Month: September 2008

AS WORRY and thoughts of heart- ache turned to sheer relief, delight and eventually elation on this Mon- day, the work, sweat and tears that this bunch of girls and management have been through to achieve what has been a long time coming is slow- ly becoming a reality.

Twelve years have passed and only Catherine O’Loughlin survives that success. These have been twelve hard years though and the work that has gone in at all levels from county to clubs to schools is now coming to fruition. After many attempts at fall- ing at the final hurdle and a Minor All-Ireland final appearance, Clare have come back to Ennis as Junior All-Ireland champions.

For this team of girls (save for some) and management and myself, indeed this has been (maybe com- pared to others) a short journey. But one with as many twists, turns, lows and eventual highs as any road or journey may have.

Being with the girls in the early months of last year and to see the commitment which they put into the game and their preparations and the dedication which they gave to each other, the team, their management, clubs and all aspects of life, it was total heartbreak to see them defeated last year in the final in Croke Park. And how that broke their hearts.

There is always a flip side though and the character that these girls posess brought them through what was a dark hour. Through the depth- sof Winter, these girls got together and with steely determination re- solved with a frankness that they were going to get back to business and would do whatever it would take to bring back glory to the Banner and camogie.

This proclamation began to come to fruition as the team delivered the National League Division 2 Title, Munster U18 Title and an All-Ireland final appearance. Delivery came in the final two minutes of an agonizing game in Croke Park on Sunday. A

game that I will have to say I am yet to watch again and when I do, I may be able to enjoy it as each minute was sweated out with baited breath in the rafters of the Hogan Stand.

To say that the moment was enjoyed would be a stretch but each moment since has been a joy to the reaction of the players the management. The tears of relief and joy and the humil- ity behind it all and the work that they along with others have put in to become All-Ireland Champions. I can only salute the work and dedica- tion that they have because they have overcome many difficult obstacles and lost team-mates along the way to injury and other commitments and it is this huge family of players and backround staff that we salute.

Thanks for all the memories and well done!

IN the great story of sporting come- backs, this one will rank with the best. For the first time in just short of four decades, a Clare dog won the Irish derby but it was the manner in which the title was captured that will stay in the mind.

On the final bend Shelbourne As- ton was still in fifth place but in the final stage, managed a huge rally to see him first across the post. But it took some time for official confirma- tion to come through.

Standing behind the rails and peer- ing into the crowd was part-owned and trainer and Mullagh native Pat Grae

“When the dog crossed the line I thought we’d won but Ian Fortune [RTE greyhound reporter] was be- side me with an earpiece waiting to hear the official result. I kept looking in at the crowd saying to myself, ‘For God’s sake, will somebody put me out of my misery here and tell me if we ve definitely won.

“After a few minutes the announce- ment came through on the loud- speaker but I missed it, my mind had gone blank. So I turned to Ian and asked him what had happened. He said, “Pat, you’ve just won the derby.’ And you know what? I’ never forget those words.”

With that confirmation, Curtin

had reason to celebrate. This was only the third time a greyhound had completed the Champion Stakes and Derby double but the thing is, Curtin isn’t finished there.

Right now, he’s contemplating go- ing for the English St Leger at Wim- bledon, which begins next month.

‘No other dog has ever done the Irish Derby and the St Leger back-to- back and that’s something I’d love to do. And the Leger is over 660 yards which would suit the dog down to the ground.

“But we’ve still to make up our minds on what exactly we’re going to do. Over the past two days, there’s been a lot of interest from Australia and the United States, but we haven’t made any decision yet.”

Part-owners Noel Hehir from In- agh and Mullagh’s Margaret Mont- gomerie will sit down and discuss the situation with Curtin over the next week or two, but for now, it’s ap- propriate to bask in the glow of the DTS d eA ett e

Word had gone out that Curtin had heavily backed the dog at long odds and on Monday, he confirmed that he will take in roughly €500,000 on wagers as well as his share of the €175,000 prize money.

“He started off at 33/1 and I never thought he should be as long as that in the first place. The bookies thought he needed a longer trip, which in

fairness, he might have done but I was always confident he was going to do it.

“T actually backed him at that price for the Champion Stakes as we;; and ended up getting ©250,000 from that and then, when it came to the Derby, 33/1 was always going to get my at- tention.

