William Harmon looking to guide 'country club in the town' to Kerry title

William Harmon: ‘I always believed that this team had the talent to achieve something and we are only one game away from doing that.’ Picture: Domnick Walsh

Kerins O’Rahilly’s boss William Harmon has been postponing a reunion with the man in the opposite dugout in next Sunday's all-Tralee Kerry County Final — Austin Stacks manager Wayne Quillinan.

“We go back a long way,” says Harmon. “We worked together with IT Tralee and we were involved when managing Milltown/Castlemaine, my home club, so we are good friends.

“We said we would go for a cup of tea when everything is all over but it hasn’t happened yet which is probably good for both of us. It won’t happen until after Sunday but hopefully it will happen and Wayne will be playing the bill.

“I have massive respect for Wayne as a coach and what he has done with Stacks, winning three club championships in a row and a couple of league wins so if I can achieve half of what Wayne has achieved, I think I will be doing ok. I have a bit to go."

Harmon has a wealth of coaching experience, having also managed South Kerry. He’s in a urban setting now, but has noticed no divide.

“To be honest I think this Kerins O’Rahilly’s team has very similar values to South Kerry in terms of how they go about their business. I actually believe that Kerins O’Rahilly’s are a country club in the town if that makes sense. There is that family feel to it and that is what I like about the club. I like that togetherness and family atmosphere within the club and that is what attracted me to it.

“I did know there was a good group of lads at the club and would not have got involved if I thought there weren’t. They are honest lads, hard-working lads, and had talent on top of that. I always believed that this team had the talent to achieve something and we are only one game away from doing that.” 

Harmon has gradually seen the group mature and characters emerge during his time in charge.  

“It goes back to experiences. Last year due to Covid we had no league games. We lost to Legion in the opening round of the SFC and the group had to get together and ask ourselves a few questions. This year we reached the League Final and it gave us a feel for what was required and Dingle taught us a lesson.

"Then it was into the Club Championship and maintained our senior status and I felt that all those experiences developed the group. Ok, we were not getting over the line in any of these competitions but we were learning quickly and you see that the group were sticking together and wanted to achieve things and wanted success.” 

Character of different shades was needed in the quarter-final when Dingle wiped out a six-point lead and in the semis when Dr Crokes went six up.

“That all goes back to players. There are times during a game when people look and wonder what the manager did or what has the coaching group done to turn things around. But I actually think because of the experiences they have gone through that players take ownership of the game on the field and take responsibility. 

"Most of them have been in two semi-finals — in 2017 when they lost to Crokes and 2018 when they lost to South Kerry — and they wanted to get to the next level. Players want to take a bit of ownership and I do believe that they stepped up at the right time."