Belief and ability should be good enough to see The Sem retain title

HOGAN CUP (ALL-IRELAND COLLEGES SFC ‘A’) FINAL St Brendan’s Killarney v St Peter’s, Wexford Saturday, April 1 Croke Park, Dublin Throw-in at 4pm

LOOKING at the performance of Kerry Schools in the Hogan Cup over a 10 year period, one can say the record is most impressive. All bar three years (2011-13) has a School from the county not been in a decider with Tralee CBS, Colaiste Na Sceilge and Pobalscoil Corcha Dhuibhne all experiencing the day alongside the defending champions in St Brendans.

Four wins and three losses is the outcome of the seven Finals that the Kingdom sides have partaken in but when asked about why it has been such a successful time for the county in Post-Primary level’s major competition, Sem manager Gary McGrath feels it’s down to outside influences in a lot of ways.

“A lot of outside expertise has been brought in by the schools to give them the structures that are making them succeed. The Development Squads are a big factor as well now for the Schools and everything is complimenting each other afterwards when it comes to the Kerry Minors I feel,” the Beaufort native feels.

Saturday will mark McGrath’s fourth Hogan Cup Final in charge of the Sem going back to 2008 and the first time he will have faced a non-Ulster School in the decider. In terms of the Sem’s own success in recent times, McGrath agrees that the work and relative strength of the clubs around Killarney and East Kerry is a big factor now the school is made up exclusively of day pupils unlike the school’s first two Hogan Cups in 1969 and 1992 when they had boarding students.

“I am on record in saying what the clubs around East Kerry are doing is phenomenal. Some of last year’s team went on to win a County Minor title with East Kerry afterwards while the fact Crokes and Firies are on their own at Minor level says a lot about how strong they are as clubs,” the Sem boss said.

While the 2016 Sem side might have gone through a lot of sides like a hot knife through butter it hasn’t been all plain sailing for them in returning to Croke Park once more.

“It’s one thing I notice when we play a team we are always told about the history between that school and us and while teams will always raise their level to play you when you are doing well I don’t think players at these guy’s ages take too much notice of the historical aspect of games because they only want to go out and play what is in front of them,” McGrath feels.

In coping with the expectation about Saturday, the fact the last time the school faced Wexford opposition they lost might be a good way of keeping everyone grounded about the challenge of St Peters.

“This team beat the Good Counsel side who beat us in the Paul McGirr Cup Final two years ago so that tells you a lot about how good they are. From what we saw of them in the semi-final with Magherafelt they are a big strong, physical side who play a nice brand of football and they have players who played in Croke Park in a Leinster Minor Hurling Final for Wexford so I don’t think the fact we have players who played in Croke Park before is any real advantage,” McGrath said.

It’s arguable though with what some of the Sem team have won in GAA Headquarters, an All-Ireland Minor title to go with a Hogan Cup, that such success is the big benefit for them ahead of Saturday. Billy Courtney, Dara Moynihan and David Shaw might be the ones getting the headlines but in Chris O’Donoghue, Michael Potts, Jack Griffin and Cian Gammell amongst others the Sem have steady performers who can give their team an extra impetus when needed. McGrath is of the belief that the quality of the Sem forward line is making better defenders out of their backs and one can only imagine the battles being had in training amongst this panel of players.

You wonder is this more a mental than a footballing challenge for the Sem in advance. St Peters have nothing to lose on Saturday in terms of outside expectations of their chances but considering two schools have retained the Hogan Cup already this decade (St Colman’s of Newry in 2010 and 2011 and Corcha Dhuibhne in 2014 and 2015) the odds do favour the Sem in advance.

The memory of Clonmel two years ago against Good Counsel might be the motivating factor for those involved not to see the finish line too early. This campaign has seen the Sem tested but in the end they have come through due to a big belief in their own abilities and willingness to be patient with their own gameplan.

On that basis the Hogan Cup should be resting in the Kingdom for a fourth consecutive year come Saturday night.

VERDICT: St Brendan’s College