Considine the catalyst as Kilmallock finally make leap

ONLY those who are close to the scene in the town can appreciate just how much pressure was on Kilmallock to win Sunday’s Limerick SHC final.

Dominant in their own division of South Limerick for decades (the pick of whose intermediate and junior clubs, known as Emmets, they beat in the final), Kilmallock were also the prevalent force at minor with seven titles since 2000, and at U21 where they reached the last five finals in a row, winning the first four.

The talent to make the breakthrough at senior level was undoubtedly there, yet year after year, failure. Last Sunday, however, put an end to all that, and with a team that was led superbly from the back by captain Gavin O’Mahony and from the front by the inspirational Andrew O’Shaughnessy, Kilmallock won its ninth senior title since the breakthrough year of 1960, its first since 1994. How was it achieved?

“I want to pay tribute to one man,” said Gavin O’Mahony in his victory speech.

“He converted us from underage players to senior players – thanks Tony.”

The Tony in question is former Clare selector and manager Tony Considine, who had been at the helm for the opposition when last Kilmallock reached a county final, beaten by Garryspillane in 2005.

Earlier this year he was approached by Kilmallock, agreed to take the reins, and since then, they have swept the boards – league title, South title, and now the big one. What has the Clare man done to make such a difference?

“He’s got us all working together,” says O’Shaughnessy. “There’s great discipline, and he treats everyone as equals. Work-rate is the difference. This was about grinding it out, keeping the ball in the opposition half.”

Oh, they can play pretty hurling, can Kilmallock, several sublime stickmen in their ranks, true blue-blooded aristocracy, but the blue-collar mentality, that’s what they needed, and that’s what Considine inculcates into any team he touches. Not that his job was all that difficult, in honesty. There has long been a willingness among the players, says O’Mahony, to do what was necessary to succeed.

“I can’t compliment the players on this team enough – they are so disciplined, real professionals from Andrew O’Shaughnessy right down. Tony Considine’s hardest problem is to stop fellas training. From Barry Hennessy (goalkeeper) up, they’re freaks, they train every day of the week.”

Now Kilmallock have time to regroup before getting ready to meet whoever emerges from Clare in the first round of the Munster championship. When they last won in Limerick, in 1992 and 94, they went on to win Munster; can they do so again?

“I wouldn’t get carried away,” cautions Gavin. “It’s still a very young and inexperienced team. There are so many involved with colleges. There will be four or five on the county senior team next year, they’ll be looking for three or four more for the intermediates, and then you have a couple of U21s. It can be a very good to get that experience but from a club point of view, how do you keep fellas together, how do you get momentum, how do you get a team settled?”

Questions for another day. Meanwhile time to celebrate in Kilmallock, finally.