Kennedy admits relief

WHILE congratulations were being dished out to all involved in the intermediate’s Munster success, the man most sought out by supporters after the final whistle was team manager Kevin Kennedy.
“It’s a proud moment,” he admitted. “I don’t know how many years I have been with this team. I have been with them off and on since 2001. I am glad for the players, those that were used and those in the subs that didn’t get a game and who were with me in previous years. They have given me a lot and I am glad that they now have a Munster medal at this grade. There were times when I had a job to field a team for this competition but tonight we had a perfect panel,” the Ennis-based detective garda said.
“Our first half tonight was poor. They pulled a man back as a sweeper and we didn’t cope too well with that. We asked them at half-time if this was going to be like other Munster finals we played here in Ennis when Clare didn’t win. Was this team going to be just another statistic?” he said.
He went on to stress, “These lads have character, they have been through a lot and they came good in the second half. Gilligan got great scores. Ronan Keane had a great game.
The St Joseph’s manager added, “It has been worth all the effort. I believe in fellas getting a chance. I believe in fellas who won’t make the senior team getting a chance to play for the county. It was wonderful to listen to the Clare support as we went ahead in the second half this evening. It reminded me of 1997.” (Kennedy managed the Clare minor team to the All-Ireland title that year.)
He admitted it was a relief to win it. “It reminds me a bit of 1998 when St Joseph’s were struggling to get a first senior win in many years. We had a great team and we deserved to win. This is a good team but we had to go out and do it and the lads thought it might have come easy but they put their heads down when they had to and they did it.”
Kennedy added, “There is no problem with Clare hurling but it is going to take a couple of years and people have to be patient. With the right people involved, it will come good. There is no doubt about it. There are fine hurlers there. Gilligan and Carmody could have helped us to get out of Division 2 and then you can go and build a young team,” he continued.
The manager went on to say he had not looked beyond the final.
“I don’t know where we go next. I hadn’t looked past this. Winning this was all that concerned me and I knew Limerick would be tough. We will take the next game as it comes,” he concluded.