Carlow hurling captain Mark Brennan has admitted he and his players were glad to get through last Saturday's Christy Ring Cup test against Kildare after recent tragedies surrounding the camp. "It was nice to get the win alright considering we had a tough week with the deaths of Barry Sheenan and Mrs Campion and I'd like to offer the team's condolences to their families," said Brennan. Barry Sheehan, who died in a car accident the previous Monday, had won a Carlow Under 21 hurling championship medal with Naomh Brid in 2003, setting up Brennan for the winning goal in the final against Naomh Eoin. Mrs Campion was a sister of Carlow selector Martin Dermondy and an aunt of Adrian Dermondy, who is also involved in the county backroom team, while her son Sean is deeply involved with hurling and a member of the same backroom team. Both deaths came as a huge shock to the Carlow camp and Brennan is just glad that the team has prevailed with a place in the competition's final to lay for in three weeks. "They were very difficult conditions to play in and I think it was going to come down to whoever worked hardest against the breeze," he said. "We probably tired a bit in the second-half and were unlucky not to kill the game off with a couple of goal chances. But the honesty of effort was there and once you have that you'll go a long way to winning games. "We have a chance now to get the other technical things eight before the semi-final in three weeks' time." Tweet

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