How the Fitzgibbon Cup found its way to Lixnaw

Shane Conway falls back in with the Kerry hurlers tomorrow, the county’s crunch league fixture at home to Meath arriving at the end of a week he is certain he’ll never forget and one which won’t be easily bettered.

The objective at Fitzgerald Stadium is to secure Kerry’s place in the Division 2A decider and, in the process, move within one hour of top-flight league fare.

With the league being restructured next year, promotion for Kerry would mean being thrown into a group alongside Limerick, Cork, Dublin, and Waterford, were the Division 1A and 1B tables to remain unchanged over the weekend.

The 20-year-old heads into tomorrow’s fixture in buoyant form having this day last week pocketed a Fitzgibbon Cup medal, joining a very exclusive club of Kerrymen to have done so. Rest assured none were as central as Conway was to UCC’s 39th title, the six points he scored against Mary Immaculate College bringing his tally for the campaign to 0-38 (0-27 from placed balls).

The champions returned to Cork city on Saturday evening, with the celebrations rekindling on Sunday afternoon, during which UCC GAA development officer John Grainger suggested the panel head for Kerry the following day.

“We were in the pub and a conversation took about how it would be great if we headed off somewhere on the Monday. John Grainger said UCC had never been to Kerry when celebrating a Fitzgibbon and that he’d organise a bus if we were willing to go. It sounded like a great idea!

I didn’t think it would materialise, but before I knew it, there were 24 fellas on a bus headed for Lixnaw. John came down the bus about an hour into the trip and said we were making one stop before Lixnaw.

The picture of the panel, Fitzgibbon Cup and all, standing in front of the Welcome to Kerry sign on the county boundary became a viral sensation.

They arrived in North Kerry close to 4pm. And in the same way that Lixnaw had made a sizeable effort on the day of the final by filling a bus of 30 which attended the game in Carriganore, an open-top stage had been erected at the shortest of notice to fete Conway and his teammates. The Dew Drop Inn, the Railway bar, Paddy Quilter’s, and Walshe’s pub were all visited before they bid adieu to Lixnaw shortly before 10pm.

“That whole day was just so special,” said Conway. “I was saying to the boys that when we look back on this win in 20 years time, we will always remember the day we went to Lixnaw.”

Shane Conway brings the Fitzgibbon Cup to the Kingdom. UCC Champions 2019 ⁦@UCCSport⁩ ⁦@LixnawGAA⁩ ⁦@Kerry_Official⁩ pic.twitter.com/Hgx4z0pn6f

— UCC GAA (@ucc_gaa) February 25, 2019

He added: “Fair play to the club for putting the truck up at the top of the village. Every player was introduced. There were a few words, it was very nice. A lot of the players were saying it was the first time they had been part of anything like this.”

Conway will be a marked man in green and gold for the remainder of the year. The second-year arts student isn’t behind the door in outlining his inter-county goals for the months ahead.

“We are well capable of getting to the league final and wouldn’t it be brilliant if we could then win it?

“Can you imagine the buzz it would bring to the younger Kerry generation if Cork or Kilkenny came to Austin Stack Park for a top-flight league game next year? It would show everyone that you can get something out of hurling for Kerry.”