*Niall Hickey and Patrick O’Connor.
FROM THEIR appointment as joint managers of the Kilmurry Ibrickane senior ladies football team eighteen months ago, getting to a first ever county final at this level was the target for Niall Hickey and Patrick O’Connor.
“This is where we want to be and it’s where we want to be for both mens and ladies teams. The dream is always to play in the county final, the biggest day of all, in Cusack Park. When Patrick and myself came in 18 months ago we knew it wasn’t going to be easy and we knew it was going to be a two year plan”, Niall Hickey said this week.
Does the fact that it’s their first final and that it is being played as a curtain raiser to the men’s decider put extra pressure on. “There is no extra pressure. We have Chloe Moloney, Amy Sexton, Joanna Doohan, Ciara McCarthy who have played at a high level with Clare. They have been in league finals and in Croke Park. The young girls have played at a high level also. There will be nerves for everyone but it’s how you handle it at the end of the day”, O’Connor said.
“No matter how many county finals, whether it’s the first or last, there will always be an element of pressure as everyone wants to perform on the day and that does bring added pressure and sometimes that can be beneficial. Maybe nerves is a way of telling your body that you are ready. There will be nerves on both sides. It’s how they handle it and maybe the team which handles it better will come out on top at the end”, Niall outlined.
Patrick expects a very close contest. “There is nothing between us over the last two years, we have played four or five times, we met in the quarter final in Gurteen last year and I think it was a point that separated us. In the league final we won on free kicks. In the first round of the championship in Gurteen, they beat us but we know there is nothing between us, its 50/50. Both have good young players and they both have experience, it’s going to be on the day”.
Niall is also a member of the men’s senior panel who will face Éire Óg in the Clare SFC final following the ladies game. “We are in a bit of predicament. I probably won’t be able to travel with the men, I am only back training four or five weeks. I had surgery earlier in the year. Keelan Sextion, Caalifhinn O’Dea, Dermot Coughlan all have sisters involved, there is a lot of cross over. Hopefully the lads can get in a bit earlier to support the girls but they will be focused on their job. We have a lot to do in both games to come out on top”.
Patrick believes that “ladies football in Clare is at a very high level. Our group in the championship was the group of death. If we hadn’t got a result against West Clare Gaels, it’s probably the relegation final we would be in now. If you look at the under 16 and minor competitions, there is a high level of competition and this is something for the new Clare management to look forward to”.
Football’s importance in the parish of Kilmurry Ibrickane was flagged by Niall. “Football is part and parcel of life in this parish. Growing up we didn’t know anything else, it was always football and if you don’t play football here you don’t have anything else, it’s great to see our minors contesting the final as well. It’s very important to bring forward a few new players each year, it adds freshness to the team. We have pulled a few through in both mens and ladies this year. It was big for us to bring youth through. Our panel is tight.
Concluding both mentors said, “we are looking forward to the final, it’s where clubs and players want to be, there is a bit of colour around the parish, a buzz and a bit of pressure as well. We know we are going to have to be better and to perform on the day. If we perform to the best of our ability and get the most out of the girls, we will be happy enough”.
