Kerry SHC final: 'Every year there’s expectancy in Ballyduff to win a county championship'

Ballyduff and Abbeydorney meet in Sunday's Kerry SHC final for the first time.

Sat, 03 Aug, 2024 - 06:05

Murt Murphy

Barry O’Grady has four Kerry SHC medals as a player and now hopes to add another as manager in his first year in charge of 25 times champions Ballyduff.

Having admitted that he was also interested in coaching, it was the love of the club that really made up his mind to dip his toe in management.

The most pleasing aspect for him this year has been the young players stepping up to the mark.

“Absolutely the biggest positive for us this year have been those young lads that have stepped up. The Kyle’s [O’Connor], the Kevin Goulding’s, I keep saying to them it’s their team now, and they are driving standards.

"It’s up to the older guys to meet that standard and they are, but it’s now those younger guys. Potential is one thing, going out and showing your potential is another thing and they really are. Anything you ask of them they do. No question asked, no mouthing back, they just get on with it. It’s them who are driving the standard of the group.

"It’s great to have the Podge’s [Boyle], the Mikey’s [Boyle], and the Paud’s [Costelloe], but it really is the younger fellas who are stepping up to the mark.”

In Ballyduff, it’s all about winning, losing is not an option.

“Every year there’s expectancy in Ballyduff to win a county championship.

"We’re under no illusions that that is the case; it’s like the Kerry footballers. You go every year and that’s your goal, nothing else matters.

"If Abbeydorney turn around the beat us in the county championship final, then that’s considered a failure. That’s how the people of Ballyduff think, that’s always how it’s been. Getting to a final is great, but it’s all about winning. That’s what we’re judged on.

"I have four county championships, but it’s the defeats in between that would rattle you the most. We come from a village that’s all about winning; it’s not a nice place to be on a Sunday evening when you’ve lost a county final.“

The Ballyduff boss thinks that the epic semi-final win over Kilmoyley will stand to them.

“On paper you would say that we’ve had the tougher passage, but at the same time, Abbeydorney, it’s not their fault that that was the draw. They dismantled teams to be honest with you at times. They have been the most impressive team in the championship, but we have come though a very tough side.

"Will it stand it us? Like you say will the lack of games for Abbeydorney be beneficial to them? Time will tell, but you would hope that the battle against Lixnaw and coming back from the dead against Kilmoyley, getting the equaliser and going on them to put in the performance in extra-time would most definitely stand to you. It’s a big positive.

"It’s a game we could have lost in previous years, but we’re coming out on the right side of those."

So how does O'Grady think the final will go.

“I’d say to our lads it’s pretty much about going out and performing and who performs to their maximum is going to win the game. If it’s us, we win; if it’s Abbeydorney, they win.

"It’s a matter of everyone... your tackling is right, your discipline is right, you’re clinical, you get your match-ups right - there’s so many variables in it. It’s just about who gets the most right is really going to win the game. Hopefully that’s us.”