Kiladangan captain Paul Flynn lifts the Dan Breen Cup. Photograph: Bridget Delaney

Paul Flynn thrilled to play part in making history

 

By Shane Brophy

When John McGrath slotted the 81st minute 65 through the posts, the few notes Kiladangan skipper Paul Flynn had in his gear-bag would have been destined for the bin rather than the sight of day.


Yet, they were rescued by a moment of magic from Bryan McLoughney to send the players and supporters into ecstasy and allow Paul Flynn the honour of being the first Kiladangan man to lift the Dan Breen Cup.


“I can’t believe it,” said the skipper who score seven points from play in the epic game. 
“It will hit home when we get back home and meet all the friends in Puckane. There will be a few tears shed with people so happy and what it means for the club is something else. I’m just delighted to be a part of it and help make history for Kiladangan.”


Flynn admitted he thought it was another final defeat when Loughmore got their noses in front with time almost up.


“Your stomach sinks and you are sick to your teeth,” he said.
“But cometh the man again, Joe Gallagher and that catch, and then Bryan McLoughney off the bench, things weren’t going his way early on, but gets 1-2 to win us a county final. Your bench does tell and he was so fresh because some of us were dead to the world.”


When Kiladangan would finally win their first county senior title, it was never going to come easily as they had to come back from a number of set-backs but they were always able to keep the scoreboard ticking over.


“Early on, it was a sickener to concede those goals because we haven’t been conceding them,” Flynn added.
“People say they might have an old full forward line but we weren’t taking them for granted coming into the game because they were after doing loads of damage coming into the game and they did a good bit of damage early on again today.
“We got going coming up to half time. Half time came a bit soon for us because we were still two down but I knew we had it in us because we were getting our scores and getting good scores.
“We still believed and believed and at some stages you would think it was gone from you, there is no point in denying that.”