We won it for James McGarry, says Cha

THE ROSE of Mooncoin could be heard a long way down the Croke Park corridor.

The Kilkenny team were in full voice before meeting the press, and the echoes of their victory song were still ringing around the dressing-room as James Cha Fitzpatrick paused to put yesterday’s All-Ireland final victory in perspective.

“Last year was really special, stopping Cork from doing the three-in-a-row, but this year we did it for James McGarry. That put the whole thing in perspective.

“At half-time we’d lost two of our big players, Henry and Noel, so it was time for some of the other players to stand up to the plate and show some leadership.”

They’d shown some leadership already, of course. Kilkenny were two goals up inside the first 10 minutes: did Fitzpatrick think those scores made the difference?

“I would, they were a big factor. The two goals at the start of the match gave us an edge the whole way through, because there was always a few points in it.

Elsewhere in the dressing-room full-back Noel Hickey also felt the early goals had provided a “cushion” that saw the Cats home.

“We got a great start, a couple of goals and a few points, so we had that cushion all the way through.”

Hickey had to leave the field after 20 minutes when his long-standing hamstring injury – which had threatened to keep him out of the game altogether – had flared up.

Hickey was joined on the bench by Henry Shefflin at half-time. They both addressed the team at the break. “Myself and Henry just thought if there was any way we could lift the lads any way at all we would,’’ Hickey said.

“We said a few words but it was the lads themselves who drove it on, really.

“Henry was a big loss, he’s a leader and he’s won so many games for us over the years, but that cushion, the lead we had, carried us through. “Stuck there on the sideline, there’s not much you can do other than roaring and shouting. It’s very frustrating because you’ve done all the work and you’ve got yourself right. The win helps – that’s why you start training back in January, it’s all geared for the final day, and it’s great to be going back to Kilkenny with the cup.”

Another homecoming. Another blast of the Rose of Mooncoin.