Moynihan: easily the best one of them all especially with what Crokes have achieved this year

HEALTH troubles earlier in the year might have given him a different perspective on life but the significance of not only a threein-a-row but also a win over Dr Crokes in an O’Donoghue Cup Final was not lost on Rathmore manager Denis Moynihan.

“When you look at clubs like Kilcummin (1973) and Legion (1976) and see how long they are waiting for an O’Donoghue Cup it only adds to the significance of winning a three-ina-row. No offence to today’s opposition but you couldn’t ask for a better team than Crokes to beat in an O’Donoghue Cup Final.

“I’ve been involved in ten O’Donoghue Cup finals as a player and manager and this is the first time a Rathmore man has accepted the O’Donoghue Cup with the Crokes looking up at him in that time. This is easily the best one of them all especially with what Crokes have achieved this year in both the county and Munster,” he said of what last Sunday’s win meant to the club’s present generation.

When it came to finding a way to beat the Killarney side, Moynihan says Rathmore pinpointed a player who had won a County U-21 medal alongside some of their players back in 2012 when they won it jointly with Kilcummin.

“We watched Crokes’ kickouts a lot in the last few games and we noticed how much they were dominating games through Shane Murphy’s kick-outs since he joined them. He’s top class at it (kick-outs) and we knew we had to go man-on-man for them and thankfully it worked out for us,” he said of Rathmore’s strategy.

Not that three senior district titles are to be sniffed at by any side but would Moynihan agree that Rathmore now have the basis to consider challenging for the Cup that bears the name of a Rathmore man in Bishop Moynihan?

“I think the County Championship will be a priority for the club going forward. It’s something we have targeted as well in the last two years so there is definitely confidence there now after beating the County Champions today. The way we lost the two semi-finals must be addressed though and it needs to be a target for us like St Patricks Day is for the Crokes every year, something we respect them for in what they try to achieve.”

East Kerry Board Chairman Tim Ryan presenting the East Kerry O’Donoghue Cup final Man of the Match Award to Shane Ryan, Rathmore, at the reception in Scott’s Hotel, Killarney on Sunday.