McConville: Players motivated by Crokes remarks

Oisín McConville admitted Crossmaglen have been motivated by the comments made by the Dr Crokes chairman last month.

Ahead of Saturday’s eagerly awaited All-Ireland semi-final between the clubs in Portlaoise, Vincent Casey called for the Killarney club to be issued with a block of tickets so they could sit together. Casey’s words were interpreted as a call for segregation of supporters, a phenomenon Crossmaglen legend Joe Kernan claimed would see the GAA “shut the gates”.

There are tensions between the clubs ahead of the game which will be played at O’Moore Park, the scene of last month’s controversial All-Ireland JFC semi-final between Tyrone’s Derrytresk and Kerry club Dromid Pearses.

There were a number of incidents at the same Portlaoise venue five years ago when Crossmaglen overcame Dr Croke’s in an All-Ireland final replay.

Also, at the Kerry-Armagh game in Tralee on Saturday evening, there were strong words spoken between rival supporters in the stand following Tomás Ó Sé’s second-half sending off.

McConville acknowledged Casey’s remarks have been heeded in the south Armagh club.

However, he believes they’re more stimulated by improving on their last performance against Dr Croke’s when they won the 2007 All-Ireland final.

“I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t had some sort of an effect,” he said of Casey’s remarks.

“I’m not sure we really needed that much motivation. A part of motivation for Croke’s [game] is we feel we didn’t do ourselves justice especially in the first game when I think we were lucky to get a draw and I think everybody would accept that.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner last year, McConville touched on how people referred to the club’s All-Ireland success last year as a “soft” achievement.

It’s a slur they dismiss themselves, but they are inclined to believe they didn’t win the Andy Merrigan Cup as convincingly as they wanted to.

“In last year’s semi-final [v Kilmacud Crokes] we were dead and buried, came back, dead and buried, came back. Last year’s All-Ireland final [v St Brigid’s], we did enough to get across the line. I’d rather we went out and expressed ourselves.

“If we do come across a team that is better than us that’s fair enough but to actually put in a real, real good performance.

“I just know there are big, big performances in us, whether it’s the next day or if we have a day after that.”

Meanwhile, it’s understood Portlaoise has lost out on several thousands of euro because of the decision not to stage the All-Ireland semi-final next Sunday.

Hundreds of Crossmaglen supporters had intended staying over in the town on the assumption the game was going to be scheduled for February 19.

However, the vast majority of the bookings were cancelled when the game was confirmed for a throw-in the previous day.