Ailing Cummins providing true leadership for Moycarkey
By Shane Brophy
Kieran Cummins and Moycarkey/Borris are keen to write their own chapter of history in this Sunday’s County Senior Hurling final.
The Moycarkey skipper is aiming to follow in the footsteps of Jack Bergin who last captained the club to senior glory in 1984, earning their second title in three years.
“We would have heard stories of the 80’s teams,” Cummins said of the clubs most recent glorious era which brought their number of senior titles to twelve at that point but they haven’t come close since.
“I don’t know does it bring pressure,” he said in terms of how it has taken the club this long to get back to a final.
“I don’t think lads think about that and personally I don’t feel any pressure myself. We’d hear a lot about it but it is so long ago you have to bring your own story.
“It’s no different than any other county final for any club, it is a massive honour to get there. It’s what we are training for all your life.
“As a group we have been building for the last couple of years. Getting back to the Stadium was the biggest thing; we gave a couple of years in relegation with a young team but lads were happy to keep building.”
Reaching a semi-final in 2024 was a huge staging post for the team backboned by a minor winning team from 2018 but the quarter final loss to Drom & Inch last year in which they leaked seven goals in an extra time defeat was a massive shock to the system and Cummins has paid tribute to his teammates and managements for keeping the ship on course.
“Eddie (Brennan) and the boys did a lot of good work and in fairness the same management has stayed involved with Denis (Kelly) to carry over. It’s just small tweaks, a lot of things are coming naturally, lads are a bit older and more mature,” he said.
Cummins role in the team this year has been reduced to an impact sub late on in games due to a persistent groin injury that requires surgery but he has put it off for the moment to help the team get to where they are with one more step to go, for his point of view, up the steps of the O Riain Stand to accept the Dan Breen Cup.
However, Mid rivals and neighbours Thurles Sarsfields will have a lot to say about that.
“Thurles were one of the best teams in club hurling when I was growing up and still are,” Cummins continued with the vast majority of the Moycarkey/Borris panel having gone to secondary school in the town.
“There’ll be nothing simple there and they gave a fair show in the semi-final so we’ll be going in as massive underdogs and we are not afraid of that.”