‘This is my club and my players mean everything to me’

Paul Madden is the consummate professional. In every day life he is well known as the manager of the Templegate Hotel and after six years in charge of his beloved Éire Óg he is known the length and breath of the County as a footballing man.

When interviewing Paul it’s obvious from the outset that like everything else in his life he has prepared for this. He has all the standard lines ready to go but when it’s put to him how high a regard he is held by all players, hurlers and footballers alike he answers from the heart.

“You just try and do your best for your club. I’m with Éire Óg 40 years and I can still remember my first match playing under 10s against Clarecastle and winning,” he laughs at me smiling.

“Peter Cosgrove was playing with me and we are still best friends to this day. That is the power of the club. I am 100% an Éire Óg man, as I was long before I got involved in management and as I will be long after please God.

“I would do anything to help my club. If I was asked to collect sliotars after hurling training I’d feel privileged to do it. The club gives you everything so you should try give everything back.”

Paul is well known for going the extra mile, doing whatever it takes to make it easier for players whether it’s checking on their wellbeing or more.

A club stalwart who prefers to remain anonymous informed me before interviewing Paul that a player was stuck in Dublin recently after missing a bus. He rang Paul Madden at 3am and Paul organised a car to bring that player home without hesitation.

When asked about going that extra mile he simply says “Why wouldn’t I, this is my club and my players mean everything to me and if I can help them in anyway I will but in return I absolutely demand and expect them to go that extra mile on the field of play and to their credit they do.”

On losing four quarter finals in a row Paul is insistent that his philosophy didn’t change.

“At this level you’re never guaranteed anything with working hard but you’re absolutely guaranteed failure without hard work. We as a club have worked extremely hard. We have a talented bunch of players but again we have to out work the opposition every time.

“I firmly believe it’s about the next 60 minutes so while losing those quarter finals hurt I always looked at what was coming next.

“Similarly as much as winning was huge last year, on the Monday morning I was already planning a trip to Thurles for the Tipperary County Final to oversee who our opponents would be in the Munster Club.

“That’s the way to look at it, in my opinion, it’s the next game, the next training session, the next 60 minutes, that’s what’s important.”

It so happens that the next 60 minutes is a County Final battle with Ennistymon. How does he feel about Sunday’s opponents?

“I’ve been fortunate to see all their games and they are without doubt a formidable team. Mark, Beano and Ger have put in tremendous work. They have come from behind to win both knockout games and you can see their camaraderie.

“They have a willingness to put their bodies on the line and have a never say die attitude. They pride themselves on hard work and we are the exact same. If both teams go out to try out work it each other it should be one hell of a battle.”

Throughout the season his side seem to be better than 12 months ago and have been most people’s favourites for the Title from a long way out. How does Paul see this?

“Firstly, it’s fantastic to be back in a final. There are no guarantees in sport especially when we have been going in both codes which is brilliant but you need luck with injuries and so on.

“A lot of clubs get split about the dual thing but we believe, and that includes Mattie and his hurling team, that if you create the right environment it can work.

“Tomas Corbett before Mattie was of the same view. As for being favourites that comes with being champions. We can’t control that but what I will say is winning last year has given us a mentality and belief that we can win.

“Winning breeds confidence and it truly is, as the cliche says, a habit. It gives us that inner strength that if we are behind in games we are good enough to push on but again it boils down to work rate. You have to focus on making it happening. There is simply no time for what ifs, it’s work, work, work and the result will tend to follow.”