Pride for manager Rabbitte after two daughters overcome injury to help Athenry clinch title

The Galway side finally overcame the Barrs in Thurles on Saturday.

PROUD FATHER: Athenry manager Joe Rabbitte celebrates after the game. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

In his day, Joe Rabbitte collected three All-Ireland senior hurling club medals with Athenry. He understands more than anyone what it takes to reach the Holy Grail.

Shortly after guiding his club to a second All-Ireland senior camogie victory in FBD Semple Stadium on Saturday - their first since 1977 - he gave an insight into the past couple of months in the Rabbitte household. His daughters Sabina and Olwen, both All-Ireland senior winners with Galway, were central to this historic day.

They spent Christmas trying to recover from serious injuries. Sabina with a fractured foot and Olwen an ACL.

“It’s been so tough since the county final for Olwen. I went online and I came on a cruciate strapping up in Letterkenny and I got them to send it down. She put it on and went training after the All-Ireland semi-final and she said Dad I’m not too bad. We had a game and she played well in it.

“We had a meeting and it was four against four for playing her in the final. It kind of came down to me to decide and we played her in the final the last day.

“Then I had to get another strapping because the one she had, had weakened. She is supposed to have her cruciate operation in two days but it is cancelled again. I’m not saying this because she is my daughter, but she came back today and scored a point to really bury them (take the lead 0-12 to 0-11). When someone comes up the field and scores a point like that, it really kills them.

“You’re asking me what the house is like? With Sabina and the fractured foot and Olwen with the cruciate, and then you are trying to manage the team as well. Sabina had to be brought to the cold water to try and get the healing going because it was the main bone, the bone that all the weight goes on. It happened in the first 10 minutes of the drawn game. We came in at half-time and she was up on the table and she was crying with pain, Sabina doesn’t cry.

“We had three weeks to get it right.

“It has been a tough campaign. Eimear Keane broke her finger the last day and our goalie (Laura Freeney) had concussion after the last day.” 

So, you can imagine the ecstasy when they overcame all those setbacks.

“As a father, you bring your kids through. I have two girls in the dressing-room with All-Ireland club medals and I am so proud of that. I’m so proud of all the girls that are in there. It is lovely for a parent.” 

And it was earned with no goals conceded in the last three games. The cherry on top.

“We brought in Pádraig Linnane earlier in the year, for me he is the most fantastic hurling brain around, and we have Pádraig Mannion. We said we needed to shore up our backs a bit. We moved Olwen back to number six and I supposed it worked out for us.”