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 by John Fenton The Evening Echo 16th March 2004 | |||
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THE greatest day in the history of Newtownshandrum GAA dawns tomorrow
when their senior hurling team takes to the hollowed turf of Croke Park to
take on the champions of Ulster and last year’s beaten finalists Dunloy in
the All-Ireland Club Final.
For any club to play at this level of the competition is the highlight
of any players playing career.
For the Newtown lads this will be probably the greatest experience of
their playing days as this competition has grown in stature equal to any
inter-county game.
After winning the county title last year, Newtown set out their stall
and had their sights firmly fixed on the Munster and All-Ireland club
titles. I remember when Midleton played in the final in 1988 the air of
excitement around the town was uplifting for all the players concerned.
The stage had been set at the previous game when over two thousand
Midleton people travelled to Cushendall for the semi-final, and such was the
craic at that game that nobody wanted to miss the final.
Like Newtown, we had some players who had played in Croke Park prior to
the club final; but for the majority of the panel and the selectors this was
a new experience.
Again, like Newtown, we were the first game on the day and so we had to
travel up the previous night, which was different from the usual
routine before a club game and this highlighted the seriousness of the
occasion.
We stayed in Kilternan Sports Hotel before the game, and this was
probably a mistake as it was too far out of town and the fact that the bus driver
was unsure of the route to Croke Park making the journey longer than it
needed to be certainly did not help our nerves before the game.
When eventually we arrived in Croke Park we were put into, what was at
the time, considered to be the “unlucky” dressing room. Kevin Hennessy and
myself were aware of this, but said nothing to nobody until after the
final whistle.
The game against Athenry was not a great one from a hurling perspective
but on occasions such as these the result is the only thing that matters. It
was a scrap from start to finish and even though we were in the lead for
most of the game it was only when we had scored our third goal in the final
minutes that we could relax a bit.
For me it was one of the most intense and pressurised games of my
career because the bulk of our team were around for over ten years and while
we would win another county three years later, it was probably our last
shot at the All-Ireland.
For Newtown to win the game they will have to grind down their
opponents with every player giving of his best no matter how the game is going
for him. Newtown are good at this and they work hard for each other. It need
not be pretty but it has to be effective.
The longer Dunloy are in the game the more confident they will become so
it will be necessary for Newtown to hold their shape and keep their
discipline.
I have no doubt that they will stick to their normal style and — with
the probability that Ben and Gerry will be tightly marked — it could be some
of their lesser lights who will win the day for them.
They are an experienced team who will not panic easily, but no matter
how it is going it will be important for them to keep calm and take their
scores when they are in possession.
When that final whistle blew in 1988 the sense of relief and achievement
was overwhelming.
Such was the intensity of the game that the feeling in the dressing
room were quiet muted but once we got on the train home the music and craic
really started and we never wanted that train journey to end.
Adding to the history of the occasion The train that brought the team
home to Midleton that night was the last train ever to carry passengers on
the old Cork to Midleton line. 1988 is a long time for Cork to wait for
another club All-Ireland.
We wish Newtown all the best in their hour of need, and hopefully their
journey home on Wednesday night will be as joyful as ours.
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