Another top display expected from O’Dwyer

PLAYERS who are prepared to put their bodies on the line often decide big championship games.
One of the greatest compliments ever paid to former Galway hurler, Brendan Lynskey was that he was prepared to put his head where others wouldn’t put their hurley in a bid to win possession.
It might be a different code but Peter O’Dwyer is a player in the same mould as Lynskey. A vital block in the closing minutes of the recent Clare Senior Football Championship semi-final illustrates his great work-rate throughout the field and willingness to make the hard tackle when it matters most.
Conor McGrath was ready to pull the trigger and split the posts to send Cratloe in front two minutes from the end after beating his marker on the 30m line. However, the South-East Clare dual star hadn’t bargained on the intervention of the Kilmurry Ibrickane midfield general, who smothered the attempted shot. Kilmurry Ibrickane have got used to expecting impressive displays from their captain.
Club secretary, Michael Considine cites the All-Ireland club semi-final in February 2010 as one of O’Dwyer’s stand-out performances.
“Peter is great at making a clean catch from a kick-out. Midfield is still a vital area and if you can win the midfield battle, you have more than a 50-50 chance of winning the game,” he said.
Kilmurry underage mentor Pat McCarthy insists Peter is “irreplaceable” and believes he works very well in tandem with Paul O’Connor, who is also adept at “hoovering” up possession from broken, scrappy play.
“Peter is a vital cog in the team and without him they would not be as successful. Occasionally he may drift out of the proceedings for a brief period because he puts so much effort into winning possession.
“His physical presence in midfield is unbelievable. When Peter calls for the ball, you know he will win it or break it down,” he said.
Cratloe manager, Colm Collins is another admirer. “His block against Conor McGrath was crucial. He is inspirational and when the chips are down for Kilmurry, you expect Peter to deliver. I expect him to be a key figure for Kilmurry in the county final. When Peter plays well, Kilmurry play well. The two tend to go hand in hand,” he said.
Based in Athlone where he works as a computer aided design employee, O’Dwyer has made the sacrifice of spending over two hours driving to training at least twice midweek, in addition to a match and another weekend training session.
He has not succumbed to the option of transferring to a local club to avoid the tiring grind of driving before and after training.
Back in 2006, he did transfer for one year to Castletown in Wexford, who got beaten in the senior football championship quarter-final that year. Spending up to five hours driving to training and matches wasn’t logistically feasible.
O’Dwyer agrees the strong bond between players in a rural club, which tends to be more tightly knit than their urban counterparts, acts as a magnet for players who are working outside the county.
“For me personally, playing Gaelic football is a huge part of who you are. It has been great playing and winning championships with players you grew up with and lining out with Michael and Odran for big games in the past has been extra special.
“I was only about 15 years of age when Kilmurry bridged a long barren spell by defeating Doonbeg in the 1993 county final. It was a proud moment for me to be from the parish and it gave a lot of players on the current team someone to look up to,” he recalled.
Last year, Kilmurry relinquished their championship crown, bowing out at the semi-final stage to arch rivals, Doonbeg, which he described as “very disappointing”.
While this has given the team an added incentive to regain the title, O’Dwyer insists this is just one motivating factor, as every senior club player sets out at the start of the year with the aim of winning the Jack Daly Cup.
He wasn’t surprised with St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield’s shock win over Wolfe Tones in the semi-final.
“St Joseph’s have a good blend of young players, backed up by experienced players with inter-county experience, such as Kevin Dilleen and Colm Mullen. Kilmurry only scraped through with a win over Cratloe in the semi-final, while St Joseph’s won quite comfortably in their semi-final,” he said.
Is there a swing from West to East Clare in the county’s football?
“Maybe you should ask me that question after the county final. There are a number of factors that have to be taken into account. Clubs like Cratloe and St Joseph’s, who reached the semi-final, are dual clubs, which makes it very difficult to manage playing two codes at a high level because of the risk of burn-out.
“Kilmurry can concentrate on one code, which makes it a bit easier. You also have to consider whether these clubs can hold on to their younger players for the next five or 10 years,” O’Dwyer concluded.