Martin Bowen bids farewell to managerial role after 16 seasons in charge of Erin's Own

2023 marked the final season in charge of Erin’s Own’s Premier Senior hurlers for manager Martin Bowen, who has spent 16 seasons in charge of the team on-and-off since his first year in 1997.

Bowen led the team to their first senior hurling title in 14 years when they were crowned champions in 2006, but there was one man in particular key to that success – Brian Corcoran.

“I wouldn't say I was the one who convinced him [to return] now, but I went down to Little Island where he was working at the time, I said ‘Brian, I’m looking for you to coach the team’ and he told me he wouldn’t coach the team, but he said, ‘I might play’.

"So, I said, ‘Brian, if you’re thinking about playing, I’ll withdraw the offer to coach!’ I think he was thinking about playing anyway. He worked his way back and the rest is history with Brian to be fair.” 

An Erin’s Own legend in many respects and club secretary for over 30 years, it marks an end of an era to see Bowen depart from the role he’s held for the last four years, but will he come back to it as he has done in the past?

“I suppose you’d never say never, but I’m 70 next February, and it’s a young man’s game. You have to have younger people, and I suppose it gets tougher as you get older, there’s no doubt about it, and I found this year very tough physically.

“We had a great bunch of lads, our lads are very committed,” he says. “It’s just time, age – it makes up your mind for you.

“I love being around the lads and the day-to-day activity of the big job because you're involved in it every day, and I will miss that part of it, but I’m still secretary of the club, so I'm going to be indirectly involved with all the teams anyway.” 

 Looking back on his last season in charge, Bowen shares his thoughts on how their 2023 season transpired.

SURVIVAL

“We knew from the start of the year we were going to be under pressure,” he admits. “Three of the backs that we had in the county semi-final last year were gone from the start of the year up to the championship, and two of them are gone for good.

“So that was a huge setback straight away. Then on top of that we lost Robbie during the season when we were getting our team settled, and we lost two or three more players with broken fingers.

“Mark Collins, Ian O’Mahony and Tiernan Connell, so it was one injury after the other. We lost Eoin Murphy for four months of the year with a groin injury. He only came back just before championship, so it was a catalogue of injuries, and we wouldn't have the strength in depth of some of the top clubs, so it was always going to be a battle.

“We were blessed that we had four or five young lads that came in this year, Peter O’Shea, Shane Irwin, Matt O’Riordan and Tiernan Connell, they've made huge difference to us.

“I think they were the difference between us being in trouble and surviving,” says Bowen. “That’s a bright step for the future, and particularly as well, we have a few lads coming through from the back-to-back winning junior teams, who I think will be making their senior debuts next year.” 

On their Premier Junior success this season, Bowen remarks; “Winning the junior final again is an unbelievable boost. I suppose last year having won junior, and we had spent many years – going back into the seventies in my own time trying to win the junior county.

“I know it’s a different competition now, but it was always one that eluded us, so winning that last year was a huge achievement. 

“I was after making a commitment to my wife that this will be my last year. I said nothing, but this was always going to be my last year. I have two grandkids, DJ and Shay Óg, and we want to spend more time with them.

I just felt it, you get that feeling that time is up. And I felt my time was up, to be honest.

“There were two age groups of a difference between me and the lads, and while we had a fantastic relationship, I think you need more modern thinking younger fellas in.

"I have to thank all the fellas that were involved with me over the four years, especially the coaches, Donal O’Rourke, Kieran Hammersley, these guys were incredible.

“They were outsiders, but they did unbelievable work for the club, and we were very lucky with everybody we had. The club is doing pretty well now, so I would be very confident in the future.”