McDermott says he isn’t mad

Kilmurry Ibrickane’s two-in-a-row winning manager was fully aware what his club’s supporters were talking about in the lead up to last Sunday’s county final.
Micheál McDermott didn’t need to be told that most people felt that a fully fit Noel Downes had to start.
“People said during the week that we would have been mad not to start Noel Downes but the one thing I admire about Noel is that he’s manly,” McDermott told The Clare Champion.
“He took it on the chin that he wasn’t starting and he knew today that he was going to have a crucial part to play in the victory,” the Cavan man said.
McDermott feels that Kilmurry’s one point semi-final win over Doonbeg stood to them against Kilkee. 
“What happened there today is all down to the semi-final against Doonbeg. It was the first time we were tested all year long and the belief was there to win it,” he said.
“There was never panic. There was never doubt. They always felt that they were going to come back and they had it in the legs there at the end,” McDermott added with reference to the final, where Kilkee led by four points, two minutes into the second half.
On a general note the Kilmurry manager felt that the plaudits belong to the champions players.
“I’m delighted for the club. We had a small part to play in it as a management team but those guys out on the field today, they gave so much effort to win that game. If any team or panel of players is deserving of awards this year, it’s them because they’ve put in a savage effort from the start of 2008 to reap the rewards now at the end of 2009,” he noted.
In three weeks time, Kilmurry, who lost the 2008 Munster club final, will re-enter the provincial stage.
“To be honest ever since the Munster final last year, while we wouldn’t have said it among the panel, we really want it back in 2009 because we left the Munster title behind us. I’m not saying we’re going to win a Munster championship but I’m looking forward to it if we have to play Drom-Broadford again,” Micheál McDermott concluded.