Charleville with one hand on the prize
FROM the long time home of the man who gave his name to Croke Park to that same hallowed ground of the GAA, the hurlers of Charleville complete an epic journey this Sunday when they bid for the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling title - history beckons and the North Cork men can’t wait for the throw-in.
After dedicating well over 20 years to the Charleville hurling scene, team manager John Moloney will put his heart, his soul and the sum of his hurling knowledge on the line to do all he can the help his beloved Charleville make it to the promised land.
“It’s a huge game for us but there seems to be nice low-key preparations around the place” Moloney told The Corkman earlier this week. We are still wait- ing on Darragh’s [Fitzgibbon] fitness, but we won’t really know that until we head into the weekend.
“There is a great buzz around the town with the flags and banners going up. It is intensifying every day but we have tried to keep it low key all year and we are trying to do the same for this game.”
For Charleville captain Danny O’Flynn it’s a second bite at a title in Croke Park. “It is a forward’s dream and a defender’s nightmare of a pitch but, hopefully, we will be able to take advantage of that on the day,” he told The Corkman. “Hopefully we will give a performance worthy of the venue, the occasion and of ourselves – and if we give that performance we will be very hard to beat.”
In a comprehensive preview inside, we assess Charleville’s chances of taking the title, and look at their opponents, Galway side Oranmore-Maree.
Charleville v Oranmore-Maree
FOR Charleville, this current championship campaign may be after passing the 12 month mark but next Sunday’s All Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Final has been a lot longer in the making that just one year.
This Sunday, at headquarters, Charleville will burst out onto the fabled green grass (grass they already felt back in 2011 as juniors) clear about the task at hand, but that in itself won’t be anywhere close to enough to seal what would be a historic and to this point well-deserved win.
Charleville will have to rely on tactics, work ethic, passion, skill and no shortage of luck and while all the latter elements have been shown over and over again this season the latter will always be on the day. The saying goes that you make your own luck and this weekend that statement still stands.
Oranmore-Maree will bring everything they have to this one and will be every bit as passionate and prepared as the boys from the Rebel county but that isn’t Charleville’s concern – you can only play the game, play it as well as you can on the day and hope, maybe pray, that what you have done in the build-up, what you have done all year, what you have done all your sporting life, is enough to get you through against people who will have sacrificed every bit as much as you to get there.
Charleville have been hugely impressive throughout this campaign with Cork star Darragh Fitzgibbon leading the charge to this momentous day in the club’s history. Charleville came in a little under the radar for the 2018 county championship, but after securing the Cork honours they never looked back – now however the opposition in this all or nothing tie will bring something that the Charleville haven’t faced up to yet this season – they bring power, and plenty of it.
Charleville are a pacey side with plenty of light, young, skilful players but along with that they also have an abundance of class, young but seasoned players who won’t be afraid of what awaits them in the massive stadium and, while the location may intimidate some, the pitch won’t as Charleville, and their particular brand of quick, open and running game have been waiting for a pitch as wide and as pure as Croke Park’s all their lives.
Charleville have played all the major venues this year, winning their County Final in Croke Park, their Munster crown at the Gaelic Grounds and the All Ireland semi-final win came at Semple – Croke Park would make it a clean sweep for the Avondhu boys.
Likely to be led in the scoring stakes by All-Star Darragh Fitzgibbon Charleville have plenty all over the pitch to suggest they have what it takes to win this Sunday. Captain Danny O’Flynn will be hugely significant to the final result starting at full forward but also likely to be to make a showing in the middle third at some stage.
Jack Doyle and corner-back Darren Butler will also be tested this weekend with neither likely to show anything other than full commitment to the cause. The men from the Limerick border town brought a pace, a passion and a belief that few thought possible after being totally outclassed for a 20 minute first half spell.
Darren Casey and Finbar Cagney, Jack O’Callaghan and Jack Buckley along with Andrew Cagney, provide serious options all over the pitch as coach Ben O’Connor and the Charleville backroom team look to put their best players in their favoured positions – Charleville are not afraid to move players around, but there is little doubting that they have a pretty impressive 1 to 15 setup this season.
Of course, the obvious state-