*Head coach with the Clare minor hurlers, Damien O’Halloran. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
COACH Damien O’Halloran has a had a central role in Clare’s run to a second All-Ireland minor final in three seasons.
Only Damien who is the team’s head coach and goalkeeper coach Denise Lynch remained from last year’s management headed up by Brian O’Connell. The pair have been part of the minor management for the past four years.
A serious injury ended the playing career of Kilnamona native O’Halloran when he was still a teenager.
While he would still love to be playing the game, Inagh/Kilnamona and Clare are benefitting from his knowledge and experience as he is proving to be a very highly rated coach.
His expertise has also helped neighbouring Galway. He was coach of the Jeffrey Lynskey managed Galway minor hurlers who won All-Ireland titles in 2017 and 2018 before progressing to their U20 side.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s All-Ireland minor final date with Waterford, he told The Clare Echo, “I got involved five or six years ago with Donal Moloney, Brian O’Connell and Cyril Lyons. I am four years with the minors now”.
When he was nineteen, Damien suffered a career-ending groin injury, he had been part of Mike McNamara’s Clare senior squad at the time along with the county U21s. A few years ago he attempted a comeback with Inagh/Kilnamona but the injury re-surfaced.
In addition to his role as a coach with the Clare minors this year, he is also a member of the senior management with Inagh/Kilnamona.
Continuity on the field has helped Clare with seven of last year’s panel lining out this year. “We have been to Thurles a good few times with these lads and it’s great to see them growing, they are getting more relaxed and getting to enjoy these big days”.
He continued, “it’s all about taking the learnings when you lose a game, see how much you can take from it to make sure you won’t get caught the same way again. The lads have been trying to embrace what we have been trying to do with them. They have taken learnings and they have improved every day in the last few matches”.
Asked about the fact that the minor final is no longer a curtain raiser to the senior decider he said, “It was always great to see the game played before big crowds but when you get to this stage it great to see it as a standalone fixture. There is a lot of attention on this grade now and the players are getting a lot of exposure”.
Long-term development is the primary focus of the Clare management, the secondary school teacher stated. “The bigger picture is development, they are learning, growing, falling and getting up and going again. When you get to this stage you want to win it, but development is front and central”.
Six points separated Waterford and Clare when the sides met in Dungarvan at the beginning of May. “Waterford are a good team, they are coming off a big performance against a very fancied Kilkenny team. The senior teams from both counties are out and that brings a lot of attention. Hopefully it will bring a big crowd to the game”.
Form is the deciding factor for team selection which is driving the quality of training sessions, he said. “The team will be picked on form. It’s very competitive and there is a huge battle to get into the match day panel and its ever more competitive to get into the starting fifteen. That’s a big reason why the lads are performing so well, they are pushing each other hard in training. I have no doubt but that there will be a few changes to the matchday twenty four for the next day again.
“With the final fast approaching the focus is on keeping everyone grounded. We have nothing won yet and there is a job to do. The lads must embrace the occasion. Messages are coming in and everyone means well but the lads must remember that they have a job to do and they are taking it in their stride,” he concluded.
