Despite the fact he's still only 25, Donal Kissane is one of Kill's more experienced players. Now approaching his ninth year with the seniors, he believes 2008 offers a lot of promise. The days when seven-in-a-row Crosserlough lorded over everything on the Gaelic landscape in Cavan are long since gone. It's share and share (the glittering prizes) alike these days. Like the rest of the 39 clubs, Kill Shamrocks strive for the right to climb upon the winner's podium just once every so often. The idea of being serial winners is just too fantastical. Long-serving Shamrock Donal Kissane will step up to the plate for the ninth year at adult level in 2008. He embarks on yet another season in the green and white jersey with hope in his heart and no little expectation of winning his first ever medal at adult level. Despite the club's travails in '07 when a mixed bag of results was produced, Donal exudes great faith in the latent collective spirit, potency and ambition that dwells in Rathluden Park. Certainly those closest to the coalface are most convincing in talking up the club's chances what with the return of Conor, Brian and John McCarey to the fold for the coming year. "We were very unfortunate with injuries last year but we'll be able to regroup this year with the three McCareys and Marcus McGee (back from Australia) coming back. "Having those fellas playing this year will be like four new transfers and with the younger players having another year (2007) under their belts, we should have a lot stronger squad." Despite another barren year in the past season, there were games when the Shamrocks shook up the big guns who were most fancied to go the distance. Sadly demoralising and crucial defeats to the likes of Arva, Corlough and Kildallan tore the heart out of Kill's league campaign in '07. A better campaign in the offing then? "I think we have to try and hit the ground running because poor results early on wouldn't augur well for our chances in the championship. "If the league went badly for us early on, it would be hard to turn our form around for the championship so we have to aim to get as many wins under our belt as possible. "A few years ago we played one of the top teams, Shercock, in the first round of the league and beat them by a point and then we went on through the league unbeaten. "That sort of form in the league set us up well for the championship and we got to the quarter-final and only lost out to Cuchullains who went on and won the championship." Donal doesn't begin to underestimate the importance of doing well in the league and he accepts that a berth in division two may better facilitate a push for the IFC title. However he firmly believes that the quality of those among the top tier of teams in division three are at least on a par with those at the peleton in the race for championship honours. "Over the last few years we have given as good as we've got from teams who have gone onto win the intermediate championship or at least do very well in the competition. "I remember the team doing very well against Denn and Castlerahan and Ballinagh over the last couple of years and look what they've achieved since. "Our biggest problem has been our inconsistency where we'd have a great game one day and then a very poor one the next time we went out," explains the Dublin-based Kill man. Looking ahead to the coming year, Donal fingers a good run in the intermediate championship and promotion in the league as the ideal outcome at season's end. Having finished in a mid-table position in the league last year - with poor results against the Arva, Corlough and Kildallans of this world - Kill have a bit of ground to make up, he says. Indeed the Shamrocks' championship record in '07 was no less representative of the club's rollercoaster season with a defeat to Drumgoon, first time out, not helpful of course. "They beat us well on the scoreboard but I think their margin of victory flattered them in the end; we gave away a lot of scores and were our own worst enemies at times. "After that we played a bit better but still lost to Ballymachugh by a couple of points even though we had a lot of possession in the match. "Lucky enough, probably our best display of the year came in the play-off against Killinkere after that 'cause most things clicked into place for us. "If we had played all year the way we did against them (Killinkere) we'd have finished a lot higher in the league and went a good bit further in the championship." All told though, the 25 year old club stalwart says Kill Shamrocks' premier team "had no excuses in 2007" and basically got their due deserts for their "up and down" performances. But he's a glass half-full club member and he is looking forward to linking up with aces such as former senior countymen Conor McCarey and Pierce McKenna. "Both Conor and Pierce are probably at their peak and, as a team, we really should be at our peak now too 'cause we have the likes of younger fellas like Ray Magee and Sean Gaffney coming through. "I'm optimistic that we can come good this year because we're good as any of the teams in division three and we shouldn't fear anyone in the championship either." Donal is keeping his fingers crossed that he personally can complete the 2008 season injury free and that the team, collectively, will be given a break on that front too. He reckons that an injury-free ride for the Shamrocks could be the key that will unlock the type of silverware that has evaded the club since the JFC title was annexed in 1997. Ironically Donal came on board Kill's premier team in '98. Sadly his time has been marked by frustration on the playing fields at junior and intermediate grades. Still, his innings at underage level were much less frustrating and certainly far more rewarding. Donal actually achieved quite a lot personally on the football field while in his teens. As a student at St. Aidan's Comprehensive in Cootehill, he captained the school's senior team all the way to Markey Cup provincial glory - still the highlight of his career, he says. Elsewhere on the club front, he was fortunate enough too to have been part of the St. Finbarr's amalgamation side which claimed county honours. It's clear though that Donal is very much focussed on the future and, in his regard, on the near future too because he is all too aware of the sands of time and the finite nature of a footballer's career in these, intense, days in the world of Gaelic football. "I have had trouble with my hamstring over the last couple of years and the older you get the more prone you are to getting to injured and I'm conscious of that. "I was told by someone that club teams nowadays are training just as hard as county teams were maybe ten years ago and the gap between club and county training isn't that great. "Club players put in a serious amount of time and commitment into training and playing matches and sometimes players, because of work or miles on the clock can't give that time." Donal says Kill have a limited squad of players and were "down to the bare bones" last year at various stages of the season and he affords the team-management great credit. Donal - brother of fellow Kill gaels Eamonn and Barry - hopes they can lead the way for a new wave of Kill players. "It's very important for the underage players in the club that they see the senior team winning some trophies and if we can get a bit of luck and stay clear of injuries that will help us maybe win something this year. "Every team who plays against us this year will know that they've been in a match but winning is the thing. That's what it's all about." Tweet

Most Read Stories