*Conor Cooney (centre) celebrates with family. Photograph: Ruth Griffin.
SEALING a return to the top tier of Clare hurling brought a sense of “relief” for O’Callaghans Mills and their full-back Conor Cooney.
Having been relegated by Corofin last year, O’Callaghans Mills defeated Clarecastle in the Clare PIHC decider to jump back to the top tier in place of the side that sent them down.
Tough tests were par for the course in what was the first intermediate campaign for the long-serving Mills full-back. “We wanted to be in a final at least or a semi-final, the business end of the season anyway. It is relief that we’ve got there, we’ve had very challenges throughout, very strong teams like Tubber, Tulla, Parteen/Meelick, Killanena, we got tested right throughout which stood to us. In the semi-final we were building a bit of momentum, we got over Ruan and took control in the second half but in the first half it was there or thereabouts, we got the scores when they were needed most but we got there thank God”.
Thirty eight year old Cooney believed the miles on the clock stood to The Mills. “We haven’t too much experience of winning, we haven’t won a lot but we have experience of playing the senior grade which stood to us. Clarecastle gave us a lot to think about, they are a young team with a bright future ahead”.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, the 2013 All-Ireland winner explained, “Everyone’s aim is to go up no matter what, the view was that it would be nice to get back in year one, if we didn’t so be it and we’d have more to work on but we’ve gone up now and we need to be competitive up there or competitive as we can because it is a very competitive standard in senior hurling, there is no mercy up there unfortunately”.
For a spell in the closing moments of Sunday’s final, he faced off with another member of that All-Ireland winning panel when Patrick Kelly was sent to the edge of the square for Clarecastle, “Pat is a great guy, we horsed off each other, he is a very nice lad”.
Forwards have been performing well for The Fireballs all season, the quantity surveyor noted. “We had a good spread of scorers, our forwards very good, they held the ball well, they made great runs and got vital scores, our forwards really dug deep”.
Advancing to Munster is bonus territory for the Mills, the ex Clare U21 captain said. “We haven’t really thought about it, anything outside of Clare is a bonus. Winning this was the main thing, we’re relieved and happy”.
