Dramatic changes
Up to 10 players have opted out ahead of Carlow clash
WICKLOW will be going into Sunday’s All-Ireland Junior football championship opener against Carlow in quite the peculiar situation, especially when compared to their last competitive fixture: a credible draw against Down in Division 3 of the national league all the way back in March.
When Mark Murnaghan’s team take to the field in Baltinglass on Sunday, however, the starting XV promises to be virtually unrecognisable. The guts of 10 players from the panel have opted out of playing in the championship this season, owing to reasons ranging from work commitments, to personal grounds, and to concerns relating to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic.
The impact that this will have on the team that Murnaghan picks is obvious.
Jackie Kinch, Kim Connors, Lorna Fusciardi, Aine Byrne, Aimee Maher, Georgina Canavan, Laura Griffin, Megan Dunne, and Niamh Cullen are all amongst those who will not be available for the championship, and Niamh, Rioghna, and Sinead McGettigan’s availability for the game against Carlow is uncertain. Kinch, Fusciardi, and Connors, in particular, represent significant absentees, while Linda Dempsey has been called up to the squad following impressive showings for Arklow Geraldines-Ballymoney in the club championship.
In the face of such a significant loss of personnel, Murnaghan praised his troops’ work ethic while preparing for Sunday, and said that the smaller squad has instilled a sense of competition among the group, with players who may have been restricted to limited minutes
earlier in the season, now set to be given the chance to break into the team on a championship level.
‘We just have to respect their decisions, said Murnaghan about the players who have opted out. ‘I don’t blame them, to be honest; we do everything we can to make sure that everything is safe but, at the end of the day, it is their health. They have to go back to families, so I respect their decisions.
‘We will be releasing our team
sheet next week and there will be a few names where people will be asking where they are.
‘The players have been fine. They’ve been stepping up. Marie Kealy, especially from the club championship to now, she is a completely different player. The likes of her, and there are a few others - everything we have asked them to do - it is like after giving players a new lease om life, knowing that there are positions
there up for grabs. I can’t fault the players’ effort one bit.
‘It’s going well, considering what went against us. We are turning negatives into positives and the players are doing the same, as well.’
In fairness to the players that are within the camp, recent challenge matches against Wexford and Offaly, the former having taken place as recently as this past Sunday morning have given cause for opti
mism. Those warm-ups, combined with the competition for places among a group of players who are scrapping for limited places, means that Wicklow will be rearing to go this weekend.
In their way will be Carlow, who were gunning for promotion from division four before the lockdown called a halt to that particular aspiration.
‘What I know of Carlow is that they were going well. They were second or third and they were fighting for promotion. When I was managing Carlow IT, we played them in a challenge and they were moving well. Obviously, we have the Tinahely contingent and Carlow have the Old Leighlin girls. Carlow will be a tough game. It is a local derby, as well. We won’t be taking anything for granted. We will be prepared as best we can, that’s all we can do, but we won’t be taking them for granted.
‘I know we have a second game, against Fermanagh, but acrossthe-board - in senior, intermediate, or junior - if you lose your first game, you are under immense pressure to bounce back again. We are not focusing on anything else but Carlow on Sunday. That’s all we can do.
We will be going into the Carlow game all guns blazing.’
Sunday will be a massive opportunity for all of those in the Wicklow camp. Having been relegated from the intermediate last year, winning the junior championship will be their top priority. Given the length of time between this weekend and their last game back in March, in addition to the absence of several high-profile stars, it will have a new season feel.
The season may feel new and the personnel may be different, but the ambitions will remain the same.
Wicklow panel: Alanna Conroy, Amy Burke, Aoife Gorman, Clodagh Fox, Emily Mulhall, Evelyn Deans, Helena Dowling, Jessie Nolan Byrne, Laura Hogan, Laurie Ahern, Marie Kealy, Meadhbh Deaney, Niamh McGettigan, Sarah Byrne, Sarah Hogan, Sarah Miley, Shannagh Goetelen, Sinead McGettigan, Paula Faulkner, Rioghna McGettigan, Sarah Jane Winders, Tara Costello, Lucy Dunne, Linda Dempsey, Jackie Winders.