Kearns: we're ready for the Kingdom

THREE years ago, in the townland of Kilmallock, Liam Kearns was enduring his first taste of senior championship football in charge of Limerick.

Earlier that day his side had been defeated by Cork by eight points, after producing a strong performance for three-quarters of the affair. In the aftermath, Kearns spoke eloquently to the waiting journalists, who were garnering quotes from the defeated boss almost as an afterthought.

"There is no reason why we cannot win the Munster championship in the next couple of years. We have a tremendous crop of young talent who, when they get into the habit of winning, will be more than a match for the best," he said prophetically.

Few thought him serious. But here we are, on the cusp of a Bank of Ireland Munster SFC title with the provincial champions already accounted for during a wondrous campaign. Kerry, the undisputed kings of the code, is all that stands in their way. It is a county that Kearns is well versed in.

He won an All-Ireland minor medal at his second attempt in 1980, played on the Kerry U21 team for four seasons before winning an All-Ireland medal as a substitute. Ironically that was achieved in 1985, on a team that was captained by his opposite number tomorrow, Paídí Ó Sé.

Management for him almost happened by accident. Soon after his appointment to the garda college as a gym instructor, he was instructed to take charge of the Sigerson Cup team.

Reflecting on five years of fairly successful activity in Templemore working with a steady flow of inter-county players proved a great introduction. "It was a good learning experience," he admits.

In Limerick, he succeeded Pat O'Shea another Kerryman, in taking charge of both the U21 and senior teams, starting off in the 1999-2000 League.

"We were hammered by everybody until we beat London at the Gaelic Grounds (1-9 to 0-9). That was how bad things were four years ago," he says.

The first big break came with a win over Cork in the U21 championship in Pairc Uí Chaoimh, at the end of March 2000. It was a validation of the approach pursued which involved training the younger players with the seniors.

"The time we beat Cork, that was when I realised we had something we could work on and we won all our other games until we lost to a very good Tyrone team in the All-Ireland final. I knew we had talent to work with," he says.

After two years, he decided to concentrate totally on the seniors, confident that he had the nucleus of a good side. Then, last season they narrowly failed to gain promotion, but along the way they recorded a rare win over Kerry. Things were different come championship time.

The sides met at the Gaelic Grounds and they came to within a point near the end before Kerry added on three late scores. A great save by Declan O'Keeffe late in the game had a big influence on the outcome.

"We kicked a lot of wides, but, in fairness we lost two of our forwards at the start of the second half Stephen Kelly and Muiris Gavin, who have probably been our best forwards this year," he recalled.

"I would also say it was a first round match as opposed to a Munster final and Kerry traditionally are not at their best in the early rounds. The Munster final is their stage; when they go there they are ready to put on a show," he says.

Limerick though, prospered in the qualifiers. Held to a draw by Cavan at the Gaelic Grounds, (after extra time) they went up to Breffni Park and surprised everybody by winning. Next up was a home win over

Offaly. Pitted against Mayo in Dr Hyde Park, they again distinguished themselves before losing by just a point.

"These were crucial wins, because we felt we let it behind against Kerry. It was great to have the games because they did an awful lot for our self-belief," he says.

The roll continued into 2003. Gaining promotion to the first

division earlier this year was the reward for consistent development as a team, enhanced by mental toughness. Kearns says he had to use a bit of psychology to assist them to overcome the defeat by Westmeath in the Division Two League decider. The same psychology which has been employed in recent days.

"When you're talking about Kerry and Limerick, Kerry would believe its their birthright to beat Limerick out the gate any time they meet them.

"That's the reality of it and it's very hard for them to accept that anything else is going to happen on Sunday.

"I'm a Kerryman myself and I played with Kerry. And, I can tell you we didn't expect to lose to Limerick any time we went out against them," he says.

But that was then. Nowadays Limerick have laid their markers and made the football world sit up and take notice. They are not in the business of being awed or over-run, an attitude which he stresses will be shared by their successors. The days of moral victories are no more.

He points to the league defeat as the turning point of the season., the "kick up the backside the lads wanted." Afterwards, he told the players that he had enough of moral victories, enough pats on the back.

More pertinently, he left them in no doubt that he believed they had the capability to beat Cork in Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

"They were fed up with it too. And, in fairness, they went out and gave a great performance that day," says Kearns.

None more so than Muiris Gavin.

"I can't speak highly enough of the amount of time Muiris has put in to perfecting his free-taking. He is doing a fantastic job, with a 90% success rate right through the league to this stage. Hopefully he will carry it on to the final, when it will count most.

"The Holy Grail for us is Munster. And, if we beat Kerry, why should we be worried about anybody else after that," says Kearns.

Fighting talk indeed. Then, again you'd expect nothing else from a Kerryman.