Manager Foley hails experience as key to Kilgarvan win

A GREAT performer for the club himself when the occasion demanded the boots to be laced up, Mickey Foley was delighted with Kilgarvan achieving some provincial success after their efforts in both codes down through the years.

“Particularly I’m delighted given the size of the panel (24 players togged out for Sunday) and losing both Donal and John Mark made it all the harder. It was one thing we asked of them at half-time during the semi-final with Doonbeg was how badly they wanted it once we knew the two boys could play no further part,” the Kilgarvan manager said.

Foley expressed his admiration for the club’s more veteran campaigners like who were willing to step into the breach.

“Our older players had the experience from the hurling matches in Munster and no matter what level or code you play at, that will give you great experience for days like today. We made a great start but didn’t panic when they came back at us in the second-half because we knew they were bound to have their period of dominance at some stage,” he said.

Overall Foley believes the attitude of the players themselves has contributed to Kilgarvan making a successful return to Football thus far and joining their fellow three Kenmare District clubs in winning a provincial title.

“They are willing to come down from college and make the effort to train which makes it more enjoyable for us too be working with them then. Having seen our neighbours in the district win Munster titles, that was a motivation for us to win this because we didn’t want to continue being the odd one out.”

Of course, it’s not that long ago that Patrick O’Shea and John Mark Foley were lining out with Kenmare Shamrocks in their run to an All-Ireland Intermediate semi-final defeat to Lee Keegan’s Westport in Ennis and the Kilgarvan captain as well as Foley have the unique distinction now of winning Munster Club titles with two different clubs.

“Kenmare accommodated us two years ago in allowing us to play Football with them and while it was a great experience to be a part of that run, you always want to come back to your own club and be a part of a day like today,” the team captain said.

While there was disappointment at the loss of the Hurling match in nearby Tournafulla, O’Shea said the panel regrouped fully with the football in mind.

“It was tough when you had at least 19 of the panel playing both codes and 13 of that starting side out there today are U-23 but they really responded to the big challenge we had in losing both Donal and John Mark for today. They dug in when Ballinacurra came back at us and it was like the Doonbeg game in making such a great start before having to dig in for a while afterwards.”

The win is O’Shea’s third provincial success to go with not only the 2016 Intermediate title with the Shamrocks but also the 2014 Munster success for the Kerry Minors.