Ger Conway is a proud Feakle man and feels Sunday is reward for all the hard work that has been done by everyone involved in hurling in East Clare.
” Firstly these lads have put in a fair shift to get to this stage and i don’t think anyone would deny we are here on merit. We’ve been building towards this for a while now and there’s plenty of people who deserve huge credit for the work in the club and schools. We’ve first had the great Harty success of Tulla and then the brilliant amalgamation of Feakle-Killanena winning the under 21. We’ve a lot of county players at different levels and we have been improving year after year. When we came back up in 2017 we had just the fifteen really but now we’ve a panel of players and the Junior is going well too which keeps training competitive. Overall this club totally deserves a shot at glory but by God we know it won’t be easy. There’s more medals in the Bridge than we’ll see in Feakle in a lifetime. They know how to win. They’ve all the experience of these days while it’s 1988 since we were last here.”
Once 1988 is referenced it’s the perfect cue to ask about the atmosphere back in Feakle.
” Ah the buzz around the place is unbelievable and to be honest it’s been like that since Clare played the All Ireland. Virgin Media and RTE were all here and the place was hopping with excitement. The only change is now instead of saffron and blue buntings all over the place it’s green and gold. Everyone is walking around smiling and hopefully we can keep them smiling for the winter and longer to be honest if we do get over the line. I don’t know how to describe what it would feel like to win. I’d imagine the outpouring of emotion would be overwhelming and it would make for another great chapter in the history of Feakle. I mean nobody remembers you winning a league but once your name goes on Canon Hamilton you’ll be remembered forever and that’s the opportunity we now have.”
Turning this once in a generation opportunity into silverware may very well rest on the shoulders of talisman Shane McGrath and as always his manager feels no matter what Shane is faced with Shane delivers.
” Shane McGrath is in the form of his life and there’s a train of thought out there that if you hold him then you hold Feakle. People are entitled to their opinion but it’s easier said than done. Shane has been a marked man since he was ten years of age and I’ve no doubt Sixmilebridge will detail a player specifically for Shane but sure we’ll be the exact same. We will detail players to mark their players and when it comes to it it’s really simple- Whoever gets match ups right generally wins. So it’ll be a pivotal part of our preparations as it would be with any other club.”
The Feakle manager absolutely loves County Final day and cannot wait to savour the atmosphere with the Feakle flag flying.
“The championship is what hurling is all about. It’s the heartbeat of every GAA club. You strive to win your local championship whatever level it’s at. County final day is always special and I would always be at it. Now to walk the line and see all the Feakle people and the colours. It’ll be absolutely brilliant but although we have to enjoy it we have to remember that we are here to win it. We have been progressing every year and every game we’ve got better. We can mix it up regarding playing through the lines or going direct and we trust the players to adapt to whatever happens in games. It’s all about playing what’s in front of you and a next ball mentality.”
Indeed Conway has utter trust in his players and that’s his attitude towards management and in game situations.
“It doesn’t work if on one side of the table you have management and players are on the other side listening to instructions. For me it doesn’t won’t work it’s all about doing it together. We give the players total freedom to play the game and we have utter trust in them. Players spot things on the field way quicker than anyone else. A manager might turn to a selector to discuss how to deal with a problem that may arise and that whole process could take a few minutes. A minute can be a lifetime in hurling so the players are told simply if you see a problem fix it don’t be waiting on us to do it. These are really smart lads and they know what is needed when it’s needed. It has worked so far so please God it works one more time come Sunday.”