Banner day as Kilcummin return to Munster championship

MORE so perhaps than any time in the last fourteen or so years since these Munster and All Ireland championships were introduced, this is a step into the unknown for the Kerry champions.

The reason? Well for one thing Kilcummin won their county final with Glenflesk in the first week of May. For another the county league has been finished for well over a month at this point in time.

In previous campaigns we could point to championship form and momentum as key indicators for what might happen this weekend. This time around we really don’t have that, or rather Kilcummin don’t.

Their opponents on Saturday afternoon, Kilrush, won the Banner championship no more than a fortnight ago. That’s almost certain to play to their benefit and put the Kerry kingpins at a little bit of a disadvantage – to begin at least.

It’s a debate for another day as to whether the April for clubs thing has worked – in our view it has and it certainly made for a better County Senior Football Championship – but it will make life that little bit more difficult for Willie Maher and his management team.

Another complication is surely just how well East Kerry did in the County Championship and to a very large extent East Kerry were back-boned by the successful Kilcummin side from the intermediate championship.

We suppose there’s two ways of looking at that. On the negative it must have made it that bit more difficult to train as a collective and play challenge matches and the likes.

On the positive it meant that those selected for the district side should be whip sharp. Brendan Kealy, Seán O’Leary, Philip Casey, Shane McSweeney, Kevin O’Gorman and Kevin McCarthy were regular starters for Jerry O’Sullivan’s East Kerry side.

The loss of McCarthy to injury – he broke his wrist in the drawn semi-final against Dingle – is a most unwanted outcome of East Kerry’s campaign, however. It’s a real bitter pill for both the player and club to swallow.

Quite conceivably the loss of McCarthy could be the difference between success and failure for the club over the course of this Munster campaign – he was that good during the Intermediate campaign in April and early May.

The partnership he built up with Noel Duggan was the driving force behind their push for the title. Of course Kilcummin were by no means a one man team – Seán O’Leary was outstanding, Shane McSweeney was his usual effective self – but McCarthy was the pivot upon which the team turned.

Nevertheless they’re still probably the favourites to come out on top in south Clare this weekend. Not that this is going to be anything remotely like a slam-dunk. Clare clubs have proven their capacity to challenge the Kingdom on occasion over the years.

One doesn’t have to think back too far to find an occasion when a Kerry team struggled on the road to the Banner. The memory of Currow’s defeat away to Milltown-Malbay in this very competition in 2013 should be a salutary one.

It’s important to note too that, much like Kilcummin, Kilrush were a senior team not so long ago. They were relegated at the end of 2016 and came close to regaining their senior status at the first time of asking in 2017 before going on to do so a couple of weeks ago.

The Shamrocks were two point victors over neighbours Kildysart in Doonbeg. They’re managed by Kilmurry Ibrickane’s Dermot Coughlan and look to have some good players on their books, the most notable of whom would have to be Gearóid O’Brien.

O’Brien, who plays on the half-forward line, has excelled at underage for Clare and has been on the Clare senior panel for the last two seasons. Against Kildysart he bagged three from play.

Other forwards to look out for on the Kilrush side include corner-forward Liam Madigan (scorer of 1-5, 4 frees in the county final) and Ross Phelan (scorer of two points from corner-forward against Kildysart).

Obviously Kilrush are going to be no soft touch, even so it’s hard not to think back to the quality of performances Kilcummin put in earlier in the year and to think that (even without McCarthy) that they won’t have what it takes.

Last weekend they played in the O’Donoghue Cup and that game – despite the fact they lined out at less than full strength – probably came at just the right moment for them.

It’s probably no harm either from a solely self-interested Kilcummin perspective that East Kerry didn’t make the final. Win or lose a county final on Sunday, it would’ve been that bit more difficult to get all Kilcummin’s ducks in-a-row for Saturday.

Kilcummin comfortably saw off Listry domestically last weekend – they ran out 2-13 to 0-14 winners – and that too will help. They’re back to winning ways. They’ll hope to continue them now in the Banner.

We wouldn’t bet against them doing so, but it could be tighter than some people might imagine. Verdict: Kilcummin