Gilligan keen for Derry and Kilcoo to make strides
LOCKDOWN is a word which has not occupied any great degree of status in the sporting dictionary of Conleith Gilligan.
The GAA remains at a standstill in terms of playing games but former Ballinderry Shamrocks and Derry player Gilligan is preoccupied with making behind the scenes preparations for the return to competitive club action at the end of next month.
Even before the curtain came down on the fixtures programme in March, Kilcoo assistant boss Gilligan had already taken in three of the club’s reserve team games in tandem with manager Mickey Moran as they continued to assess emerging talent.
Having won what was an eighth Down title in 11 years last year and then complementing this with a first Ulster Club crown, Kilcoo’s voracious appetite for even more success is still the catalyst that drives this strongly-focused outfit on.
With an 11-week window planned for club action, Gilligan is determined that Kilcoo will maximise the opportunity to retain their reputation as one of the foremost clubs in the game as a whole.
The fixtures road map drawn up by the GAA authorities has already been enthusiastically embraced by Kilcoo, whose training schedule will be tapered in line with the regulations laid down by Croke Park.
“Obviously it will be good to see a return to club action but we can only take things day by day given that the coronavirus threat is still with us. The way ahead has been mapped out and all things being well, the clubs will get a big chance to prove themselves,” said Gilligan.
Kilcoo’s success in the Ulster Club Championship when they beat Donegal champions Gaoth Dobhair in the final last December was hailed as an important breakthrough but now Gilligan is keen to send out the message that retaining the provincial title will be extremely difficult — assuming the competition is staged, that is.
“We don’t know what way things will work out fixtures-wise further down the line and obviously from both a club and inter-county perspective the fact that fixtures will be accommodated within a limited timeframe could impose its own pressures on teams,” insisted Gilligan. “I think it is important that we are in a state of readiness for action so that hopefully we can hit the ground running.”
And while Gilligan clearly relishes keeping Kilcoo up among the elite clubs, he is also anxious to see the Derry side he served so well as a player from 1999 until 2012 reclaim a ration of success.
“I was introduced to the squad in 1999 the year after Derry won their last Ulster title and I would just love to see that honour coming back to the county,” mused Gilligan. “But we are where we are. Right now Derry are in Division Three of the Allianz League and it is not known if the competition will be concluded.”
With the Premier League due to resume next week and other major sports such as golf, horse racing and tennis already up and running with cricket, rugby and Formula 1 set to resume next month, Gilligan is hopeful that the coronavirus threat will recede further in order to minimise the risk to GAA players.
“Until it is safe to get back out in large numbers it’s going to be very difficult for the GAA. They have been at the forefront of keeping themselves and the wider community safe and I don’t think they will take any chances if safety cannot be guaranteed,” stated Gilligan.
“I am certainly looking forward to seeing Kilcoo get back into action and I will also be more than interested in seeing how Derry get on. If the outstanding games in the league are completed they might get a boost for the Ulster Championship in which they are due to meet Armagh.
“It’s probably a lack of consistency that has been Derry’s undoing although I feel they need a greater spread of scorers if they are to make real progress. Obviously Shane Mcguigan is the ace in their pack but I feel players like Ciaran Mcfaul, Emmet Bradley and Ryan Bell are capable of stepping up to the mark.”