Kealy: ‘We never do things the easy way in Kilcummin’

“YEAH we don’t really do things the easy way in Kilcummin,” Brendan Kealy says with the knowing smile of a man who’s come out on the right side of a remarkable game.

“It was great to get the good start. It gave us a great platform, but Glenflesk were never going to lie down. That’s not what they’re about. They came fighting back as we expected. It could have gone either way, a bounce of a ball either way and luckily we came out the right side of it. There was nothing in it.”

In his first year as club captain, Kealy has delivered something that’s evaded him during his sixteen year senior career: silverware

“We have to wait a while, but it’s worth it,” he says.

And not just for him. The road has been long and winding for guys like Kevin Gorman and Shane McSweeney too, both of whom (along with Kealy) played vitally important roles in this victory.

“The lads have been around the block as well and that counts for a lot, especially in finals,” the captain explains.

“They’re great lads they’ve good heads on their shoulders and they pass it on to the rest of the lads around them. They led by example out on the field there today as did the rest of them.

“The young lads, Seán O’Leary there playing his first proper year of senior man of the match, the more experienced lads brilliant, the lads in between just super all round.”

The condensed nature of the championship seemed to bring the best out in Kilcummin. With each passing round they improved as they really embraced this new-look competition.

“Yeah... well I’m playing in goals so I don’t have to do any of the running around so it’s fine for me!” Kealy jokes.

“But no it’s brilliant I think all the lads really enjoyed it. You’ve a game every week. Training has a purpose each week you’re recovering for next week so it’s been huge. You can build momentum if you win. It can go the other way if you lose. I think all the club players have enjoyed it from what I can see, big games every Sunday.”

Kilcummin boss Willie Maher (below), meanwhile, was equally on cloud nine and keen to stress that his men had showed character in abundance.

“Today I think we’ve shown a bit of courage,” he commented.

“When we were down we seemed to have the bit of courage to come back and Kevin McCarthy I thought was outstanding. When we needed him most he stood up and he kicked some great points. Look Seán O’Leary’s goal was a thing of beauty, you couldn’t call it anything else.

“We went in at half-time three in front, I didn’t think we were up the ten, but maybe we were. We got an outstanding start. We got some cracking goals. You’d be telling people to run off the shoulder, but it just came right at the right time and in fairness to Glenflesk they came back and in the second half went up a point and we were struggling, but you know the forwards stepped up and as I say Seán O’Leary got a cracking goal. We’re lucky, but you need a bit of luck to win games.”

Something that stood out to us in the comments from both the manager and his captain is their graciousness towards their vanquished rivals coupled with an acknowledgement that they contributed to a marvellous occasion for all in attendance.

“I thought it was a classic game myself actually,” Maher said.

“There were some tremendous scores, beautiful pitch, beautiful day, big crowd here and a great first game as well. I think Kerry fans here today were served up what Kerry people like to see, good football, good scores.

“We can all talk about this defensive thing and the like, but I think you saw the best of Kerry football today and hopefully it augurs well for Kerry for the rest of the year. I thought Kevin McCarthy was superb.

“Seán O’Leary who’s on the Kerry Under 20s was superb. I thought Lee O’Donoghue played well for Glenflesk and he’s on the Under 20s so hopefully they’ll go on to play for their respective age groups. “Look if you’re managing a team there’s great delight, but I think honestly there’s not much between victory and defeat and when you lose you have to take it graciously and when you win you have to be as gracious as possible, because there’s very little between the teams.

“On another day the coin could flip the other way. I wouldn’t be getting too carried away with it, but look victory is the winner takes it all, but the margins are very tight.”