*Photograph: Ruth Griffin
O’CALLAGHANS MILLS will look to “push on” when they make their return to senior hurling next season, wing back Seán Cotter has said.
For the sixth time in their history, O’Callaghans Mills lifted the Paddy Browne Cup, this was their first time winning the second tier for the first time since 1977. They had lined out in the senior championship ever since, losing their status in last year’s relegation final to Corofin.
Seán Cotter was wing back on the Mills side who prevailed in Sunday’s Clare PIHC final, dominating Clarecastle to record a 2-19 1-16 victory. He said, “In the second half our fitness stood to us, we have done savage work earlier in the year, it stood to us coming down the last fifteen minutes. Clarecastle came with us along the last ten and they threw everything at us, their forwards are very dangerous but we battled it out, our own forwards were serious, Seán Boyce, Colm Cleary, Gary Cooney, it is a pleasure working in the backs to look up and hit the ball into them lads”.
Under Seán Doyle, Cotter was moved from attack to wing back on The Mills side. Speaking to The Clare Echo, the electrician remarked of the positional switch, “It has been coming for a while, I wasn’t doing the business in the forwards, we had the likes of Colm coming back. At the start of the year, we had thirteen lads going for six positions in the forwards, there’s a bit more freedom in the backs, I’m just happy to get my place in the starting fifteen”.
Clarity on the rationale for the move may come to light during the celebrations in Kilkishen and The Mills this week, he quipped.
Full-forward on the O’Callaghans Mills side which contested the 2020 senior final, Seán outlined that they needed to get back to the top tier as quickly as they could. “We wanted to get back to senior and get the job done this year, we knew it wouldn’t be easy with teams like Tubber, they are all good teams even Killanena who were relegated gave us a good battle in the first round, you can’t take anything for granted, we’re delighted with the win and try drive on from here”.
Experience and energy played a part in their success, the St Caimin’s Community School past pupil felt. “With the likes of Bryan and Paddy Donnellan coming on, they have been stalwarts for the clubs for the last fifteen years, they have given everything and they are still pushing on training every day of the week, it is great to have the balance with the young lads and experienced guys. Hopefully in the next few years we’ll push on for a senior championship maybe”.
Kerry champions Abbeydorney await The Mills in the Munster club quarter-final on November 2nd. He said goalkeeper Killian Nugent will be the influential figure to determine if Hamilton Park in Kilkishen will fit the bill as a suitable venue for the tie. “He’s the main groundskeeper there so we have to see what he says”.
