'A massive statement' - Castleisland Desmonds eye Munster title after Kerry stars' early return from New York
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND: Lorraine Scanlon was on the 'trip of a lifetime' to the Big Apple. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane
As they prepare for Sunday’s intriguing Munster LGFA senior club championship final against Comeragh Rangers in Mallow (3pm), Castleisland Desmonds have found that their bond of togetherness has been galvanised to an even greater degree over recent weeks.
Surprising victors in Kerry after their stunning performance against Southern Gaels, five of Dan Kearney’s side were faced with a difficult dilemma when the provincial semi-final with Kilmurry Ibrickane clashed with a team holiday for the victorious inter-county Kingdom All-Ireland champions.
Faced with potentially missing out on the trip to Quilty last Sunday, the experienced trio of Lorraine Scanlon, Eilís Lynch and Cáit Lynch, along with younger duo Amy Curtin and Julia Curtin, changed their travel plans to arrive home from New York earlier than their Kerry team-mates.
“It’s a phenomenal statement by them. Those girls, what they have given to Kerry, in particular the three older girls, Eilis, Lorraine and Cait, is just unprecedented,” said Kearney.
“The commitment they’ve given to Kerry over the years, and to finally get over the line and win an All-Ireland final, and then to be faced with going on a holiday in the middle of a Munster club championship, and the holiday of a lifetime as it was, to New York.
“To then, and we tried to help them the best we could, go to the trouble of trying to change their plans. It came from them, they wanted to play, they wanted to change, they wanted to represent their club, which they have done so admirably for 15 years.
“They’ve won a lot, they’ve lost, they’ve had heartbreak, but the club was always in their heart, and it remains in their heart. We can never be more grateful for the effort that they made to change. It was a bit of a slog, and it was stressful for them.
“They wanted to come back, and they wanted to play in a Munster semi-final. They took the initiative. There was nothing happening otherwise, there was never going to be a change to the game, with the Clare final being on so close to the semi-final.
“It was a massive statement to us that we have these leaders, amongst others, but in particular these girls, that they went off and they drove that. It was a great inspiration to our two younger girls who are part of that Kerry set-up, Amy Curtin and Julia Curtin.
“They will have seen that these girls, who have given so much to Kerry, who have given so much to Castleisland Desmonds, were willing to sacrifice the holiday of a lifetime to come back and play for their club.
“As a group, we’re a very, very tight group to begin with, and we’re a very happy group, but to do something like that was extraordinary. We wouldn’t be in a Munster final if they hadn’t,” he stressed.
First-half goals from Andrea Murphy and Julia Curtin gave Desmonds the platform to overcome their Clare opponents by a 10-point margin last weekend, but Sunday is a whole new challenge against the team that ended the 42-year winning reign of Ballymacarbry in Waterford.
“The style of football that they play, they’re a fast, pacey team, with phenomenal fitness levels. To end Ballymacarbry’s reign in Waterford was huge, and it just shows the calibre of team that they are,” added the Desmonds boss.
“Once again, we go in as underdogs and, once again, we’ll have to rise to the challenge. Nobody expected us to beat Southern Gaels. We had a good night against them, we got over the line. It’s a similar scenario on Sunday.
“All these games take on a life of their own. You can prepare as much as you possibly can, and you will be hoping that everybody is on the mark on the day. Not everybody has a good day, but you’re hoping that at least 90 per cent of your team would have it.
“We have a bench that can come in, if players are having an off day, which everyone can do. We are up against a major power, we’ll just have to be better than ever to get over the line on Sunday.”
The Kerry standard-bearers will be boosted by the return of captain, and former Irish rugby star, Ciara Griffin (O’Sullivan), from a holiday in New Zealand, but they are sweating over the fitness of Aishling Leonard, who also missed the provincial semi-final due to injury.
“Aishling is still touch and go. She picked up an injury prior to the semi-final, she didn’t play in the semi-final, and she’s had intensive physio all week. At this stage, it’s still down to the last hours to see if she can make it.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
