Hunger key as ‘indescribable’ feeling consumes Crokes
Instead they are hungrier for more silverware in the weeks and months ahead.
The Killarney outfit undertake three campaigns before Christmas with missions in the East Kerry championship, the County League and the prestigious Munster club series.
And Looney has set the bar high for his team.
He admitted: “We have three trophies up for grabs before Christmas and we want to win them all. We are greedy. We want to win everything.”
His exuberance shouldn’t come as a surprise. The weekend victory over Austin Stacks sealed their first Kerry SFC crown in a decade – a spell which constitutes a famine in this part of the world. And Looney revealed that the misery and heartbreak of the past ten years was a constant colleague en route to this season’s showdown.
“If you go back over the last few years, you will see that we lost three county finals and an All-Ireland final so it shows massive character that we have come back. We said during the week that we had no option but to win. We can enjoy the celebrations and the atmosphere afterwards. But it was about the 60 minutes in the game of football and our sights weren’t set any further than that.
“We worked as hard as we possibly could and it paid off for us. It’s an indescribable feeling. It’s what you dream of when you set out playing football. Ten years is a long time for the Crokes to be waiting for a county title. I am absolutely over the moon.”
Looney was insisted that the victory was built on a team ethos rather than a reliance on any individual.
“You have young fellas like Chris Brady, who I think was just playing his fourth senior game, and he was outstanding. Everybody plays for one another and that makes a huge difference. I think our defenders are the most underrated in the county. They were outstanding again. We worked as hard as we possibly can and it paid off for us.
“We were hoping to carry a lead to half-time as we have the legs when a game opens up. It did open up in the second-half and that suited us. We got the goal which gave us a nice cushion. We knew that Stacks would never stop so we couldn’t rest up until the final whistle.”
For midfielder Ambrose O’Donovan it was a memorable experience.
“This was a long time coming. We have suffered a lot of knocks over the last few years but we have kept coming back and that’s a credit to the lads. Ten years is a long time for the club to wait for this win but the important thing is that we got over the finishing line. This is such a big competition and there are so many good teams out there, it all means that this is a very hard cup to win. So that makes it all the sweeter.”
O’Donovan played an integral role as he chipped in with crucial points for the Killarney outfit.
“There was a few prayers said at mass Sunday morning so that all helped with the points”, laughed the midfielder. “This means everything. It’s one of the best days of my life. We have all suffered so many knocks in county finals that it’s like a dream come true to finally win it after waiting so long.”
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