Rabbitte: we have a brilliant bunch of lads

FOR reasons defined only by narrow parochialism, Athenry are not the most popular club in Galway, but in recent seasons, they are undoubtedly the best.

Six County titles in a competitive hurling county in the last nine years is an outstanding record, and this latest won’t go down well with the begrudgers.

To hell with all that, reckoned mighty Joe Rabbitte, a hugely-influential figure over the full duration of that run. “We all knew that playing Sarsfields and Joe Cooney that they were going to be tough and that’s the way it proved. They know every trick in the book and used them, like when they scored those two goals in the second half. But we knew too we had something in reserve after last year; the abuse we took in our own County after losing the County cup and things that were put around the County. We’re delighted to come back and show that we were worthy All-Ireland champions, and deserving County champions. The bunch of lads we have here are brilliant, I’m proud of every one of them.”

Rabbitte’s tribute to Sarsfields and Joe Cooney was well merited. They are after all the only club in Galway over the last decade to consistently dispute Athenry’s dominance. Sars were winners of four senior titles themselves in the 90’s and yesterday driven on by the former Galway star, into the teeth of a strong wind, and despite being down to 14 men, they came back from what looked a hopeless situation halfway through the second half to come within one swing of a stick of tying this one up. That they didn’t was down possibly to the fate of losing the toss. Joe Cooney the Sars captain, made the call and didn’t get it.

“We’re always used to playing against the breeze in the first half, hold the opposition, then do what Athenry did to us out here. But we didn’t win the toss today and that’s the way it went. They were just a bit more solid overall and it was that bit harder when we were down to the fourteen. But we battled away and kept it going to the end.”

In tight, close-marking, greasy conditions, scores were hard-earned, but man-of-the-match David Donoghue ended up with 1-4 from play. “I don’t know which of us got the last touch, I’ll have to debate it later on!”, he grinned. “The pitch, for all the rain we’ve had recently, held up mighty, but the wind made it very hard for us. When championships go on this long, it’s all down to who wants it most, though skill is still important. We’ve trained hard for this, but in the end our character showed and thankfully we got our just reward today. It showed too the team that Sarsfields are, they put us right to the pin of our collar again - you have to take your hat off to them, they’re so strong.”

Veteran full-back Gerry Keane was one of those feeling the force, especially in the final moments, as Sars came in search of that equaliser.

“At times it felt as though they were the team with the extra man, they were applying so much pressure. It was a bit niggly, but there was nothing really too harsh, there were no really dirty belts. It was going to be like that because there’s a fair bit of rivalry between ourselves and Sarsfields”.