O’Kelly pays tribute to united panel

By Shane Brophy

The first question put to Kilruane manager Liam O’Kelly was one a lot of people wondered come the end of the game, what did you say at half-time?

“There wasn’t a whole pile said,” he admitted, despite going in five points down and having been largely outplayed in the opening half by Kiladangan.

“I wanted to keep a calm changing-room. There’s no point lads losing the run of themselves when we were five points down.

“I knew we hadn’t hurled badly – just a few mistakes had cost us. If you make a mistake against a quality side like Kiladangan, they’ll punish you.

“It was very calm in there. I told them to sit down, change their tops and relax and then I went back in. I won’t lie to you. There wasn’t a cross word said. I made two or three positional changes, which I think worked in our favour.

“I can’t say enough about these guys. I’ve been driving the bus but they’re just phenomenal.”

O’Kelly pointed to Paidi Williams penalty save as being crucial in keeping his side in the game and highlighted the resolve within the playing group who were willing to do what ever it takes.

“There were two or three injuries that were knocking on the door,” he added in terms of bring able to play.

“Two or three didn’t train (during the week). My own son, Kian, didn’t do the warm-up in Dr Morris Park. I had a bike organised there on the side and I asked was he ready to go and he said he was. That’s the way these guys have been all year.

“Cometh the hour, Cian Darcy but it’s not about Cian Darcy. There are 35 guys in that changing room. That’s the way it is.”

When Liam O’Kelly was appointed manager at the start of 2021, optimism in Kilruane’s chances going forward was short, both in and outside the club, but O’Kelly, with the support of Christy Morgan and Brian O’Meara, have gelled together a united bunch, helped by no shortage of set-backs.

“I’m not originally from the parish and I’m not an expert on hurling but I’ve a group of guys in the changing room who I do know will go to war for me every day,” he said.

“The bond there is unreal. That’s why I had the moment there to remember Dillon Quirke and that tragedy in August.

“We’ve gone from strength to strength despite the following week losing Craig Morgan, our talisman player. We were written off but came back stronger. Craig was a massive loss but his loss inside the white lines was a massive gain for Liam O’Kelly outside the white lines. You saw there today he ran the line with me. His knowledge of the game – I wouldn’t have that basic knowledge of back play. He was instrumental.

“I’m from a rugby background. There’s a different dynamic in the game but I tried to implement some of what I know into hurling. Inside the white lines hurling is such a different game, the speed of it.”