Daniel Collins: Past five years ‘a failure’ for Kerry hurling

The recently appointed Kerry captain insisted that “anything other than winning the Joe McDonagh” in 2021 is “a failure”

The recently appointed Kerry captain felt the team played “fairly poorly” in December’s two-point Joe McDonagh Cup final defeat to Antrim. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Kerry’s inability to secure hurling championship silverware since 2015 means the past five years must be seen as “a failure”, according to the county’s new captain, Daniel Collins.

Collins was half-back on the Kerry team which won hurling’s second-tier championship — then the Christy Ring Cup - in 2015, but recent efforts to land the Joe McDonagh title have been in vain. 

The recently appointed Kerry captain felt the team played “fairly poorly” in December’s two-point Joe McDonagh Cup final defeat to Antrim and insisted that “anything other than winning the Joe McDonagh” in 2021 is “a failure”.

It remains to be seen into which province Kerry would be promoted were Fintan O’Connor’s charges to go one step better in 2021 following last year’s Croke Park decision to reroute Kerry directly into Leinster, rather than a play-off against a Munster county, had they won the 2020 edition of the competition. 

“To get back up with the big boys, it would be great to have another cut off them,” said Kilmoyley native Collins, who previously captained Kerry in 2016.

“It is 2015 since we last won anything, so that’s a long time, we should be winning something. It is a long time without anything. That’s probably five years of a failure, if you ask me.

“Hopefully, we can really push this thing on and win the Joe McDonagh whenever it is on.”

A member of the Kingdom set-up since 2013, Collins outlined the challenges of juggling an inter-county career with being a full-time farmer, a profession now far less common among inter-county players than was once the case. 

“It is fairly difficult, to be honest, to be doing what I am doing and to be playing senior hurling with Kerry as well. The commitment levels are absolutely massive. Even now, compared to when I started in 2013, they have gone up crazy levels. The professionalism is unbelievable.

“Then farming is so unpredictable. You are out labouring all day. I am probably the only one now that is farming on the team. When I started, there were seven, eight, or nine of us, so it is very difficult. It probably would not be possible for me without the help of my father and the lads that work for us. It is fairly full on.

“I have a fella that drives a truck by day and every time I text him during the day to tell him that I have training, he comes in and takes over for me. Without the likes of those fellas, my Kerry career would not be possible. I am only grateful to them”

In a welcome bit of news for Kerry hurling followers, Collins hinted that Barry O’Mahony — who won an All-Ireland MFC medal with Kerry in 2017 and also played U20 football for the county — will be focusing on the small ball in 2021. Back in 2019, the young dual talent was half-back on the Limerick IT freshers team that reached the All-Ireland freshers hurling final.

“This year, [Barry] is on about giving his full commitment to hurling so that would be a huge boost. I think he is every bit as good as [Shane] Conway, to be honest.”