FOOTBALL CPA already wielding much more influence than the GPA
HE Seamus McFerran Cup wasn’t even brought down from the podium in the Athletic Grounds on Sunday following Slaughtneil’s historic win in the Ulster senior football final before reporters had formed a semi-circle around fullback Brendan Rogers.
In his second sentence as he composed himself, he brought the name of Nemo Rangers — their All-Ireland semi-final opponents on February 17 — into the equation. With the camogs and hurlers also going for All-Ireland glory, we take a look at the opposition up ahead in the new year.
CAMOGIE
OPPOSITION: Thomastown (Kilkenny) DATE: January 27
THE manager of Clare football club Kilmurry Ibrickane, Aidan Moloney, has caused a minor stir for the winter by issuing a threat to withdraw his club’s players from the Clare senior football squad if they are not made available on a year-round basis.
It’s the sort of thing that must drive Clare football manager Colm Collins mad after all the progress they have made under the Cratloe man in recent years.
He’s trying to drive ambition in the Banner County and has had to go to war on a number of fronts, not least in order to utilise the services of his son Podge, a star of Clare’s 2013 All-Ireland hurling final win, in the big ball code.
And we suspect that Moloney has not taken this decision lightly. Odhran O’Dwyer, one of the most respected Clare footballers of his generation, is in Moloney’s management team, and his dedication to their first appearance in the county final of 2009, losing to Adare and scoring only 0-3 on that occasion, but driving on to dominate from then on.
After winning their own county Championship with a 1-22 to 2-14 victory over Kilmallock, they went into the Munster series and were drawn with Blackrock of Cork and gave them an almighty dressing down, 2-26 to 0-10, with county Under-21 All-Ireland winner Ronan Lynch hitting 15 points in the game.
They went on to face off against Ballygunner of Waterford in the repeat of the 2015 provincial final, his county was absolute.
But it is just the latest flare-up in the ongoing war between club and county that every single player and manager, bar the county bosses themselves, are caught up in.
Just last weekend, Joe Brolly noted in his Sunday Independent column that an anonymous player from an Ulster county had been in touch “to say that the senior manager had called a meeting of the ‘extended panel’ — that’s a group and this time were triumphant once more on the scoreline of 3-15 to 2-10.
With the towering Adrian and David Breen and the skilful Kevin Downes and Ronan Lynch, they are 4/6 favourites to win the Tommy Moore Cup. Slaughtneil’s lack of exclusive hurling time will hurt them. Manager: Shane O’Neill
Key Players: Kevin Downes, Adrian Breen, Ronan Lynch.
ODDS NOW: Slaughtneil 40/1 for an All-Ireland, Na Piarsaigh 4/6 favourites.
VERDICT: A bridge too far for Slaughtneil with their dual commitments. of players not in last year’s panel — with an interest in playing football for the county. At it, they were told that they would not be able to play or train with their clubs until the Championship was over, they could not play university football…”
You might understand the wishes of the county manager in this particular instance. They want everyone to be together and on the same page.
But they are only protecting OPPOSITION: Nemo Rangers (Cork) DATE: February 17
With 20 county titles to their name, Nemo Rangers are out in front on the leaderboard of All-Ireland triumphs also, with seven to their name, one ahead of Crossmaglen Rangers.
They won their first All-Ireland in 1973. And, driven from goals and from the sidelines by the great Billy Morgan, they have added further titles in 1979, 1982, 1984, 1989, 1994 and 2003.
Paul Kerrigan is the most recognisable name from their line-up, although the silky Luke Connolly will establish a similar reputation for himself in time.
A quirky element to their team is the addition of Paddy Gumley — excellent at full-forward against Dr Crokes, who was playing reserve football with his club Redhills in Cavan just a year ago.
Elsewhere, you have another key figure who could come back into contention in former Kerry All-Ireland winner Tomás Ó Sé, who has been unavailable of late.
They beat city rivals St Finbarr’s after a replay in the county final and gained a free pass in the Munster quarter-final.
This was because Waterford did not have their football Championship completed on time.
In the semi-final they hammered Adare of Limerick, 2-17 to 0-4.
Come the Munster final, they were facing defending All-Ireland champions Dr Crokes of Killarney.
However, they showed them little respect as they ran out 0-16 to 0-11 winners. You cannot discount the tradition of winning in this club.
However that should hold little fears for Slaughtneil all the same. Manager: Larry Kavanagh
Key Players: Paul Kerrigan, Luke Connolly, Alan Cronin
ODDS NOW: Slaughtneil are 2/1 for an All-Ireland, Nemo are 11/4.
VERDICT: Will have little fear of Nemo at semi-final stage and should achieve it. themselves, not the players. Just another thing for the Gaelic Players’ Association to link up with the Club Players’ Association over when they meet again.
Perhaps one of the eight proposals of the CPA to Congress might go some way towards fixing it, but how striking is it that the group, not in existence for a full year, are having so much more influence as a force for good among the wider playing base than the GPA?