pm against Cavan having another good win.
It was very unfortunate and disappointing that the girls so narrowly missed out on a semi final.
The girls had a very memorable weekend and enjoyed every moment of it. They represented their club and county great pride and enthusiasm. We as mentors were extremely proud of them.
Also we would like to thank our sole sponsor Martin Donnelly, he made the weekend a very special experience for the 23 girls.
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