Tears for heroes as Newmarket hurlers end 40-year title famine
Newmarket collected the Duhallow Junior Hurling Championship trophy last Sunday after a 40-year wait. Emotional? You could say that, according to club PRO Luke McCarthy.
“Absolutely, it was. A great day for the club. Lads crying and all of that. Obviously the lads on the team hadn’t seen that, the game 40 years ago, but even the older lads in the club, that was a long time to be waiting for it.”
They made the most of it: social media coverage suggested a lively procession through the town that evening.
“We had a parade through the town just after eight o’clock on Sunday night. The pipe band led the parade through the town, the players were on the back of a lorry, but we had the U16s up there as well. They won the plate in their age group on Sunday so we had them up there, too.
It’s great to have a night like Sunday because it gives everyone in the club a lift, it encourages everyone. Winning a trophy shows everybody the work they’re doing is worthwhile, and when you have a good bunch of players you try to get the most out of them.
“We’re all delighted for the management and backroom team as well. Barry O’Leary (manager) has been doing the hurling and football all year, and that was a big help because the players were all training and preparing together all year. It drove everything on that they were working together.”
It’s the kind of win that validates everyone’s work in raising hurling standards in the club, adds McCarthy.
“We didn’t forget the people who helped us along the way, either.
“Neilly Forrest from Meelin and John O’Connor from Newtownshandrum came in and got the show on the road, and it all came to fruition then on Sunday against Kilbrin. We’re out next weekend against Tracton in the county, so it’s back to training tomorrow night, and we’ll give it a good rattle.”
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