Kilmac’s King eyes crown
IT’S all about the future in Kilmacanogue. Everything is aimed at building, growing, thriving. They opened a wonderful new clubhouse last year that needs to be seen to be believed.
There’s a huge buzz around the small village, the future looks bright, the present is bright, and a win on Sunday would drive that momentum on to a new level, it would make all those gargantuan efforts at underage seem paid back, all the volunteers and proud club people would be paid back in spades for all their work and time and belief.
Sending the team out to battle is Kilmac’s own Mark King who wore the jersey with pride and distinction for many years. Mark credits the course of the success not only to winning the Junior ‘A’ championship in 2015 but in keeping the core group of young players together because in times past they tended to make a breakthrough and then lose a clutch of talent to retirement or emigration. Not this time.
‘Getting over the line eventually, we were in four Junior ‘A’ finals in five years, won it in 2015, there seemed to be a little bit of a lack of belief, and success breeds success, but, like, the confidence, that’s helped, and keeping the group together after that was a huge help.
‘with this group, we kept the core of the group that were coming. A lot of them were relatively young in 2015, they’re hungry, they want success. We had some disappointing days the previous years, not getting over the line in the final. They progressed. Last year we got to the semi-final opf the Intermediate and beaten by Tinahely. Going back to the game, four minutes before half-time there was very little in that game, and then Tinahely got two goals, got a goal and a goal from the kick-out.
‘We certainly believe in this group. There’s been a lot put into them and a lot expected of them and they’re responding to that now. In the history of the club we haven’t had as many lads around the right age. The oldest is 30.
‘I think that the club as a whole has bought into this and want to be successful. If you look at where we’re sitting, it really is the epicentre of the community in Kilmacanogue. There’s a lot of work being done at juvenile and there are lots of people who wouldn’t traditionally have been involved in football.
‘There’s a hunger there. I have to commend the attitude of the players, they listen, they absorb, they want to do what it takes to be successful,’ he said.
Mark King understands what Sunday means to Kilmacanogue. He knows all too well that opportunities like these don’t come around every day.
‘This is a huge opportunity, for them and the club and the village, because we’ve never, ok, 60 years ago, but not in most of our living memories. It’s vital,’ he said.