*Abbeydorney manager, Francie O’Halloran. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
HAVING CLOCKED up the miles to help Abbeydorney to win two Kerry senior hurling championships in a row, Francie O’Halloran reached his final destination with the side as they bowed out of the Munster club championship.
Ruan’s Francie led Abbeydorney to a first senior championship in fifty years in 2024 and they retained their title at the beginning of August. Their 0-23 0-17 win over the Pa Kelly coached Ballyduff was their last competitive outing prior to facing O’Callaghans Mills in Sunday’s Munster club quarter-final.
O’Halloran felt their six week wait for a game became evident in the dying stages of Sunday’s quarter-final. “Look, these guys haven’t played a real competitive game since August so perhaps we ran out of gas a bit in the last seven or eight minutes and we got a goal that the Mills wouldn’t be happy with. Look, they’ve seven or eight weeks off now before they regroup and go again whoever is over them”.
For forty minutes of Sunday’s tie, Abbeydorney led and O’Halloran felt they lost their way as the game entered the crucial finish. “It’s disappointing. Fair play to the Mills and best of luck to them for the rest of the competition but we were in control and just lost our way a bit in the second half”.
He told The Clare Echo, “That twenty minute spell in the middle third of the game, we just didn’t get our shape right whereas they got that goal and some great scores that really united them and got their main players back into the game. The goal chance there at the end, nine times out of ten that goes in and we probably go to extra-time but that’s what you play hurling for, these moments, and right now the players inside in that dressing room, I’m immensely proud of them.
“They’ve secured seven trophies out of a possible eight in the two years that I’ve been here and there’s much more in them too,” the former Roscommon manager added.
His two seasons with the Kerry champions has come to a close, he confirmed.
“I think this is my last game. I just can’t keep doing the driving I’ve done over the last two years as it was off the charts. Look, I’m really proud of them and all I can say is that we’ll just wait and see what happens in a few weeks time when we meet up”.
