Gaels have become battle-hardened
There was Brian Cody’s side in their opening Allianz league game last weekend. Trailing 1-6 to 0-4 against All-Ireland champions Tipperary in Thurles after 22 minutes, they led 0-13 to 1-7 at the break and were easy winners in the end.
Then there was O’Loughlin Gaels in the Leinster Club SHC final three weeks ago. Ten minutes into the second half Oulart-The Ballagh were 1-7 to 0-6 clear and looked the slicker side. And then in a flash the Kilkenny men were transformed. Martin Comerford went from the edge of the square to the half-forward line and almost immediately flashed over two superb points, Seamie Cummins came in to full-forward, notching two more, while Mark Bergin also got a brace. Twenty five minutes later, the Gaels were crowned champions.
So what is the secret of their calmness under pressure? One who should know is Brian Hogan, Kilkenny and O’Loughlin’s centre-back. He does his best to explain. “Every team is different and I suppose Kilkenny teams give off that aura. It’s not something that happens overnight. If you’re to win the county title in Kilkenny, you’re going to have to beat some serious opposition. While it’s hard to come out of Kilkenny, when you do, you’re well prepared for anything that follows.
“You know what way your team is fixed, you know what you’re capable of as a team and as individuals – you’re battle-hardened. Coming into a tight match then you’re used to it and you know how to handle it.”
He continued: “It’s a combination of a lot of things – when you come out of a tough championship you’re better prepared, and, to a degree I suppose, that’s now part of the Kilkenny psyche. You have that inner belief from winning matches.
“Two or three years ago we probably wouldn’t have won a match like that with the club, that was a problem for us inside Kilkenny, but we’re more assured now, more mature, and people say we’ve matured again since winning Kilkenny. Success breeds success, particularly in the younger fellas.”
It certainly was evident in those two games Hogan mentioned; both Ballyboden St. Enda’s (Dublin) and Oulart-The Ballagh (Wexford) were teams of real quality and getting past them was a real achievement.
The Gaels, however, are also a side of quality and steel, worthy representatives of a proud hurling county. Strong defensively – a mark of most Kilkenny teams – they have the experienced Dowling brothers Peter and Brian in midfield. Up front, they have marksman Mark Bergin, the very able Maurice Nolan, and, of course, Martin Comerford to keep the ship on course.
They’ve been here before but failed in a replay to eventual champions Newtownshandrum. Now it’s Loughgiel Shamrocks of Antrim, and Hogan admits they know little about their opponents.
“We all know about Liam Watson. He’s their key man, a serious hurler, naturally talented – he’d make any team in the country. We know they’re a well-balanced team too, but apart from that we wouldn’t know a whole lot about them and we wouldn’t have seen many of their matches. Over the last few years it was either Dunloy or Cushendall coming out of Antrim but now Loughgiel have made the breakthrough. We know they have a strong pedigree behind them too — I’ve been talking to Aidan Fogarty from our own club, he lost an All-Ireland club to them with St. Rynagh’s (1983), so they have a good history. They won’t mind going out playing the likes of us anyway, or any other team for that matter. They deserve respect, and they’ll get it — we won’t be taking anything for granted.”
Cool under pressure and respect for the opposition no matter who they are – those are the marks of Kilkenny teams and the reasons you see them at the business end of many hurling competitions - at all levels.
And it’s why Brian Hogan as a player, and O’Loughlin Gaels as a team, are to be respected.
