Skipper Ryan says Upperchurch/Drombane were battle-hardened to earn glory
By Stephen Barry
Upperchurch/Drombane have experienced more than their share of near-misses in finals, which has made the past month all the sweeter for captain Keith Ryan.
“We're not a team to turn our nose up at any trophies or any medals,” said Ryan after adding a Munster intermediate crown to their Tipperary title.
“There's not too many of us who have medals in our back pocket until this year.
“We've had our fair share of losses over the years, and thankfully, we've got a bit of a rub of the green in the last twelve months with finals. We're just glad to get out the right side of it.
“It's unbelievable. There's lads there you went to school with; there's your first cousins, brothers. Nearly everyone on the team is related to someone else, so it's really special when you've grown up with these lads and you've soldiered with them through thick and thin. We've played under-8s, 10s, the whole way up, and it's just a special group of players and a special feeling.”
It was a chaotic game for the full-back to play in, ending up further out the field than expected following O’Callaghan’s Mills’ double red card. The first occurred when Jacob Loughnane came in high on Ryan to earn his second booking.
“In games, you're dealt with blows and you're dealt with plusses. You just have to deal with them accordingly,” Ryan added.
“For the first few minutes, it was very chaotic. You don't know where you are, who's picking who.
“In fairness, there's many leaders in that team, and they just sorted lads out, pick a man.
“We had two free around the half-back line and midfield, and we were just trying to dominate on their puck-outs and build attacks.
“We did that very well as a team and just pulled through in the end.”
Ryan praised manager Liam Dunphy, coach James McGrath, and selectors James Greene and John Quinn for their roles in the success.
“I don't think I'd have enough words to describe the effort and commitment them boys put into us,” he continued.
“Their knowledge of the game is absolutely unbelievable. The studying they do of opposition teams before we play them, they have them down to an absolute T. We just try our best to implement what they're telling us to do.”
Munster Championship glory was nowhere near their radar at the start of the year. In the same way they resolved to take advantage of that opportunity when it emerged, Ryan vows they’ll give the All-Ireland series a “right rattle” too.