Kilskyre left wondering what if
November 30, 2007
Intermediate hurling in Meath is sometimes frowned upon by its peers, but the players that take part in the campaign are pre-dominantly just as determined and committed as any club player in any grade.
Kilskyre captain Pa Baugh is one such hurler that has shown great dedication and determination over the years with little or no reward in terms of silverware. In fact, although Pa has been playing hurling all his life, he has never won a single medal, an amazing statistic for such a dedicated soul.
So what drives a player to continue training up to eight months of year, driving from one end of the county to the other for a league game, knowing that you may not have a team when you get there?
"I believe that we are good enough to win the intermediate championship and I suppose that is the main driving force. Take this year for example, if result went our way, we would have been in the final," said Pa.
"I'd love to win something in hurling and I know if the effort was put in by all the squad then we would go very close to winning the championship. There is not much separating any of the sides in the intermediate and results this year just go to prove that."
Pa's year did not get off to the best of starts as he broke his ankle in a league match and was out of action for almost three months, but to his credit battled back to fitness before the start of the championship.
"I was back in time for the first championship match against Kells. Maybe I did rush it a little, but the ankle didn't feel too bad and thankfully I didn't have many problems with it for the rest of the year."
For the 2007 campaign, Kilskyre opted to appoint a management team from within as former player Colm Lynch took over as manager, while current players Tommy Fox and Barry Smith were selectors.
"It didn't really work out last year, so the club tried a different approach and fair play to Colm and the lads, they did their best. However, some of the players didn't want to give the same commitment as others and that makes it difficult from the very start."
The first championship game was against near neighbours and fierce rivals Gaeil Colmcille ended in a draw. There has not been too much between the sides in recent years and Kilskyre could be happy with the draw.
"A draw was probably the fairest result that evening; both sides had the chances to win the match, but over all I think everyone was happy to get a point."
Wolfe Tones were the next opponents and this was a match that Kilskyre were expected to win with relative ease as the Kilberry outfit had been struggling with numbers all year. The two points were secured following a 0-9 to 0-4 win to continue their unbeaten run.
"We had three points from the first two games and knew that we had a very good chance of making the knockout stages of the championship. Kilskyre have some very good hurlers that would get on any team in the county, so we didn't really fear anyone."
Donaghmore/Ashbourne were also unbeaten when they met Kilskyre in the third round of matches. A win for either would see them top the group table and it was the south Meath side that triumphed by 1-12 to 1-7.
"Our season seemed to take a familiar look as we should have beaten Donaghmore. We had plenty of chances to win, but did not make them count and that proved costly."
With mixed numbers turning out for training, it was hard for Kilskyre to get any real momentum throughout the campaign, but this did not seem to reflect in their performances as they seemed to lift their game in each outing.
Championship favourites Clann na nGael were the last side that Lynch's charges wanted to face in their next out as Kilskyre were missing a number of key players for the match and in fact only had two substitutes on the day.
The black and amber showed their true fighting spirit against the Athboy/Rathcairn amalgamation outfit as they were more than a match for their opponents. The contest was evenly poised right down to the last few minutes, but Clann na nGael struck late scores to earn the win.
If ever a side needed a wake up call to the fact that they were good enough to win the intermediate, then this was surely it for Kilskyre. Minus a number of regulars they had come within a whisker of beating the favourites for the title and with one match remaining, a win would secure a place in the last four.
"I was away for the Clann na nGael match and we only had a couple of subs available that day. We shouldn't have lost any game in the championship, but we did and that is frustrating."
Nonetheless, Kilskyre had the opportunity to make amends in their last outing against Dunderry, who were in a similar position as a win would also see them through to the semi-finals.
In a bizarre twist of events, the result ended in a draw and with Gaeil Colmcille managing to annihilate Wolfe Tones in their last match, it meant that the Kells outfit went through by virtue of a one point better score difference and that Kilskyre and Dunderry were both out.
"A draw was no good to either side and it was disappointing to end the year in that way. There's no doubt that Kilskyre should have done a lot better, but we have been at the same level for the last few years. I know we're good enough to win it, we just need that extra lift."
Kilskyre are one of the few clubs in the county that have no underage structure in place and Pa believes that this is an area that must be looked at in the near future.
"The fact of the matter is that none of us are getting any younger and there are not many young players coming on. We are joined with Moylough at some levels of underage, but who will those lads play with when they get older. The club needs to start something in the schools and work from there."
So what of Kilskyre in the 2008 campaign, can they go that step further and reach their ultimate goal of winning the intermediate title for the first time since the early nineties.
"It will be tough for us next year as there are a good few lads in Australia at the moment and I don't know if they will be back for the championship. The likes of Joey Byrne, Terry Fagan, Philly Davis, Alan Smith and Tommy Fox are all in Australia and if they don't come back in time for the championship, we will be very short on numbers."
The club must also search for a new manager following Colm Lynch's appointment as Meath hurling selector for next year. This is a major honour for the club as Colm is the first person from North Meath to be involved with the Meath hurlers since Dessie Ferguson over two decades ago.
"Colm has done a great job with us and best of luck to him in his new role. Hopefully, we can get our act together and do well in the championship, we will keep trying anyway."
Most Read Stories