*Mike Kelly. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
NOTED as much for its hurling pedigree as its academic output, St Flannan’s College hopes to record its latest success on the field this weekend.
“That St Flannan’s College has a long tradition in colleges hurling is known all over the country. When people hear that you are a teacher there or went to school there they immediately talk about the Harty Cup, even in places you wouldn’t expect. Young fellas are really conscious of that when they come in here,” remarked teacher Mike Kelly who is part of their management team vying for success in the Dr Harty Cup final on Saturday.
A native of Newmarket-on-Fergus, Mike said, “Obviously we are a school and education is key but for fellas who are interested in hurling it is a goal and a dream to make the Harty cup squad and then to try and progress in the competition like has been done this year”.
“We started the process during the summer holidays and we had a couple of internal games to try and get the numbers down. We started with a very big squad and it is difficult. We gave all as much of a chance as possible. There are an awful lot of players on the same standard. You will get your first 15 or 20 easy enough but after that it’s a tough job because there is such interest in it”.
Kelly said the advent of development squads means that players are a lot more ready when they trial for the school teams. ”A lot will have the background work done and it’s a great advantage to us and it does help to be able to spot the potential of players. Players develop at different times as well and a player who mightn’t have been on a development squad at under 15 level might find themselves in contention for Harty Cup”.
Asked if the meeting of the finalists in the first round will have a bearing in Saturday’s final he said, “You take every game on its own merits. We went into the first game with a very positive attitude, we had a bit of a misfire in the first half, and we were a bit shell shocked at half time but there was no sense of panic. We hurled much better in the second half. Will it have any bearing on the final, ultimately every game is different, it’s a new challenge and we will be focusing only on next week’s game.
“In the match against Cashel we managed to perform to the best of our ability in the first half., Against Tulla we didn’t do a whole lot wrong in the first half but we gave away those two soft goals before half time. We did put ourselves in a difficult position. Facing into the final it’s a sixty minute affair and we will put ourselves under severe pressure if we don’t have a good first half”.
St. Flannans have a 39 strong panel and they name thirty on match days.
“We concentrate on having a starting team and a finishing team, we are lucky that we are able to bring on fellas to get us over the line, we have fellas to come off the bench who helped us get over the line. We have had an impact off the bench in a number of games”.
The team mentor believes that “having players from last year when we lost the final is definitely a motivating factor. Experience drives it on. New fellas into the squad might get a shock at the level of prep needed and the intensity of the matches”
Concluding Kelly said “we are delighted to play in Ennis on Saturday afternoon and Clare supporters will have an opportunity to see a top class game in their own venue”.
