County rivalry set aside as International Rules duty comes first for Ireland squad

Manager Joe Kernan plays down differences team-mates may have had with one another, writes John Fogarty.

Eight days out from the International Rules test against Australia, Diarmuid Connolly will join up with Lee Keegan and the Ireland squad for the first time tomorrow evening.

The pair will likely mark each other in an in-house game in Carton House but the Mayo defender expects bygones to be bygones and none of the hostilities the pair shared in the drawn All-Ireland semi-final when Connolly was red carded to be repeated.

“No, there are no problems,” he insisted. “We’re representing our country. What we do with our county colours is totally separate to what we do we do for Ireland. That’s my main thing. I’m not apprehensive at all. We’re both adults. We both know how to deal with it. I was happy enough with the way the whole thing was dealt with.”

Manager Joe Kernan has also played down the differences some team-mates may have had with one another during the inter-county season. Aidan O’Shea and Philly McMahon would be another example of two who didn’t see eye-to-eye in the aforementioned semi-final.

“Wait, we’ve all been there,” said the Armagh man. “I had battles with Tyrone for years as a manager but when I managed Ulster, the best players I took in were Tyrone players. So we hear these myths.

“When these boys cross that white line, they just want to play football. And everybody is the same when you’re in the pack together.

“We went out last weekend for a few beers and the noise on the bus was good, there was good craic. If we got on the bus and no-one was talking, we’d have to rethink a few names.

“But no, there was a great atmosphere, they’ve gelled well and hopefully if we win they’ll be hugging each other because they’re part of something special.”

With no training done and not having yet played any International Rules, Connolly was parachuted into the 23-man squad. Kernan vehemently defended his selection: “He wasn’t there last weekend but wait a second: do we want to start looking at his qualities? He is one of the best players in the country and was for two or three years and hasn’t fallen below that. So for us to get someone like him - intelligent, good kicker, good passer of the ball – he’s everything we want our team to be.”

Keegan admits the Rules preparations have taken his mind off the recent situation in Mayo where player power forced Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly to step down as joint-managers with Corofin boss Stephen Rochford expected to take the helm.

“I’ll be honest, it was more difficult losing the game than what went on afterwards. We were in touching distance in a game with Dublin. That was probably the hardest thing for me, personally. Mayo is a football mad county. They expect big things there. Whatever happened, happened. I tried to stay away from that as much as possible. I’ll deal with that when I go back (to the county squad) in December.”

With Rochford the only candidate for the role, Keegan can say with a degree of certainty he’s looking forward to working with the Ballinrobe native. He knows the expectancy on the players will increase in the wake of their coup.

“Obviously, we’re looking to one goal and that’s Sam Maguire but we go through different processes. We go through it game-by-game. That’s something we’ve always highlighted year-in, year out. So there will be added pressure on us but I think we’re capable of handling it. We have some big characters there and good leaders.”

There are five Munster men in the panel – Gary Brennan, Ciarán McDonald, Donnchadh Walsh and Cork pair Eoin Cadogan and Paul Kerrigan. Kernan sees Kerrigan, who follows in the footsteps of his father Jimmy who appeared six times for Ireland, having a definitive brief on Saturday week.

“With Peter Harte, he can see an opening, take a chance, and he’s gone. If they can get on the end of something too. Paul is not there to win dirty ball. He can score from long range, kick 40 yards, and make up ground to get on the end of something."

Eirgrid International Rules Ireland squad

Squad:

Niall Morgan (Tyrone), Colm Begley (Laois), Gary Brennan (Clare), Bernard Brogan (Dublin), Capt Eoin Cadogan (Cork), Mattie Donnelly (Tyrone), Eoin Doyle (Kildare), Peter Harte (Tyrone), Darren Hughes (Monaghan), Lee Keegan (Mayo), Vice Capt Paul Kerrigan (Cork), Jack McCaffrey (Dublin), Ciarán McDonald (Tipperary), Philly McMahon (Dublin), Conor McManus (Monaghan), Rory O’Carroll (Dublin), John O’Loughlin (Laois), Aidan O’Shea (Mayo), Michael Quinn (Longford), Donnchadh Walsh (Kerry), Diarmuid Connolly (Dublin), Paul Cribbin (Kildare), Paddy Mc Brearty (Donegal).

Stand by players:

Paddy O’Rourke (Meath), Killian Clarke (Cavan), Ray Connellan (Westmeath), Kieran Hughes (Monaghan), Gearoid McKiernan (Cavan), Dessie Mone (Monaghan), Colm O’Neill (Cork), Enda Smith (Roscommon).