Ryan aware Kilbrittain must hit heights once more 

Kilbrittain captain Philip Wall and Aaron Holland celebrate. Pic: Dan Linehan.

In 1995, Kilbrittain won the Cork the county IHC – at the fourth attempt, having lost deciders in 1988, 1989 and 1993.

Prior to that clash with Ballincollig, The Cork Examiner’s Brendan Larkin was dispatched west to provide pre-match coverage and his piece included the sentence: “Like many other rural areas throughout the country, hurling is a way of life in Kilbrittain.” 

As much as that is true, championship hurling just before Christmas is a new experience but one they are more than willing to embrace.

Clonmel Sportsfield is the venue for the AIB All-Ireland Club semi-final against Davidstown-Courtnacuddy of Wexford (1pm) and Kilbrittain manager Joe Ryan is optimistic that his side can build on their Munster success. 

The three-week gap since beating Kilrossanty of Waterford is ideal in terms of building up to the new challenge.

“I think the fact that it was a Munster final meant that we needed that little bit of a break,” he says.

“We went back on the Friday afterwards and it gave us a bit of time to plan out the backups for weather if pitches didn’t work out.

“It’s the time of year - we trained on Sunday morning and we trained early because lads were taking their kids to Santa and stuff like that! There are different things on at this time of year that you wouldn't be budgeting for at the start of the year.

“The three weeks enabled us to enjoy it and enable the community to enjoy the build-up – we had a coffee morning last week and it was lovely to get young and old out for pictures with the cups and the lads.

“You have to kind of enjoy it as it happens because, it's a cliché, but it probably will never happen again so we may as well make the most of it.” 

The 2-17 to 0-9 provincial final win in Mallow was probably Kilbrittain’s best performance of the year, which was pleasing – but Ryan knows it must be emulated.

“It was really satisfying,” Ryan says, “I was delighted afterwards.

“Because, even if you look at the county final, I thought we played very well at the start but at the end of the day it’s still a county final and there's still going to be nerves and things like that.

“In the Munster final, I thought they played very, very well but they just worked really hard. 

“We had a good spread of scorers but I think it's the first time this year in a championship that not all six of the forwards scored - but the three lads that didn't then contributed to about 2-8, I think it was, almost directly.

“At the other end, Kilrossanty were being talked up a lot regarding a goal threat but you had all of the defence doing a really good job as well, so it was just really satisfying that it was an overall team performance.

“We've watched Davidstown-Courtnacuddy from what we can in a couple of games and they're very well-balanced,” Ryan says.

“No matter what team you’re playing, they're not making an All-Ireland semi-final for no reason. I think, from having looked at them, I'd say it should be a very good game, probably a very physical game.

“It'll probably come down to something very small in the end.”