THE REAL DEAL

What a difference a year makes.. as Carlow hurler Kavanagh looks forward to Cats in Championship

THIS time last year, Martin Kavanagh was chuffed just to be hurling against big names in San Francisco.

Now, he’s gearing up for the real thing as Carlow head into a gruelling Leinster Championship campaign next month.

Having bounced around between the Christy Ring Cup, Joe Mcdonagh Cup and Leinster Championship qualifier group over the years, Colm Bonnar’s side take their place in the competition proper this summer, starting with a trip to Galway for the opener on May 12.

Much will rest on Kavanagh’s shoulders, the St Mullins man being their star player who nailed a late free to give them a dramatic draw with Galway when they met in the League, even if they did manage to win the Joe Mcdonagh Cup without him last year.

“I was in San Francisco for the summer,” he explained. “We won the League and I decided then to go, so I had to make the phone call to Colm.

“It was actually alright, he went himself twice so he was understanding enough. It worked out grand after, the boys won and I got to go to America for the summer!

“I didn’t get to see any of it [the Joe Mcdonagh Cup final win over Westmeath], I was trying to stream it. I was there with Killian Doyle from Westmeath, and he would be a main player for them.

“The two of us were like, ‘The one time we go away, they get to Croke Park!’ I was listening to it, and I was talking to my mother and all on the phone and face time after, it was great.”

You get the feeling that Kavanagh wouldn’t trade the experience though.

“Just hurling with players from different counties,” he identifies as a highlight. “There’s three teams out there, I was with Tipp but Michael Fennelly was playing for Na Fianna.

“There was a really high standard of players and just playing with them and against them; you’d never get the chance. It was a really high standard.”

He’ll be playing against current, rather than former, Kilkenny stars this year and the derby clash when Brian Cody’s side come to Netwatch Cullen Park on May 19 is one that he’s particularly looking forward to.

With Carlow not making much of an impact when the 24-year-old was growing up, his family took to following Kilkenny instead, something which has been rather common in Carlow down the years.

“It’d kind of annoy you a bit but I suppose we’re turning the screw now and they’re coming to support us now as well.

“I suppose when the fixtures came out it was the one game that really caught your eye, Kilkenny at home. Carlow will be packed, local derby as well. It’s great.

“When I was a young lad I used to only go to Kilkenny games. My father was a big Kilkenny fan and so were his brothers.

“You wouldn’t be going to Carlow matches, you’d be going to Kilkenny matches. Now Brian Cody and these are coming to town and you’re play