‘We felt this was our year’

David Barrett has been a key member of the Newmarket team over the past half dozen years during which time he has tasted disappointment in a number of big championship games.

Speaking shortly after playing a key role in Sunday’s victory he admitted that “expectations were high this year, things were going well all year. We just felt that this was our year. We just pushed it that bit further and thank God it paid off today”.

 

As supporters congratulated him on the success and his part in the win he said “it’s hard to put into words how it feels. It came flowing out at the final whistle. We were trying to keep a lid on it”.

One of three brothers in the winning team, David agreed “the hunger, the chasing, the fighting for possession from 1 to 15 was key to this win.

“The backs carried us all year but I think the forwards stepped up to play today. Young Shane O’Brien in the corner stuck two early goals and that was the difference, it’s just unbelievable.”

Given Newmarket’s great record in the championship, was there pressure on this group to deliver?

“ Definitely, pressure was always there going back the years. Looking at all the lads in the village that had medals, great men with many medals, we just wanted to be like them. We wanted the medals too, badly, I suppose but today is our day.”

He paid tribute to beaten finalists Cratloe. “Fair play to Cratloe, they dug deep. They have their championship, they are a fine side and they will be back but today is our day.”

According to David, “the seed was sown late last year, winning the Clare Champion Cup and the senior B. People knock the senior B but those wins were the foundation for this team. We got belief from those victories last year and just pushed it on this year”.

He felt the addition of Liam Sheedy “might be the missing part of the jigsaw. We knew the players were there. Liam got it together with the management, Bob, Johnnie Collins, Brian Enright and Kevin. There was something there this year, something was telling us this was our year. We got a couple of very tight games”.

Another key factor, according to the wing-forward was beating Clonlara by a point. “They were our bogey team going back to 2008, just to get over that hurdle was great. Things were great in the camp. The belief and hunger was there. We are just thrilled”.

He stressed that Newmarket  “just didn’t look beyond the game, “We knew Cratloe were going to be a big task,” he said before thanking the supporters, the management and all in the village.

“They believed in us and today is for the supporters. The monkey was always there and we were always under pressure. We can go on now, hopefully we can hurl with more abandon but it took a huge effort,” he concluded.