It’s rare to meet a woman at a schools game, Ennistymon CBS coach Tara Rynne tells Ivan Smyth ahead of the school’s All-Ireland final this weekend

Tara Rynne’s Ennistymon CBS side travel to Duggan Park, Ballinasloe, this Saturday (throw in 2pm) as the school goes in search of a first ever Senior All Ireland title while she is part of the hurling management team that are also gunning to lift national honours in the same grade.

She admits this is a unique situation for any school to find themselves in and one that has come about due to hard work and careful planning.

“We couldn’t ask for it to go any better. It is hurling one week and football another with us. The lads take it all in their stride. Between the Dome and Dublin it was a very busy week for everyone but we are delighted to have come through both games.”

Rynne has no shortage of final experience herself having experienced the joy of raising trophies aloft while also feeling the crushing lows that come with defeat in finals. Before Inagh and Kilnamona merged, she was part of the Inagh team that claimed the All Ireland Junior Camogie title in 2011.

However, the Maths and PE teacher insists that she won’t be using her own big day experience when preparing her side for their All Ireland final showdown.

“We will probably draw on what we have already done in previous games and in training. What we’ve done as a team has got us to this point and we have won county finals before so we have that experience of winning.”

“I do think the success at club level has helped this group. We are taking it one game at a time and they never get ahead of themselves. Marc (O’Loughlin) was playing with Corofin after Christmas (in the Munster Intermediate Football Championship) so the boys have experience of playing big games.”

Diarmuid Fahy suffered a broken ankle in the first half of his side’s All Ireland semi final victory over Donegal’s St. Columba’s. According to Rynne, joint captain Brendy Rouine is “unlikely” to feature this Saturday as he continues to nurse a hamstring problem.

Rynne, who was part of the Miltown Malbay side that won the Intermediate Football Championship in 2015, admits there is a shortage of women involved with male teams.

However, she believes that herself and Jason Daffy, who manages their hurlers and is part of the backroom team for the footballers, have benefitted from being involved with both panels.

“You would rarely meet women at school’s games. There was a woman involved with Dungarvan CBS (in the Munster Football Final) but it is rare to see. With the boys, they would be familiar with our instructions and what we are looking for.”

“When we won the Munster football final we let them celebrate but we were also telling them to refocus on the hurling. They never get caught up in what they’ve just done so myself and Jason have really enjoyed working with them.”

With the split season currently in operation, the CBS Ennistymon players have huge demands to meet. The U-20 Munster Hurling and Football Championships commence next month with CBS
Ennistymon’s all conquering team trying to balance training for their schools games, representing their school, club commitments and also trying to force their way in inter county teams.

Rynne admits it is a challenge but both U20 football manager Michael Neylon and his hurling counterpart Terence Fahy have helped manage the workload for the CBS Ennistymon players.

“The U20s hurling and football has been very serious with Michael Neylon and Terence Fahy. I was actually on to Michael earlier today (Monday) and he was super. So far it has been going great and nobody is being overworked I feel.”

CBS Ennistymon have won their semi finals by a combined total of 41 points, overcoming St. Columba’s in the football semi final by 3-12 to 0-6 last Tuesday week.

The former county title winning captain with Inagh-Kilnamona in 2016 believes her side were given a stiff examination of their credentials for 40 minutes before three sucker punch goals placed daylight between the sides.

“It was a very tight game for 40 minutes. We worked really hard because they sat deep but in the end we were able to open them up. Although we’ve hit big scores in hurling and football there have been some tough games along the way.”

“The Munster Hurling Semi Final (against Coláiste Iosaef, Kilmallock) was a very tough games while playing Kenmare and Gaelcholáiste (Chiarraí) in the football was challenging too.”

Last Saturday the group travelled to Dublin to take on St. Malachy’s. Despite the Belfast side winning the Ulster Senior B title and being allowed to compete in the All Ireland series at the grade below, they were simply demolished by a ruthless CBS Ennistymon outfit.

“With Belfast winning the B Championship, we were expecting a good competitive game. We started so well that we just didn’t let them settle. Both finals are against Leinster sides so their Championships are strong. We will have to produce big performances in both finals.”

Rynne admits it was a source of frustration and disappointment that the Post Primary Schools competitions were decimated by COVID the past two years players leaving the school without having the opportunity to compete for major honours.

“It was very disappointing the past two years not to be able to get the competitions finished. The boys that we have in Leaving Cert this year are hugely skilful but the students last year missed out. We felt we had a really good group last year but luckily we have been able to reach both finals this year.”

With Coláiste Naomh Cormaic providing the opposition in the hurling final next weekend, CBS Ennistymon come up against Laois side Heywood College this Saturday as they aim to make history.

In Post Primary Schools competitions, researching opponents can often be a task in itself with players and management teams needing to adapt and overcome the challenges they are presented with on the day.

Rynne admits she knows little about the Laois side heading in to this weekend’s showdown but believes the CBS Ennistymon students can learn on the go.

“All we have is their performance in the All Ireland semi final. They did a lot of the hard work in the first half but we wouldn’t be too familiar with them. We will have to do another bit of research before the weekend but we also have to focus on what we can do on the day.”

CBS Ennistymon will need to produce their best performance of the year with their manager admitting the support her side have received has been a huge help along the way.

“There was such a crowd in Dublin (for the hurling semi final). Everyone was standing along the sideline so there is a real mix between communities.”

“For both games there will be 60 minutes of hard work. We have to dig in because it will be tough. We are not going to have it easy in either final so we need two 60 minute performances.”