Low point? When Dad took me off before half-time against Antrim..
SHANE REFLECTS ON THE ‘ VERY WEIRD AND AWKWARD’ FATHER & SON DYNAMIC AT PLAY DURING KIERAN’S TENURE AS THE MANAGER OF THE REBELS
SHANE KINGSTON says it was “a very weird and awkward situation” for himself and his father Kieran, when he was Cork manager.
The pair did the maths recently from Kieran’s spell in charge – and Shane almost always started.
“He managed me for 18 championship games and I didn’t start just one or two,” said the 26-year-old.
“When you look at it like that, it wasn’t that bad. It just felt bad!
“It was probably just the nature of when I was being taken off – maybe that was a bit harder.
“One time in particular against Antrim was probably the worst.
“I got taken off in the first half, which was definitely a low point.
“When you look back on it, the amount of games I played under him in League and Championship, it’s a nice thing to have.”
The pair didn’t really discuss their dynamic until Kieran (inset) left the Cork job after the 2022 Championship, with Pat Ryan taking over.
“I knew it was obviously a very awkward and weird situation for him as well as myself,” added Shane.
“I can’t blame him for being harder on me because the last thing you want is to be ridiculed for nepotism or something. But he did the opposite, whatever that word is.
“Ah sure look, it was always for the betterment of the group.
“It worked well on one occasion against Kilkenny. It was up to me to be playing well and driving it on.”
Kingston hit seven points from play against Kilkenny off the bench in the extra-time All-ireland semi-final victory in 2021.
“That’s obviously a narrative nobody wants, the impact sub or super sub.
“Look, I was fortunate enough to start the final (defeat by Limerick).
“It started well for me and went downhill then fairly quick.
“It feels like a lifetime ago now. I won’t be holding grudges with him anyway.
“For 99 percent of the time, it was perfect.
“There was the odd time where I felt there could have been a hard call made, so there might have been a bit of awkward tension at home for a couple of days.
“But look, once you are back in training, Tuesday, Thursday, night you wouldn’t be long getting over it.
“We didn’t treat each other like father and son in there.”
Meanwhile, Kingston is struggling with a hamstring problem ahead of Cork’s Munster SHC clash Waterford at Walsh Park in 12 days’ time.