This article is from page 48 of the 2008-06-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 48 JPG
YOU hear it every year — the line that Newmarket-on-Fergus are ready to roll back the years and claim their birthright.
It has never happened and never looked like happening, apart from a 15-minute spell in the 2006 county final before Gareth McPhillips’ match-winning goal punched a crater in their dreams.
The litany of what might have beens — the headlines of Newmar- ket feeling the blues. They have led to something of a reality check — not from there anymore can the bold pronouncements be heard. Nothing of the Barretts, Kilmartins, MclIner- neys, Colin Ryan et al being on the cusp of joining Puddin Cullinan, Liam Danagher, the McNamaras, Ryans, DJ Meehan and company on the pantheon.
It’s the opposite — if anything, eve- ryone associated with Newmarket hurling is trying to cast that weight of expectation aside. It’s a silent ad- mission, that maybe, over the past 27 years that weight has weighed gen-
erations of Newmarket teams down.
It was apparent last year — having come so close against Wolfe Tones in the 2006 final and the 2005 semi- final against Clarecastle. The natural progression was a county title.
When it didn’t happen in the quar- ter-final against Tulla, many ques- tioned Newmarket’s belly for bat- tle, but manager Diarmuid O’Leary never doubted the players’ ability to bounce back.
‘IT wasn’t so much of a surprise,” he says of the Tulla game. “We found it very hard to get over Tulla when they had a very good under 21 team. They have a lot of mature players. They have a great balance, so it wasn’t that much of a surprise that they beat us.
‘This year they [Newmarket] are beginning to mature into adult play- ers. They realise now that they are that year older and that year wiser.”
And, ominously from every other team’s point of view, they’re in win- ning form — their haul of five wins from six in the Clare Cup evidence
of their growing maturity 1n senior hurling, even if O’Leary is at pains to downplay the significance of the competition as a championship peau elon
“I wouldn’t be reading a whole pile into the Clare Cup. In the league teams are down a lot of players so that’s why league form doesn’t really count for a whole lot when it comes to the championship. I don’t want to be belittling the league either, it’s great to be winning games in the league but with clubs missing so many play- ers, it’s just not the same.”
Just the same as transferring under- age titles into senior silverware isn’t a given. They’re the Galway of club hurling — winning minor and under 21 titles aplenty, but the senior is a work in progress.
“Winning underage is great — it’s great to win a few cups underage, but it isn’t the be all and end all. Some of the other teams are testimony to that, some of them have come through without winning underage titles.”
O’Leary was the driving force on the line for those under 21 successes and when he assumed the senior job in 2007 the baton of responsibility for delivering the Canon Hamilton passed to him.
“Pressure,” he says, “only if you listen to it. I wouldn’t be taking any notice about what people might be saying about Newmarket. Every year you hear it. Every year is no different than the year before. Newmarket are going out to try and win the champi- onship — that would be it.
“Either way they are a great bunch of lads — they have given great com- mitment down the years. With the help of god they’ll get the rewards. But you’re not guaranteed anything — you just have to give it your best and hope that it’s enough.”
Maybe their best will be good enough in 2008