This article is from page 78 of the 2008-07-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 78 JPG
WHEN, in the late °90s, Kilmurry Ibrickane finally found a field to call their own they set about filling the place with footballers.
The pitch established Kilmurry as a fixed presence in the community. Then they needed to recruit. Coach- es were dispatched to the five schools that serviced the parish — Quilty, Mullagh, Coore, Annagh and Scro- ude
Emphasis was placed on nurtur- ing talent and developing individual skills. Drills were devised to enhance peripheral vision and teach the value of touch and control.
The initiative was driven by men like Michael Talty, and then minor club chairman Pat Murrihy.
In the schools Murrihy and Talty found principals like Michael Brack- en (Quilty), Sean McMahon (Mul- lagh), David Dillon (Coore) who shared their enthusiasm for football. The road to success, like so many in the GAA, would start in school.
“When? – there was never a ques- tion of what time’, says Pat Murrihy who for almost 20 years now has coached underage teams in Kilmur- ry Ibrickane. “You could go in there at nine in the morning and take two classes out. That was a big, big help to the club and one complimented the other.”
A population explosion meant the schools were full of kids who wanted to play ball in the big new field. The schools won tournaments and the kids drifted, like a conveyor belt, into the club. The skills learned were implemented on the pitch and suc- cess inevitably followed.
In 1992, Kilmurry won their first under 12 title in 27 years. The club knew they were on to a good thing. There were other milestones, other signs the future would be bright.
‘Every year after that our underage structure got stronger. We started to win A titles,” says Murrihy. “We ac- tually won the under 14 Féile in Clare in 1999 and we won the under 14 championship for the first time in 27 years. That was a very good side now. The All-Ireland division one winners at the time were Salthill, they beat us by three points. They went on and won the division one title. The fol- lowing year we actually won Féile in Croke Park against Baltinglass with Shane Hickey, Noel Downes, Keith King, Martin McMahon’.
Minor A titles followed in 2002,
2003 and 2004 but it is the club’s phenomenal record at under 21 level (nine titles between 1995-2007) that is the real legacy of the work done in the early 90s.
“When won our minor champion- ships and 21s, we could always call on at least 8 of the age. Once you have seven or eight guys on the age, that’s a big thing, its easy fill the spaces after that.”
Parallel to Kilmurry’s rise at minor and under 21, was the club’s ascent at senior level. The two streams con- verged gloriously in ‘O04 when they won county and Munster titles.
Kilmurry maintained their stran- glehold on the under 21 champion- ship after 2004 even as the senior side struggled. Kilmurry were beaten in the 2005 senior decider by Kilkee, but in the last two years have failed to qualify for the knock out stages.
“What happened after 2004 is we lost probably the spine of our team. Aidan Moloney, Martin Cahill, Martin Keavey, all these guys,” says Murrihy, “I don’t care what team you are, but you don’t replace them over
night. I like the look the Kilmurry now. I like the attitude, there 1s a de- sire and a hunger there now”.
Less people live, or have reason to live in West Clare, than was the case in the early 90s and Kilmurry and the schools are feeling the effects. The number of children attending Quilty National School, for example, hovers around the 50 mark. 10 years ago that number stood closer to 140.
But Murrihy and Kilmurry Ibrick- ane persevere. The club won the under 12 B title this year and could have gone further.
“We were only a kick of the ball away from going into the A final. Lissycasey beat us in our division. We had 14 wides against Lissycasey and they beat us by three points”, says Murrihy ruefully.
“But, look it, it just shows we are progressing nicely, and its now the work begins”. And the cycle contin- Wen