'Today's their day' - Kilruane boss O'Kelly savours the moment 

Rugby convert mixes his approach but finds the perfect pitch to guide his side to first Tipp title in 37 years 

SILVER LININGS: Kilruane MacDonaghs manager Liam O'Kelly manager celebrates with the cup after the Tipperary County Senior Club Hurling Championship Final Replay match between Kilruane MacDonaghs and Kiladangan at Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Pic: Philip Fitzpatrick/Sportsfile

Kilruane MacDonaghs manager Liam O’Kelly was a rugby man long before he took an interest in hurling. But having moved into the parish and with his son, Kian, an All-Ireland U20 winner with Tipperary, hurling has taken hold.

He still brings his rugby know-how to hurling, as much in managing his panel as anything else. Plus, he doesn’t need to be the hurling expert in the room, he says. That’s for the likes of Christy Morgan, his coach, and Christy’s son Craig, a cruciate victim last August. But rather than have him sit in the background on game days, O’Kelly has brought Morgan into his inner circle.

“I’m not a genius in hurling, I’ve always said that. One thing I do know is I’ve a group of guys in the changing room that would go to war for me every day. The bond there is unreal,” said O’Kelly after his side clinched a county title for the first time in 37 in a thrilling comeback against Kiladangan.

“That’s why I had the moment there to remember Dillon Quirke. Since that tragedy in August, we’ve just gone from strength to strength.

“The following week we lost Craig Morgan, our talisman player. We were written off at that time but we came back stronger. It’s amazing.

“Craig Morgan was a massive loss but his loss inside the white lines was a massive gain for Liam O’Kelly outside the white lines. He ran the line there today with me. His knowledge of the game, while I would have a basic knowledge of back play, he was instrumental.

“I came from a rugby background and the dynamic of the game is a little bit different compared to hurling. I tried to implement a good lot of the rugby stuff I had in my brain into the hurling but hurling inside the white lines is just such a different game, the speed of the game now and everything else.” 

Morgan’s injury wasn’t the only one to manage.

“There were two or three injuries there that didn’t train. My own son, Kian, didn’t even do the warm-up in Dr Morris Park. I’d the bike organised for him there on the side. I said, ‘Do you want to go?’ ‘I’m ready to go,’ he said. That’s the way he was and that’s the way these guys are all year.” 

It took a number of defensive switches until they got the formula right to halt the Kiladangan threat. Down 1-9 to 0-7 at the half, they won the second period 2-13 to 0-7.

“I’ll be honest about it, there wasn’t a whole pile said [at half-time] because I wanted to keep a calm changing room," explained O'Kelly. "There wasn’t a cross word said. I made two or three positional changes which I thought worked in our favour but it’s a testament to those guys. I can’t say enough about those guys. I’ve been talking about them all year. I’m driving the bus with these guys. They’re phenomenal guys.” 

Underdogs don’t usually win replays. Did Kilruane’s tradition of success dating back to the 1970s and ‘80s play a role?

“They tell me, reading the media, Kilruane should’ve been there a long time ago. But look, we got here today. People would say they’re a team that’s gone by, I saw that in the media there lately, but today’s their day and they’ll enjoy the next couple of days.” 

As for All-Ireland champions Ballygunner next Sunday: “That’s for another day. Let’s get over today and tonight and tomorrow first.”