“T took him at 33/1 and as he pro- eressed, he moved into 20/1, 14/1, 10/1 and I got him at all those prices as well. But as I said, I was confi- dent all along. I trained him to win the Derby and I saved him and saved him for that and for nothing else.”

Curtin — who first Shelbourne As- ton race in Galway against his own dog, Cal Diamond — pursued his then-owner Brian King relentlessly to part ways with the dog. “I just knew there was something special about this dog. I saw him for the first time in December and finally per- suaded Brian King to sell him to me a few months later.”

He now joins the prestigious list of Derby winning trainers, which includes his cousin Tom Doherty whose dog Eoin Pride was the last Clare winner of the Derby in 1969.

SUSl Se syle

They just work off a different script to every other team in Clare. Clare football history teaches us this, but still we’re ready to pen their obitu- ary every time they take to the field. The quills were dipped and ready for action at 3.15pm in St Michael’s Park in Kilmihil.

Half-time and with the Blues 1-6 to 0-4 down the end seemed nigh. The team that slugged it out with the best

of them in the Munster club cam- paigns in 2003 and ’05 had reached the end of the road.

Maybe the Cois Fharraige festival took it out of them, or maybe they were looking forward to next Sun- day’s Strand Races.

Meanwhile, heads were shaking on the terraces, too many cigarettes were being smoked and abuse was being hurled at the management team made up of Johnny Joy, Donal Hayes and Georgie Roche.

‘“W hat the f**** are ye doing,’ went

one anguished and angered cry when Noelie O’Shea was called ashore in seven minutes before half time. His replacement, Kieran ‘Chilli’ De- loughrey wasn’t listening and neither were Joy, Hayes and Roche.

Instead they were focusing on half-time — getting the team into the dressing room as quickly as possible and starting over.

“We were a shambles in the first half,” said Joy afterwards. “Shannon Gaels were all over us and were dic- tating the pace of the game and we

laid it on the line at half-time.

‘There were some harsh words spo- ken in the dressing room I can tell you and players came out and showed their pride in the second half.

‘We needed to do what we’ve been doing all year, that is fight hard for the ball and start working as a team together. The lads out on the field won that game with their heart and their desire. Everyone one of them — the lads that started and the fellas that came on. I knew they had it in Wetoee eae

O’BRIEN’S TOWER, the _ iconic landmark that stands on a headland at the Cliffs of Moher will undergo a major restoration in the coming weeks.

Millions of people have visited the tower since local landlord Cornelius O’Brien constructed it in 1835. The viewing platform is near the highest point of the 214 metre high cliffs and provides views of Clare, the Kerry Mountains, Galway Bay and the Aran Islands.

The tower has been closed to the public since the construction phase of the €31.5M Cliffs of Moher visi- tor centre and is due to reopen for the 2009 visitor season.

Clare County Council signed con- tracts with Taaffe Construction for the six-figure restoration project last Friday and the work will include re- pointing, dry-lining, and structural repairs as well as replacement of the interior staircases and fittings.

Mayor of Clare, Councillor Madeleine Taylor Quinn said that when the job is completed there will be safe and secure access to the tower which was not only a county landmark but also a place to which many people have fond and warm at- tachment.

“IT am confident that the restored landmark will encourage more peo- ple to visit the Cliffs of Moher and that the experience of viewing the Cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean from the tower will greatly enhance their visit’, she said.

According to county council di- rector of services for planning and economic development, Bernadette Kinsella, the tower is a vital part of the county’s heritage and its restora- tion will ensure the conservation of a protected structure which forms part of the draw for visitors from all over the world to the Cliffs of Moher’.

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience director Katherine Webster said the restoration work was great news for the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experi- ence and Irish tourism in general.

The Cliffs of Moher are Ireland’s most visited attraction and almost a million people have been to the Cliffs Visitor Experience since it opened in February 2007.

BREAKING down language barri- ers has become just another part of the curriculum for two schools in Syivavtcm-velemeyercneveCeyee

Sixteen different languages are spoken by the 78 international stu- dents who make up roughly 20 per cent of the total student population in Ennis Community College.

The picture in St Patrick’s Compre- hensive College, Shannon, is equally

diverse where students from 24 dif- ferent countries attend classes.

The big influx of new students who don’t speak English as a first language, is altering the traditional teaching environment and imposing extra demands on school resources.

“There have been challenges al- right, but at this stage we have fair idea of what methods work best,’ said Matt Power, Principal of Ennis Community College.

