Locals looking to secure provincial honours this weekend
This Saturday sees a Senior football championship double-header in Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney, with the Cork ladies team and the Limerick men’s team facing their respective opponents from Kerry.
The Avondhu area is well-represented on both teams, with Bride
Rovers’ Katie Quirke, Glanmire’s Abbie O’Mahony, Aisling Hutchings from Fermoy and Dara Kiniry, Lisgoold lining out with the Cork panel. On the Limerick side, both Galbally’s Michael Donovan and Robert Childs, Galtee Gaels, will feature on the Senior panel.
The local link doesn’t end there, as the Cork ladies are managed by Mitchelstown’s Shane Ronayne.
TheA vondhu spoke with the local Limerick representatives in advance of Saturday’s match.
ROBERT CHILDS - ‘SO COMPETITIVE THIS YEAR’
Galtee Gaels’ Robert Childs has been playing with Limerick since he was about 17, joining the Minors at the time. Spending two years with the U21s, he took a year out before joining the Senior panel and 2022 is his third year with the county side.
At the time of writing, odds of 20/1 were offered on Limerick, with Kerry 1/100 on to win. Going in as the underdogs isn’t something Robert says the Limerick side are focused on however.
“To be honest, Kerry are going to be the favourites, as they are going into a lot of competitions. But within our camp, our focus is on ourselves and on our improvement year-onyear. We’re not a team that are constantly looking at other teams; we’re looking forward from where we came from two or three years ago.”
The talent on the panel keeps the players sharp, as with 34 vying for a place on the team there’s no chance to take anything for granted. It means players value their place and ultimately, what makes a championship team.
“Training is brilliant; it’s so competitive this year. We have a panel of 34 and you really don’t know who’s going to be playing day to day. It’s as competitive as it’s ever been and it brings an extra bit of bite to training. We’ve backup with every sort of position, and you can’t rest on your laurels, and that’s what drives winning teams.”
MICHAEL DONOVAN - ‘THE CRAIC BETWEEN THE TEAM IS BRILLIANT’
Fellow county player and near-neighbour Michael Donovan will have reason to celebrate no matter what happens on Saturday, as the Galbally player turns 26 on the day of the final. He took a two-year hiatus back in 2016 from Senior level, finding the balance between training and the final years of college a tricky balance. However, today it’s a different story.
“Training is good. For a group of 30-something lads to get on so well and to be able to get on with every one of them, is remarkable. There’s a great bond between us, and it makes training very easy. To be fair to Billy (Lee, manager) and Ian Corbett and Donal O’Sullivan (joint captains), one of the big things they brought in is to make the atmosphere like a club team. The bond between the members and the craic between the team is brilliant.”
Unnecessary stress isn’t a thing the Limerick man worries about. Based in Cork all along, he’s been travelling to Limerick for training through the years. However, with a new job starting earlier this week in Raheen, it will be a lot easier to get to training in Rathkeale.
“I won’t even think about the match until next Friday. In life in general, I’m not one for getting stressed out about things, be it football or work. I take it day by day and I wouldn’t be burning unnecessary energy beforehand thinking about it. After all, I could pull a hamstring tomorrow and wouldn’t play at all!”
The Galbally man agrees with Robert in that the high level of talent in the panel keeps players on their toes.
“There’s a bit of a bite even to make the last 26, never mind the starting 15. Even the few of those who are always nearly guaranteed to start will be on their toes, cos there’s always someone on your heels. It makes a good team, it keeps us sharp.”
Kick-off for the ladies final is at 12.15pm on Saturday, while the men’s will follow at 3pm. Viewers will be able to watch the men’s final on RTÉ 2. The LGFA final, however, will not be televised or streamed. Highlights will be on TG4 on the following Monday night.
We wish all our local representatives well in their efforts to secure provincial glory.