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*Aidan McCarthy captains the Inagh/Kilnamona side. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
The motivation behind Eugene Cullinan’s return as manager for a second stint mirrors Inagh/Kinamona’s current mood in general – unfinished business.
After all, having led his native club closer than anyone to a first senior title since Kilnamona ruled the land 118 years ago by reaching the 2021 decider, Cullinan is determined to surpass that feat this time around and finally put an end to their frustrating famine.
“First and foremost, there are a great bunch of lads there,” began the former player who actually grabbed a brace of goals to sink then county champions Tulla in Inagh/Kilnamona’s first ever championship outing as a permanent amalgamation in 2008.
“Look, for one reason or another, we’ve had some tough luck stories over the past few years. For us in 2021, we had a tough luck story with the county final and there have been another few since so when the opportunity arose, we said we’d go for it again and look, we’re here now and really looking forward to it this weekend”.
That ‘tough luck’ story from the 2021 county final was of course at the hands of Ballyea who as fate would have it Cullinan’s first opponents back at the scene of that late smash-and-grab crime in Cusack Park this Friday evening (7pm).
“It’s definitely fate that we’re meeting Ballyea in the first round and the great man himself Robbie [Hogan] is also back in charge of them as well. I mean what’s he has done in Ballyea has been nothing short of phenomenal and to be honest most managers in Clare look at him and try to replicate what he’s doing because he does have the Midas touch in fairness and overall Ballyea have that Midas touch. So we’re going to be up against it but we’ve some good hurlers ourselves as well and if we can get it to click on Friday night, we’ll put up a serious battle”.
It’s only one of three serious battles to come though as Inagh/Kilnamona are pitted in a real heavyweight pool of proven and emerging talent. “You’re definitely going to find out after the first game where you are anyway as Ballyea, as we know only two well ourselves, are some team and have won four titles in the last ten years so we know how tough it’s going to be on Friday night.
“And that’s only the start as we then face a Doora/Barefield side that have some great young players coming through while Clonlara only won the championship three years ago so it’s going to be a tough group but exciting too.
“We know what we have to do, we need three really good performances just to even get out of the group. Our work-rate has to be high and our efficiency has to be high. Everything needs to be spot on from the start”.
“I mean It’s practically knock-out from day one in this group and I know it’s said a lot but I firmly believe that trying to make sure that you don’t get relegated for the year ahead os one of the big things you set out for when you get your group. And especially when you look at this group, that’s the number one priority, to try and tick that box as quickly as possible. After that, you can look up and try to get out of the group and see where you are”.
More than in their last period at the helm in 2021 and ’22, Cullinan and fellow managerial returnees Alan Griffin and Noel Hehir along with Mattie Shannon and Dermot Lynch will look to youth to lead from the front and there’s definitely no shortage of talent and quality on that front anyway.
“A good core of the lads that were there in 2021 are still there so we have that experience. We are down Jason McCarthy for the first round as he’s suspended but other than that, we’ll hopefully have all the rest of them available to us and that includes four lads that recently won an All-ireland Under 20 medal. An All-Ireland medal at any grade is a brilliant achievement and they’ve brought back a great buzz and confidence into the group so we’re hoping to benefit from that bounce on Friday as we need every bounce to go in our favour in this group”.
Inagh/Kilnamona Factfile
Management: Eugene Cullinan (Manager); Matthew Shannon, Alan Griffin, Dermot Lynch, Noel Hehir (Coaches/Selectors); Victor O’Riordan (S&C); Shane O’Connell (Medical/Physio); Sasanka Are (Analysis & Stats); Brian Vaughan, Enda O’Rourke (Kitmen & Support)
Captain: Aidan McCarthy
Key Player: Aidan McCarthy
One to Watch: Jack Mescall
Fresh Blood: Jack O’Connor, Frank Roughan
Departure Gate: None
Treatment Table: Conner Hegarty (hamstring)
Titles Won: 3 (1902, ’03, ’08 all as Kilnamona)
Last season’s run: Éire Óg exacted revenge with a statement quarter-final victory.
Schedule
Round 1 v Ballyea at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg, Ennis (Friday, July 24th) 7pm
Round 2 v St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield at Ruan (Saturday, August 8th) 5pm
Round 3 v Clonlara at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg, Ennis (Saturday, August 22nd) 4.30pm
Championship power ranking (1=weak/unlikely winners, 10=strong contenders): 8