“Typically, foreign students that

enter the school at first year, tend to have little problems in adapting. But we have found that problems do arise when you have kids who are 16 and over where English isn’t their first language.”

Teacher’s Union Representatives have also warned that a lack of Eng- lish for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers is hindering inte- gration in many schools.

“We are not getting enough sup- port,’ said Bernie Ruane, Vice-Presi-

dent of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) and a teacher in St Patrick’s Comprehensive, “The Government are talking about these three per cent frontline cutbacks and if that’s the case, one of the areas targeted in schools in special education needs”. She added, “Children and parents are being put into a system where they don’t know the language and that, at times, can lead to friction.”

THERE has never been a better op- portunity for first-time buyers in Ennis to enter the property market. That’s the opinion of Michael Ley- den of Leyden Auctioneers.

There are now approximately 150 newly built houses for sale in Ennis and he says that if people don’t buy now there is every chance that they could again be priced out of the mar- ket.

‘First time buyers have everything going for them at the moment. They don’t have to pay stamp duty on new or second hand homes assuming they are going to be owner-occupiers, there is a €10,000 room rent allow- ance available and there has been a substantial increase in owner-occu- pier’s mortgage interest relief. With conditions as they are at present, first-time buyers should be much more active in the housing market.

“There are statistics coming from the financial institutions to say that they are receiving as many applica- tions as before, however, there is less of an uptake on these. They are get- ting approval for mortgages, but they are waiting and waiting and waiting

for something to happen. The prices are as low as they are going to go and now is the time to act,” said Leyden.

With the advancement of the Budget date there are two schools of thought among those involved in the prop- erty market. Some are of the opinion that they should rush in to buy now before the budget announcements, in case they cause a shake-up in the house market that would lead to a rise in prices. The other school is that potential buyers should wait until af- ter the Budget and reap the benefit of possible incentives that the Govern- ment may offer.

“Ennis is bucking the trend at the moment. Other towns of the same size are not in the same situation. Some of them have a large amount of houses for sale. Despite all the furore regarding over-supply of new homes in the Ennis property market, Leyden Auctioneers have established after research that there are approximately 150 new homes built and ready for sale in Ennis town and it’s environs.

“This is alarming considering that around 450 students sit the leaving certificate in Ennis each year, mi- grants and returned immigrants can account for up to another 200 people,

and it is estimated that the popula- tion of Ennis will increase to 36,000 people in 2014 from a current 28,700. Also if there is a rebound in the mar- ket it will take builders at least a year to catch up, therefore a shortage is already looming,” said Leyden.

This shortage is coming on the back of market conditions, but Ley- den warns that if the market doesn’t kick-start itself soon, there will be a serious shortfall between supply and demand.

Padraig Howard of Drumquin Con- struction is of the opinion that we are very close to this. “The builders have cut back the amount of projects they are involved in. The number of starts next year will be negligible. Homebond registrations are down by something in the region of 80 per cent this year. This is the lowest level of housing starts in County Clare since 1994. We are now talking in single figures.”

There are certain factors that are stopping the market from kicking back into life, and while stamp duty doesn’t affect first-time buyers, ac- cording to Leyden, it has the biggest effect on the market.

“I feel that the 7 per cent rate

of stamp duty on purchases over €125,000 is penal and crippling and should be revisited. My view would be that a 4 per cent band should be introduced between €125,000 and €750,000 and a 7.5 per cent band over €750,000. The middle market and investment market are suffering because of the current 7 per cent and 9 per cent rates.”

Both Leyden and Howard are ada- mant that neither the building trade nor the auctioneering trade want to see house prices rise to the levels that they were at 18 months ago.

“We need a stable market. Drum- quin Construction was selling three houses a week in 2006. Now we are selling one every two months. The demand is there, but buyers aren’t taking the plunge. A microcosm of this happened in 2002 when buyers stopped buying for 12 months,” said Howard.

“Tf there is a rebound in the market, it will take the building trade 12 to 18 months to catch up to demand. There is a lot of planning in the pipeline, but due to the effective embargo on planning by Clare County Council development can’t start. From the date that planning gets the go ahead,

it will take a year to a year and a half until they are ready for sale. Next year the market 1s going to be in lim- bo and it will be 2010 before we see any serious action,’ says Leyden.

