Kielty plays huge part in Wexford triumph

TOP athletics coach Jim Kielty played a key role in helping Wexford capture the Gala All-Ireland senior camogie title against Cork in Croke Park.

Previously linked with Tipperary and Wexford hurlers and more recently the Mayo footballers, it was through an athletics connection that the man who helped mastermind Derval O’Rourke’s world indoors title became involved with the Wexford ladies.

He explained: “I coach Brona Furlong in athletics and she asked me if I would be interested in giving them a dig-out as they had no trainer.

“I met them last November and our aim was to close the gap on Tipp and Cork and make it to the final if we got a lucky semi-final draw. After the League final the girls decided to change their mind. They wanted to go and win the All-Ireland.’’

In December he signed up with Mayo and brought in another trainer, Eddie Flynn to help with his Model County duties. For a while, the pair shared the training workload in Wexford but he handed over to Flynn when the driving back and forth to Mayo began to take a toll.

“Eddie took over my role and made a great job of it. I have only been with them once a month since March.

“For me it was a change from the football and the hurling and it happened at a time that I was with no county team. The girls were very committed. With A and B squads, there were about 40 at training every time I went down.

“About two months into the training I said, ‘why are we playing so well in the League this year and not so well last year.’ I learned it was due to way the management team were constantly praising them in everything they did, in every game they played. We lost only two games, to Tipperary in the championship — we got a hiding — and to Cork in the League final by a point. But, five of the girls were on the field the night before for Wexford footballers.’’

Reflecting on Sunday’s triumph Kielty said: “The girls really believed they were going to win. I was amazed how calm they were and how determined they were in the hotel and on the bus to Croke Park.’’

Other than that, what impressed him most was the amount of ‘blocking and hooking’ they did over the hour, along with ‘the commitment to the tackle.’

“It was unreal. Cork were more physical than us and we tried to move the ball quicker and stay out of their way. It had to put doubts in the minds of the Cork players when they were constantly being hooked and blocked. That was our game-plan.

“I thought when Cork came back to within a point it was going to take a huge character to lift it and credit to the girls they went down and got two points. It was really a victory for a group of girls who believed in themselves. At half time the message was ‘we’re not leaving this behind us, Wexford have waited 30 years and we have only 30 minutes to go.’ They were all committed to give everything when they went out for the second half. And they did.’’