“It’s surely over now but this is a great bonus.” So said a smiling Niall Gilligan shortly after he helped Clare to the All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling title at Semple Stadium in Thurles on Saturday evening.
The Sixmilebridge man was referring to his decision to return to the inter-county scene having ended his senior career two years ago.
Winner of Munster (1997 and 1998) and All-Ireland (1997) medals with Clare as well as Munster and All-Ireland club awards with his club, Sixmilebridge, Gilligan answered Kevin Kennedy’s call this year to join the intermediate panel.
“As the year went on confidence grew within the group and the set-up. There is a laid-back atmosphere but everyone does their job and the lads keep stressing that we all put in an honest hour’s work. We have done that. Different fellas will get the scores but everyone puts in the work. It’s been very enjoyable and I am delighted that we have won,” he said.
He described as “unbelievable”, Kilkenny’s determination to win.
“You could hear them on the sideline onto the referee. Kilkenny want to win everything, no matter what they are in, be it minor, U-21 or whatever. They want to win it all and it was never going to be easy. Their manager was on radio during the week saying they were missing so many players. We had to keep that out of our heads and keep the focus,” the Sixmilebridge auctioneer said.
He believes the win will be of great value to Clare hurling. “There are a lot of young players in the team and it has to do good for Clare. The new Clare management coming in will have to look at a system where they take a few players from all angles, a few in the mid-20s from the club championship, a few minor players, a few from the 21s. There are a few in this panel and time will tell if they are good enough but I would bet that there are two or three from this panel who will play senior for Clare. It happened in ’93 with the junior win. The experience gained from playing in All-Ireland-type atmospheres in big stadiums, in matches like this is a huge help. There are three or four thousand present and it has to stand to players,” the full-forward said.
Where to now for the Sixmilebridge captain? “I have been getting a good slagging but it’s definitely over now. I am lucky that the ’Bridge have a bye in the final round and we have a few weeks without a game. We will enjoy tonight and it’s back to business on Tuesday. Everyone will be champing at the bit for the county quarter-finals and we will want do to our best for the club,” he concluded.

Kennedy shares in players’ delight

Joy for the players was the immediate reaction of Clare manager Kevin Kennedy after Saturday evening’s All-Ireland success at Thurles.
“I’m delighted for the players, some of whom have been with me since I started managing at this level some years ago. It’s great to see an All-Ireland coming to Clare,” he said as he watched team captain Tony Carmody accept the All-Ireland trophy from GAA president Christy Cooney.
“This Kilkenny team was played down but I can tell you, that was a good Kilkenny side. There is never a bad Kilkenny team and they made us fight all the way for it. It’s a great win. It’s an All-Ireland for Clare, and we don’t have too many of them. I am honoured and very proud to be part of it,” the St Joseph’s clubman said.
Kennedy, who managed Clare to their only All-Ireland minor title back in 1997, had no doubt as to the importance of Niall Gilligan and Tony Carmody to this success.
“We would have no Munster or All-Ireland without Gilligan or Carmody. I have been involved for seven or eight years and it’s nothing against the rest of the boys but they made a difference. Their decision to come on board is the reason we have this cup tonight.
“They gave a great lift to all involved. When you have players of that calibre involved in intermediate, it gives a great boost,” he said.
“This year was different than any other I have seen. There was spirit, good fun in the training and we played a lot of matches. There was great comradarie. We were a real team that bonded,” Kennedy continued.
Was he worried when team captain Carmody had to retire due to injury? “Yes, I was. I felt that he was going to have a great game Saturday. I knew that he was right. He was going well throughout the campaign and the signs were there that he was going to deliver but he suffered a hamstring injury. He was a big loss but we have a panel of 31 players and there is always somebody ready to come on,” he replied.
He acknowledged that Kilkenny started well. “The breeze died and it wasn’t as strong in the second half. We knew we had the hurling to win it. We started to get on top and drove on from there. This is a good team.”
Kennedy added that a combination of matches and the club championship helped greatly in the team’s success. “We played a lot of games this year and this is our 10th or 11th. We really worked hard at it. There was no such thing as physical training or doing drills or anything like that. We just went out and hurled. The Clare championship made a major difference. The lads were match fit and they were physically fit. It was only a matter of getting it together and, thank God, it came together”.
The Clare boss said some of the players will go on to play for Clare at senior level. “Fennessy and Golden were very good and Paidi Fitzpatrick, another good young player, came into the game and did well. They are all top-class young players for the future,” he concluded.