Howard agrees with this statement saying, “If this happens you’re going to have increased demand, but with no supply.”

Nobody wants to see history repeat itself and despite issuing warnings about the future of the property mar- ket, the pair are upbeat about what is ELOVb OTM UL

“The economic outlook isn’t so bad. There will be lower interest rates, it is rumoured that the budget will provide serious incentives for buyers and it is hoped that the credit crunch will be receeding,” concluded averore

ST JOSEPH’S had twin objectives in mind going into this game. Victory to secure their quarter-final spot was the primary aim but there was also the huge matter of revenge.

Large dollops of tiger balm may have been handed out beforehand, because they certainly had that strong scent of revenge in their nostrils.

It told in the 60 minutes of hurl- ing as St Joseph’s erased last year’s nightmare against Corofin with a very comfortable win which gave further credence to the gathering be- lief that their squad is of champion- ship winning material.

They were asked some _ serious questions by Corofin in the first half when they could only build up a two- point lead with the wind. Then an- other question was asked when Kil- lian Neylon’s goal levelled the game eight minutes into the second half.

Corofin could sense another victory but it was the spark that ignited St Joseph’s. In the final 20 minutes they outscored Corofin by 1-8 to 0-4 to throw down their biggest marker yet to other championship contenders.

Forget the win over Sixmilebridge – we now know how bad things are on the banks of the O’Garney – because this was much better. St Joseph’s combined a steely edge in the backs with an unerring ability to pick off

scores as a host of players stepped up to take responsibility.

Take Seanie McMahon – advancing years mean nothing when you have hands and stickwork as good as one of the greatest to play the game. He played second fiddle to an inspiring Darragh Clancy in the first half, but when he was moved to the corner in the second half he bagged 1-2 from play to win the game.

This was a real contest for three quarters of the hour. The first half

was a shoot-out between Conor Has- sett and Gerry Quinn as both bagged four points each from placed balls.

Quinn’s points gave Corofin a real foothold against the wind. St Joseph’s led O-5 to 0-4 after the first quarter, their points coming from three Has- sett frees and points from play by Seanie McMahon and the industri- ous Greg Lyons.

Points by Gerry Quinn and Kil- lian Neylon then put Corofin a point clear, but St Joseph’s closed out the

half strongly with points from Greg Lyons, Conor Hassett, Michael Mc- Namara and Ivor White to edge 0-9 to 0-7 ahead.

The opening exchanges of the sec- ond half were equally competitive. Ivor White, who had a fine game at midfield, opened the scoring with a point in the first minute, while Gerry Quinn and Michael McNamara trad- ed points by the fifth.

Then came Corofin’s highpoint in the 38th minute when Killian Ney- lon picked up a long free from Gerry Quinn and scrambed the sliotar to the net to level the game 1-8 to O-11.

It was put up to St Joseph’s but they responded in emphatic style – turning on the gas in the closing 20 minutes to win in style and with something to spare.

Seanie McMahon was the man, landing 1-2 in a seven-minute spell. The points came from play while the goal in the 47th minute came after he reacted quickest to a Conor Has- sett free that rebounded off the post, whipping the sliotar to the net from eA T MAE DECKS

St Joseph’s were 1-13 to 1-8 clear and never looked back. Six more points followed in the closing 12 min- utes – Hassett hit four of them while Ivor White and Damian Kennedy also pointed from play.

Corofin’s scores from Killian Neylon, Kevin Heagney and Gerry

Quinn were consolation ones only. Their championship challenge is floundering but they can still force a play-off if they beat Cratloe in their last game.

St Joseph’s, meanwhile, are among the championship favourites. A first county title since 2001 could be clos- er than people think.

CRATLOE and Sixmilebridge go back a long way, their hurling rivalry is immense, albeit that it has been somewhat lopsided in the “Bridge’s favour down the generations. Until now that is as the boys in Blue bask in the glory of beating their near neighbours.

“It’s been a long time coming,” commented one spectator in the Eire Og Grounds on Friday night after Cratloe had their own little play on the biblical story about David taking a catapult to Goliath.

That’s just what they did in coming from ten points adrift in the second half to bring Sixmilebridge’s hurling world crashing in around them. No wonder some Cratloe folk let them- selves go.

“There won’t be any cutting posts down now,” said one historian on site, going all the way back to more tempestuous times when in the dark of night some disgruntled hurling folk were accused of cutting down goalposts to make them look like soccer goals.

