Will Kilmurry players come on board with Clare?

AT least St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield avoided joining Cratloe (1887), Miltown (1908 and 1911), Kilfenora (1914) and Kilmurry Ibrickane (1924), who all failed to score in their respective county football finals. That was probably the highlight of their county-final appearance, which underlines how quickly St Joseph’s will be attempting to blank memories of last Sunday from their memory.
From the opening seconds, Kilmurry ran at Doora-Barefield from all over Cusack Park. Their link up and support play overwhelmed their opponents, who had men back in a defensive zone but they were ran around and through.
As early as the fifth minute, Doora-Barefield’s Enda Lyons was the only maroon-clad man inside the Kilmurry half. One would think that St Joseph’s would be hard to break down at the opposite end but Kilmurry’s high-paced short game and the early movement of Noel Downes and Stephen Moloney flummoxed St Joseph’s.
Another very noticeable component of Kilmurry’s near flawless display was the mammoth work rate of their forwards when St Joseph’s had possession. Again, Doora-Barefield simply couldn’t live with their opponents’ intensity. All year, Kilmurry had been searching for an hour-long performance. Good for them that they produced it on Clare football’s most high-profile day but not so good for St Joseph’s.
Kilmurry’s mastery suggests they will have another serious go at conquering Munster. They will be back in action on November 20, when they play either the Kerry or Waterford champions away in the Munster semi-final. Having Munster medals in their pockets since 2004 and 2009, Kilmurry know they are good enough to do it again, as long as they retain the desire to deliver on the provincial stage.
On a related note, Kilmurry’s excellence last Sunday raises a salient point. How many of the players who played so well against Doora-Barefield will make themselves available to the Clare senior football team?
Martin McMahon was their only regular representative in 2011, although Declan Callinan did play against Down. While a player’s personal circumstances must be taken into account when it comes to committing to playing inter-county football, surely more than two of their panel have the time to give to their county?
Every Kilmurry man who started last Sunday has played for Clare at minor, U-21, junior or senior level. While nobody could be expected to say this publicly, perhaps the Kilmurry players feel they can achieve all they want on the Munster or possibly All-Ireland stage with Kilmurry? They might ask why should they be bothered playing Division 4 league football for Clare and at most two championship games? It’s likely that if five or six Kilmurry players commit to Clare, they could be worn out or injured come the knock-out stages of the 2012 club championship. With no other Clare club likely to have a similar amount of players on the county panel, that could leave Kilmurry at a disadvantage. There is no denying that.
Yet, if every potential county player adopted that attitude, the county would not be represented at inter-county level at all.
Kilmurry Ibrickane have unquestionably been the most consistent club in Clare since 2002. Their latest win was their fifth title in nine years. Only Kilkee have won more than a single championship in that period. Kilmurry’s dominance isn’t down to luck or to them getting a few breaks. It’s down to the excellence of their underage set-up, quality coaching and good management.
Yet, given the club’s dominance of Clare club football, there is an onus on Kilmurry to contribute more to the Clare county team. If, for example, the Hickey brothers (Shane and Darren), Enda Coughlan, Ian McInerney, Mark McCarthy and Stephen Moloney were to commit to Clare, along with McMahon and Callinan, for the season ahead, it would hugely aid Clare’s chances of finally getting out of Division 4.
Micheál McDermott has added a strength and conditioning expert to his management team in Micheál Cahill. That’s a good move but if five or six Kilmurry players were to commit to Clare for 2012, that would be a hugely beneficial day for Clare football.