How a 'proverbial kick up the hole' turned the Barrs season around

HARSH LESSONS: Ian Maguire and St. Finbarrs have rebounded from surprising challenges.

Thirteen group games unbeaten. Thirteen group games untouched. An average winning margin of eight points. Only one team - Ballincollig, in 2021 - had come within two points or less of the Barrs.

Four years of group phase dominance and then bang. An unforeseen and unexpected wallop. Unbeaten and untouched no more.

Mallow were their most unlikely conquerors. They’d met the Barrs in the opening round of group stage action 12 months previous and come out the wrong side of an 18-point mauling.

At Grenagh on August 17, the Barrs were scattered and insufficiently tuned in. They were slow and ponderous at throw-in, then belatedly arrived at the pitch of proceedings, failed to protect a six-point advantage on the half-hour mark, and were forced to play with 14 men for the final 20 minutes.

The current Barrs crop tend to thrive in chaos. At Grenagh, the only chaos was their own house. A 2-12 to 2-10 defeat and a lurch into the unknown.

“I think there was an element of maybe being too confident going into the game. You don't want to be saying that too loudly now but that might have been a factor from the group itself,” said Barrs midfielder Ian Maguire this week.

“As a group, after winning the first group game, we were maybe thinking beyond the challenge that is in front of you. We learned a very harsh lesson that day.

“We got outfought. Outworked too because it was a tight game for large parts. Mallow showed us a lesson or two in terms of fire, fight, and work-rate, and that's really been a foundation for us going forward from that day.

“Action is very important and going into the Valleys game, we were very annoyed that we put ourselves into that position. Valleys was a knockout championship game. But we have really driven on from there.” 

Driven on they have. Valley Rovers were hit for 4-12, Ballincollig for 2-15. The Barrs are back in the last four of the championship for the fifth autumn in succession. The different route travelled this year, dictated by events in Grenagh, has been “a blessing in disguise”.

“If you are to use the term litmus test, it is very hard to know in the group stages (where you are), depending on who you get. I remember a couple of years ago, we played Ilen Rovers in Ballinascarthy, and straight up we should have lost.

“When you get those sorts of scares, especially in the group stages, it refocuses you in terms of what you are doing right and wrong. With the loss against Mallow, that's been the proverbial kick up the hole. It was a deserved loss too.

“Getting a loss early in the championship, you never want it. That defeat is definitely beneficial, so long as you use it in the right form, which I think we've done.” 

A different road travelled and a different look about Barrs 2024. We’ll come to the change of management in a minute, but first to change inside the whitewash.

Sam Ryan’s Achilles, Billy Hennessy’s cruciate, and Limerick midfielder Michael Donovan returning to his home club of Galbally created openings. Stepping up and stepping forward have been young Fionn Crowley in defence and John Wigginton Barrett further up. The latter was outstanding in the quarter-final win over Ballincollig. 1-2 from play and fouled for a converted Steven Sherlock free.

The circumstances of their promotion are not as the Barrs would have wanted, but evolution, irrespective of its genesis, is imperative.

“It is like with anything, you have to evolve. I am not deflecting here, but Castlehaven are a good example. They've brought forward three or four players, the likes of Jack O'Neill, Thomas O'Mahony,” Maguire continued.

“The last day against Ballincollig, we had a couple of injuries. The inverse of that was Colin Lyons came on and provided experience.

“That depth in option, no matter the age, is invaluable. You need that new lease of energy, new voice, that is so important, and to be fair we have been bringing those couple of players through.” The new voices on the sideline are selectors Martin Desmond and one Jimmy Barry-Murphy. Brian Roche, strength and conditioning coach when the Barrs won the county in 2021, has succeeded Paul O’Keeffe as head sideline honcho.

“There is continuity with [Ian] Keeler, Brian Roche, and then we had the additions of JBM and Martin Des. New voices and calling on different experiences. Martin Des is a former player, and JBM with all his experience across different decades, codes, you name it. That stuff is invaluable and we've really been leaning on that the last few weeks.

“Never had the pleasure of playing under JBM until this year. But soaking up every minute of it. Hopefully going out and doing the business on Sunday to have more time with him.”