Representatives of both parties say it never happened, but there are those who swear it’s true after the fall-out of an intermediate semi-final be- tween the clubs in 1970 when Sixmi- lebridge won by a couple of points only to lose it afterwards to an objec- tion after that they had a number of soccer player in their ranks.

All that history welled up in Crat- loe folk finally burst free as they cut

down Sixmiulebridge for the first time ever at senior championship level.

This was for ’95 when the ‘Bridge beat them by over a point a man in the county semi-final; for 90 when a last minute goal deprived them of the intermediate title.

The victory was the big story of the weekend, even if it wasn’t the only story. Newmarket-on-Fergus fired a warning shot in the direction of every other club in Clare thanks to their demolition job on county cham- pions Tulla; St Joseph’s Doora-Bare- field, Inagh/Kilnamona and Kilma- ley booked their quarter-final spots; Crusheen made it four wins from four outings.

But it was hard to get away from the “Bridge — the most storied club in Clare hurling since Mikey Whyte got that point in the ’77 final in Dr Daly Park — who suffered their third championship defeat on the bounce.

It has never happened before, but then again strange things have hap- pened in the Canon Hamilton race thus far. Tubber beating the ‘Bridge; Clarecastle hanging on for dear life; Tulla being beaten by 21 points by a rampant Newmarket-on-Fergus; Inagh/Kilnamona taking to the soft ground of the championship for the first time like veterans….

For sure, there’ll be plenty more twists and turns before the race is fi- nally finished.

THIS is the Banner side’s fourth attempt at winning this final since 2003. Having drawn two of those de- ciders in Croke Park to Dublin and Galway only to lose in the replays and who in the camogie world will forget the heartbreak of last year’s defeat to Derry when Clare looked to have the work done. They were un- able to hold out though for the eight minutes of injury time played on the day and a lucky shot from Derry found the net to deny Clare their mo- ment in the sun.

Clare though will take note of the determination of last year’s victors. That was Derry’s second attempt at the final in successive years, having lost the previous year. Clare have now managed to do what Derry did last year and despite some tough battles this year, the Clare girls are back again in Croke Park. That was the aim from the start of the year to get back to the ultimate stage and then take things from there. Clare have worked hard in this quest. The Banner took a step up in the League campaign choosing to go from Di- vision 3 to Division 2. This was in search of games that would test the squad and get competition going ear- ly in the year to build strength, both physically and mentally. This move has certainly paid off so far as Clare went undefeated in the League beat- ing Cork, Kilkenny and Waterford on their way to the final where they had a hard fought win over last years victor’s Derry. This gave silverware to the girls, exacted some revenge for last year’s All-Ireland defeat and provided encouragement for the rest of the year.

Clare have remained unbeaten since. They have had tough encoun- ters but have always managed to grind out that win. With group wins over Offaly, Down and Antrim and a Semi-final win over Laois, the Ban- ner girls now find themselves back in Croke Park facing first round oppo- nents Offaly.

Clare had a tough opening round game against the girls from the faith- ful county, who this year have been working under Joachim Kelly. Clare found the Offaly girls hard to shake off but did in the end come out three

point winners. Clare will know go- ing into this final that they will not have things all their own way from the opposition. Offaly had a strong win over Waterford in their semi-fi- nal and have a lot of hard work put into this campaign. They also have six of their minor side who recently won the minor B All-Ireland final over Waterford. This will give Offaly a huge boost going into the game and while they will be ranked as under-

dogs, they know that they will have nothing to lose on the day and will throw all they have at the Banner. They were unlucky to have been de- feated in the replay of the Division 3 league final to Antrim but have grown in strength and determination since then.

Clare for their part have the expe- rience of playing in Croke Park last year. While last year was not the first time in recent years for the Banner to

be participating on All-Ireland final day, it was the first time for a large number of the panel. Those new members will now have last year’s experience to build on and also have suffered a second final defeat just two weeks ago to the hands of Kilkenny in the U18 A final. These girls will not want to repeat that losing feel- NITcar DOCCMMY SUSSMAN LOM MUI RUUO NUE CNTe game against Cork intermediates under their belts, the final touches

will have begun in earnest within the Clare camp.

