Hurling is alive and well in proud club of Avondale

AVONDALE manager Emmet O’Sullivan was a happy man after the final whistle last Sunday in Joule Park Aughrim. The Carnew native has seen some tough days with the Rathdrum outfit but the decision to make the drop to Intermediate and his management of the team this season may well have secured the future of hurling in the proud club for generations to come.

‘The lads have been strong all year. We went back down for a reason – to try and keep hurling going – and thankfully it has worked out for us. We’re very happy with the performance. You never know how lads are going to turn up. It’s a big day. We have a lot of experienced players there, but they’ve never really been here for their club really, so it can affect lads in different ways, but we turned up and got the job done,’ he said

O’Sullivan sang the praises of his entire squad after the final whistle with special mention for Ross Ward, Eamonn Kearns and the wizard himself, Ray Nolan.

‘He took the game by the scruff of the neck. We put him wing forward to give him a bit more freedom, inside he was going to be a bit more bottled up if they played a sweeper, so we let him out and let him do his thing and he excelled. He just knows how to play the game and that’s it,’ he said.

Paul Gahan offered sincere thanks to O’Sullivan for his loyalty and hard work. The Carnew man said hurling is alive and well in Avondale.

‘’It’s great now. The work that’s being done there day in day out, every time you drive in there’s kids training there, the academy, it’s alive and well in Avondale, it just needed a burst and hopefully this has given it to them,’ he added.