Matthew Buckley: 'We have loads of energy there, loads of youth, and they're all hungry for success as well'

LEADING THE WAY: Drom’s quartet of Séamus Callanan, David Collins, David Butler, and Johnny Ryan are the four players expected to take the field on Sunday who were part of the 2011 winning team.

There's a turn of phrase used in talking about Drom & Inch that could just as easily apply to their Tipperary SHC semi-final opponents Nenagh Éire Óg.

Both clubs have one Dan Breen Cup to their name. Nenagh have been bidding to replicate that breakthrough triumph for 30 years. Drom for 14.

There has been plenty of heartache, too. Between them, they have recorded 10 final defeats.

“It was probably the greatest day in the club's history at the moment. There’s no getting away from that,” says Drom manager Matthew Buckley of their 2011 victory.

“How many years we've been trying and we only have one county final and thank God we have that one.” 

Nenagh can relate. Both clubs are grateful for their one, yet ravenous to create some debate in the ‘greatest day’ conversation. Nenagh haven’t been back to a final for seven years. Drom for 13.

Drom’s quartet of Séamus Callanan, David Collins, David Butler, and Johnny Ryan are the four players expected to take the field on Sunday who hold those precious medals. They combined for 0-15 that famous day. In this year’s quarter-final victory over Moycarkey-Borris, they hauled 4-13 between them.

Yet, Buckley is keen to address the wrongful perception of Drom as an ageing team. Yes, they have their scoring stalwarts, but most of their unit has developed from a wave of underage success.

“Someone told me against Brackens, the average age of our team was under 25 that day.

“There seems to be a thing out there that when we see Seamie and David and all these lads playing that we're an ageing team and lads are on their last legs. That couldn't be further from the truth.

“We have loads of energy there, loads of youth, and they're all hungry for success as well.” 

Callanan, Collins, Butler, and Ryan were young lads when they won their medal. Now, they are the figureheads for a new crop bidding to do the same.

For all that talk, they haven’t mentioned 2011 in the changing room. And they won’t be mentioning it. They are keen to write their own story.

As manager, Buckley links the two generations. He hurled up through the grades alongside Callanan and co, although he was blighted by knee issues. After three operations, he had to give up playing at 26.

It wasn’t the plan to get into management so young, but it kept him involved. Success followed. He brought through a group of players to win a county minor B title in 2018. They won the A grade the following year. In 2023, county U21 A silverware was added to the collection. For those top-grade conquests, they closed a two-decade drought since last claiming the trophy.

Half of the quarter-final winning team would’ve started between those triumphs: John and Lorcan Campion, Fintan Purcell, Cormac Fitzpatrick, Cormac Cahill, Eoghan Kennedy, and Paudie Kinnane.

Callanan and Collins were selectors alongside Buckley with those teams, coaching the next generation who would join their pursuit for senior glory.

In the 2011 county final programme, Callanan placed the possibility of winning Dan Breen above Liam MacCarthy. That devotion to the club has never left him.

“To have someone like that in the club is priceless, as far as we're concerned,” says Buckley.

“The thing with Seamie, obviously he's had huge success individually down through the years, but he'll always come back to the club and, whether it's a minor or U21 or whatever, he will always give everything he has.

“He'll put everything into it, whether he's a selector or whether he's a player himself, and he'll always put the team or the club first over himself.

“He's a role model for all those younger lads. He talks one-on-one to most of them to try and help their game. Someone like that is invaluable to have.” 

In their remarkable extra-time turnaround against Moycarkey, Drom scored 0-10 in the first 40 minutes of play and blitzed 7-13 in the next 40. They gave All-Star-in-waiting Rhys Shelly no chance to save any of those goals.

The long-ball option was their saviour. They brought Butler on and moved Collins inside. Three balls lamped towards Butler ended up in the net. Two balls targeting Collins were caught to create two more.

Butler tallied two goals and assisted Callanan’s one-handed off-the-ground wonderstrike. The former Tipp captain finished with 2-11. Drom ended with four goals off the bench.

“What we had tried wasn't working, so we couldn't stay trying the same thing and start hoping it would work,” reflects Buckley.

“We're lucky we have the squad we have. It's not just 15, or it's not even 20. We have 22 or 23 players used so far, and there could be one or two more used on Sunday even.” 

They know Nenagh will pose a different challenge. The North men handled Kilruane MacDonaghs’ route-one approach, with Barry Heffernan sweeping up any breaks.

Evergreen centre-forward Mikey Heffernan floated away from Craig Morgan to great effect. Jake Morris provided a constant inside threat. Sam O’Farrell sniped away from the outside.

“They played Thurles in our home grounds in the Ragg earlier in the year, and were really impressive that day,” says Buckley.

“When they hit top form, they're going to be really hard to deal with. We know we'll have to be very close to our best to have a chance of getting a result on Sunday.

“We respect Nenagh and they're a serious team, but we need to focus on ourselves to try to bring our own game and see where that gets us.”