Loughrea use 'hurt' from previous final defeats to overcome Cappataggle

“We just hadn’t been able to get over the line and as the cliché goes finals take on a life of their own. We put our shoulders to the wheel and there was a real gritty determination to make it count," says Johnny Coen.

FINALLY: Loughrea’s Johnny Coen celebrates. Pic Credit: ©INPHO/Evan Logan

Johnny Coen was determined Loughrea weren’t going to be victims of their past in Sunday’s Galway SHC final.

The former inter-county defender had lost five finals including the agonising 2022 loss to St Thomas’ before finally coming good against Cappataggle on Sunday for what was the club’s third ever senior county title.

In his 17th senior season with Loughrea, Coen was part of a collective that have set themselves up an All-Ireland semi-final against the Leinster champions next month. Unshackling themselves from previous disappointments was key.

“You have to figure out that to get to a county final you have to win seven or eight games,” says the 2017 All-Ireland SHC winner.

“Did the two wins in 12 finals define us? Probably not. You have to take the positives from the success rate in those year and getting to finals.

“We just hadn’t been able to get over the line and as the cliché goes finals take on a life of their own. We put our shoulders to the wheel and there was a real gritty determination to make it count.

“We had five losses and two draws (in finals since 2006). Look, this team is a brand new team. There is much of the same from two years ago. I’d only be calling on the experience of 2022. You have to take the learnings from those days and bring it into this championship.

“There is a lot of hurt in this team but there is such an injection of youth that’s after coming in and they have brought savage interest and energy and they drove us over the line.”

Young hurler of the year in 2012, the 33-year-old stepped away from Galway a couple of years ago knowing he was going to be part of a Loughrea side that would challenge for county honours.

“I finished up in 2022 when Limerick bet us in the (All-Ireland) semi-final and I know we had a serious bunch of players and we came up a little bit short in the final that year but I knew something was coming. 

"We have a stellar management team and they’re so interested in giving back to the club and it was up to us to deliver.”

Among them for the second successive season was Clare defender John Conlon. Coen’s admiration for the Clonlara man is obvious.

“John is unbelievable. I soldiered against him for Clare and he won an All-Star last year and an All-Ireland this year and he was unlucky not to get another All-Star this year.

“Just the steeliness he brings to the thing. We had him involved last year as well and there was a lot of Loughrea people shouting for Clare because of John Conlon.” Long after the final whistle on Sunday, the blue and yellow brigades remained on the Kenny Park sod lingering in an all too rare success.

“They’re fecking hard got,” smiled Coen. “There was just a huge sense of relief and a huge sense of community from everyone trying to will us over the line.”