*Harry Doherty. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
PREPARING for a Dr Harty Cup final is “very rare” and the Munster post-primary championship is “the most special competition you can play,” St Flannan’s College joint captain Harry Doherty outlined.
To prevail against Nenagh CBS on Saturday, Harry said St Flannan’s will have to “produce the best performance of the season”.
Doherty also has the responsibility of serving as the side’s freetaker.
Looking ahead to the final, he told The Clare Echo, “this is where we want to be. Since all of us who make up the panel came into the school we have had one thing on our minds and that’s to win a Harty Cup. They are very rare and very special, We will be playing against a very good team, very good opposition who are going in as favourites and we are the underdogs We have to put our best performance together and hopefully get over the line”.
Reflecting on last year’s final loss to Thurles he said “we definitely took learnings from last year’s final loss. We have been there and done that. We have experienced all that, we have one thing on our minds and that is to win the title”.
Clarecastle have made a huge contribution to St Flannan’s College on the hurling field. “I am delighted to represent the club but it’s hard to do so when following the Dalos and the Sparrows and the superb way they have represented the club. It’s an honour to be following in their footsteps and if I can do half as well I will be proud”.
This will be the second meeting of St Flannan’s and Nenagh CBS in this season’s Harty Cup. “There were a lot of nerves there, a lot of lads playing Harty for the first time. We have great management, they tell us not to panic it will get you nowhere, stay calm, we know we have the players,” he recalled as they finished all square.
Harry continued, “Harty cup hurling is the most special competition you can play, we are all privileged and delighted to play in this competition, it’s very special”.
Commenting on the fact that the school leads the competition roll of honour he noted, “one of my teachers, Jamesie O’Connor has two and I’d love to have one, hopefully we can do the business this weekend”.
According to the joint captain, “Brendan Bugler is one of the best coaches, the passion he brings is class. He won an All-Ireland in his first year as coach with the Clare senior side”.
Concluding he said, “it’s special to have the game in Cusack Park but at the end of the day, the pitch measurements are the same for both sides. Nenagh came here two years ago and won the Harty Cup. They are delighted to play here. Yes we would love to have the honour of accepting the cup but we have to win the game first”.