On thing is for certain. Clare cap- tain Deirdre Murphy has stood in the winning and losing dressing room on final day twelve months ago and will not want to have to sense the losing dressing room from a Clare perspec- tive this time round. She will be us- ing all within her to lead by example and help to drive the team forward. Murphy has been the building block on which a lot of hard won victories for Clare have been built on this year and her presence will help to steady those around her. The team as a whole are very focused this year on what they want to achieve and with the groundwork done, there is just 60 minutes separating Clare and that Junior title which has eluded them so often over the last number of years.

Clare will know that to overcome that final hurdle, all members will have to perform to their best. Down the middle Siobhan Lafferty, Dee Corcoran Sharon McMahon and Claire McMahon have worked well this year with Laura Linnane, Claire Commane, Shonagh Enright and Carina Roseingrave adding strength and pace to the wings. Deirdre Mur- phy has worked well with Chloe Mo- USA TOON COCIOCs)(emr-TeLOMNeCoM sr-UEMey:(eqbntTe has worked hard with Kate Lynch and Jane Scanlon flanking Corcoran. Competition for places is intense in the full-back line with Any Colleran, Aimee McInerney and Cathy Halley fighting it out for the two corner posi- tions and whoever loses out will be unlucky to do so. They also have sev- eral options on the bench with Aoife Ryan, Fiona Lafferty, Aine O’Brien, Aiveen O’Shea and Aoife Griffin able to help out in any sector and adding the depth that is needed to any team in winning an All-Ireland title.

Clare will certainly be hoping to put the thoughts of last year out of their heads and will be hoping that they will be returning home as All- Ireland champions next Monday.

CLARE manager Colm Hanley’s track record at this level speaks for itself. Two years, two All-Ireland Junior finals but after suffering heart- break in injury time of last year’s decider against Derry, the road to recovery for Clare this year has been rather smooth. That’s not to say that there weren’t scares along the way, there was in the form of Sunday’s op- ponents Offaly, Antrim and Laois but the initial aim has now been achieved and after a year’s more experience, Hanley reckons that his side are bet- ter equipped this season.

‘The aim for the year as I have said in the past was to get back to Croke Park and once we got there, then to take care of business. There is a mas- sive difference between last year and this year. We are a stronger team this year, there is no doubt about it. The likes of Laura Linnane and Claire McMahon coming back into it are massive additions and not just them alone. Also the likes of Carina (Ro- seingrave), Kate (Lynch) and Chloe Morey and the rest of the minor girls who are now a year older again after playing last year. It has stood to them massively. You can see it even in their minor performances. They are as good a player as there is anywhere in the country.We might have fallen over the line in the semi-final but overall as a team, they are flying it. We also have Fiona Lafferty back af- ter injury and things are falling into place at the right time and hopefully

that is a good sign.”

One of those scares came in their opening championship game against Offaly when they were sternly tested by the resurgent 2001 finalists. Clare eventually weathered the storm in the final quarter and emerged 0-10 to 0-07 winners but Hanley feels that this game was the making of Clare this year as they found an extra bat-

tling dimension that hadn’t existed previously.

“There is no doubt that we were lucky to come out of that game. With- out a shadow of a doubt, the perform- ance wasn’t great and it wasn’t helped by the fact that there was a twelve week lay-off between the league final and that game and without competi- tive matches, it is tough to raise your

game but the performance wasn’t up to par and the girls know that. How- ever, the great thing that we found out that day that we hadn’t last year was this fighting spirit that they pro- duced. The last five or ten minutes they dug in and carved out a result. Last year and maybe in years gone by, things have come a bit too easy for them. Leading into last year’s

final, we had a very handy route to the final, winning games by ten or twelve points so when it was put up to us 1n the final, we couldn’t deliver because we weren’t used to being in that situation.

“This year, every single game has been tough with maybe the excep- tion being the Down match and we have had to grind out results. We travelled to Antrim and had to re- ally dig in and eventually came out with a seven point win, although it was a much tighter game than that. Again in the semi-final, Laois played similarly to Offaly and made it fierce awkward for us but again we man- aged to win.”

And that new found appetite has carried them back to Croke Park for the second successive year and Hanley is determined to finish the job this time around.

‘Everyone in the county knows that this team has the hurling, and mas- sive ability but now they have found this bit of bite and desire and that comes from hunger. After years of losing finals and losing finals, it has to come right eventually and I have no doubt that it will on Sunday.”

His confidence and positivity 1s consuming. And to think he even had to re-apply for his position at the start of the year.