Bishop pays tribute to Michael after triumph
LOUTH’S All-Ireland Junior winning manager Darren Bishop was quick to acknowledge the impact Micheal McKeown was still having on his team.
In the direct aftermath of victory, Bishop disclosed that last year’s deceased manager was still very much in his and his team’s thoughts with McKeown’s wife Mary having a part to play in the build up to the success too.
‘Micheal’s wife sent a lovely letter to myself and members of the management team and a card to the players, which was a real personal touch and something Mary didn’t have to do.’
On the field, Bishop felt last year’s experience was telling, with 12 of last year’s side starting the final while one of the new faces was also significant in the victory.
‘Out of the team that would have started there would have been a fair few girls who would have started last year, but they had the year’s experience. They were on fire today. One of those, Kate Flood has led by example through the league and the championship.’
‘With Sarah Quinn added in from last year, she’s marked the best club footballers in Ireland and she adds that bit of calmness in the full-back line. She made some key interceptions there against Fermanagh that if she hadn’t it could have been a totally different story.’
Bishop went on to emphasise further the importance of being there before and the effect it had on his training and preparation as a whole.
‘The planning that goes into it,’ he exhaled.
‘Not everyone manages teams to Croke Park and it was my first ever time, I learned a lot from that, I learned a lot from the open spaces we were going to be playing into. I could train the girls and prepare them over the last two or three weeks for the game. But over the course of the year I do feel that we were pretty strong and strong in the style I wanted them to play.’
Finally Bishop was coy when asked about leading his team into Intermediate grade next season.
‘I’ll not answer anything just yet, as the man says,’ he revealed.
‘We’ll sit down over the next couple of weeks. It’s a hectic schedule, but I really enjoy it and I’ve really enjoyed working with the girls. After last year I had to do a lot of soul searching to see would I commit to it again. When I thought back on it and knowing what they gave for me only having me from June, it was just a great bunch and team. The County Board were very easy to get on with and that made my job a lot easier.’