The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
‘We’re on a journey’
FOR years we have all heard players and managers talking about taking competitions one game at a time. Choosing to never look past the next game and rarely looking back farther than the one just gone. Playing GAA at a high level is all about planning and concentrating on your next performance.
It would be wrong to suggest that Templenoe aren’t taking it one day at a time as they go in search of another All Ireland crown, this time at intermediate level, but when speaking to the players and management this season the tale is of something more than just another all Ireland bid.
Templenoe are on something more profound than just a simple quest for more silverware – Templenoe are on, as Captain Brian Crowley would call it, “a journey”.
After collecting the Munster title last Sunday and giving what could have been a brilliant speech, (couldn’t really say as the microphone in Mallow cut in and out), Crowley gave his immediate thoughts on what had transpired and what it means for him and his teammates.
“One of the things we have been talking about this year is the journey that we are on and considering we were in Division 5 back in 2011 this is some point for the club to be at come the end of the decade. To have four Kerry senior panellists and be one of the best represented clubs in the team is phenomenal especially for a small rural club like ourselves.
“We have experienced the hurt in the Intermediate the last three years especially when we felt that we were good enough, but things just never fell for us. This time we got our heads in the right place and we had a new set-up this year with Alan Devane [Skellig Rangers] and the training programmes he has given us.”
Templenoe could hardly be described as a side cruising last Sunday but they still had plenty in the tank to take care of a St Breckans side with a plan that was short of attacking ambition.
“We were probably not used to coming up against the defensive set-up that they had today and every though a lot of people might have thought that we would have it easy today we never felt it would be that way.
“We struggled, but thankfully our skill levels got us over the line. We’ve so many players all over the pitch who can step up for us when we need them and thankfully, they were there for us again today.”
Templenoe struggled early on, but still led at the short whistle which led to some passionate words from another senior star.
“At the break Tadhg Morley stood up in the dressing room and said it’s a Munster Final and we had to expect it would be the way it was out there. We were still two points up though and that was the crucial thing.”
Getting past the Munster Final a few years back may have been at the lower grade of Junior but Crowley was adamant that the previous trip to national success will help with the efforts this time round.
“We’ve been on this journey before from the Junior four years ago and we hope it ends up in Croke Park again for us.
“We do have the advantage of knowing what it is like trying to get there, but a lot has changed since we won the Junior especially the different positions that we are playing on the pitch now.”
Crowley will look to inspire his teammates on and off the pitch in the weeks to come before he again leads his side out, this time in an All-Ireland semi-final against the Connacht champions, Oughterard.