Loughmore have had to improve - Kelly

By Shane Brophy

When I sat down with Eamonn Kelly to look ahead to Sunday’s County Senior Hurling final, you could nearly have reprinted the same interview from twelve months ago as Loughmore/Castleiney largely haven’t missed a beat in their route to this year’s final, that was until they lost their senior football title last Saturday.

“It has probably been a little bit more difficult doing it as county champions to be honest,” Kelly admitted last week.

“We felt if we did the same thing we wouldn’t get there so the boys have tried to raise the bar as best they can. We probably have a couple of more options off the bench.

“But we are back to where we were and face a tough task in the final against a Nenagh side who are showing very good form.”

So, what were the areas the Loughmore/Castleiney manager felt they had to go after off the back of winning the hurling and football double last year.

“We felt we had to go try and get another few gears in terms of fitness and develop the squad which we have done. We got the opportunity to play some of them in a championship game against Lorrha which was ideal.

“In terms of fitness, credit to Paul Treacy and Scart Ryan, they have them in good order. Touch wood, we haven’t had that many injuries to deal with. The guys are also very good to mind themselves in terms of recovery. They do anything that is asked of them.”

There is one change from this time last year with Aidan Stakelum moving on as coach to get involved with his native Holycross/Ballycahill but they did secure a quality successor in Waterford’s Donal O’Rourke who worked with the Cork senior hurlers over the last three years.

“It’s completely different, which is great and the lads love that variation,” Kelly said of the change in coach.

“We also have Hughie Hannon, he came in to cover Donal when he was involved with Cork, and the lads had great time for him so we have the two of them now.

“When the two lads come with a session plan, it is at full pace and is varied. Donal is all about hurling and getting the ball moving fast.

“Aidan was tactically the best coach I have ever seen as he knew every team and every player and was able to set up accordingly which spooked me a little going into the semi-final because I knew how good he was at finding any holes we had.

“Players love variation, and they have had two very good coaches.”

The Mid Championship quarter final loss to Moycarkey/Borris was a jolt to the system, but six days after the All-Ireland final, it was understandable that they weren’t in sync but since then they have won five from five in hurling, including the semi-final against Holycross/Ballycahill.

“Some people said to me it was a dour affair; I thought the standard was very high,” Kelly insisted.

“The intensity was off the charts, our numbers in terms of work-rate were higher than they ever were. Certainly, a lot of plaudits go to Lorcan Egan, Willie Eviston, Ed Meagher, Brian McGrath, the backs really stepped up. Eoghan O’Connell followed Tiarnan Ryan because they had been averaging thirty points a game, so we knew we didn’t want to get into that situation.

“To be fair, they did the same to us at the other end. Both sets of forwards scored three points from play each, there is massive credit to both sets of backs for that.”

If there is a team that has mirrored Loughmore in terms of their physical power it is Nenagh Eire Og who Eamon is extremely familiar through various Kiladangan teams down through the grades, as well as last years group stage encounter which the Mid side edged by a point.

“If you don’t have the physical ability, you will be shown up,” Kelly said.

“Holycross are definitely going to win a few Dan Breen’s, they are a very good hurling side, well organised, but physically they are young and will develop more.

“Nenagh, it’s like night and day between the two teams in terms of fitness. They seem to be enjoying their hurling and are hurling with freedom this year.

“They are a huge team, seven players over six foot, all well able to hurl, well organised, well set up at the back. Barry Heffernan marshals everything like a quarter-back. They are in great shape.

“We’ll be favourites going in which is probably ideal for Nenagh but we are under no illusion that unless we go to a different level to where we have been we won’t come out the right side of the result.”

He added: “When I spoke to Donal O’Rourke at the start of the year when he was coming on board and he asked me who were the contenders, and there was always going to be Thurles and Kiladangan, but there were two teams for me to watch out for and they were Holycross and Nenagh.

“Particularly when I saw Hughie (Maloney) appointed and has John Brennan and Noel (Maloney) with him and has some great guys around him, Martin Bennett who I worked with in the past, a great guy.

“Hughie at nearly forty years of age came on and won a North Final for Nenagh against Kiladangan in Cloughjordan (2022), he always for me as a player he always gave him maximum, he was zero tolerance without being dirty, raw and hard, and he is putting his own stamp on this team, and they are really hurling for him.”