Dano Dineen: It was just a super season, lost for words

AFTER so much heartbreak, 2023 was one to remember for Cill na Martra as they finally got over the line as they won the PIFC title.

The Muskerry club had won the IFC crown in 2018 and were contenders for the premier intermediate prize in the intervening years. But, it wouldn’t be straightforward, a quarter-final defeat and three consecutive semi-final losses underlined how close the team in blue and white were to scaling the peak.

2023 would be different, helped in no small part by their sharpshooter Dano Dineen, who was joint fifth in the Cork PIFC top scorers from the 2023 championship as the 26-year-old kicked 3-9 (0-4 f). The Gaeltacht side would go on and lift the Munster crown too before falling short in the All-Ireland final.

“It was just a super season, lost for words,” says the primary school teacher in Aghabullogue.

“After many disappointments, it’s hard to keep coming back, that’s sport. We were told we were good enough to win the county, we knew we were good enough. It was great to get over the line. Bottlers we were probably known as and even people within the club were saying will we ever win the county. It was just brilliant to finally get out of the premier intermediate grade and to be playing senior football is just unreal.”

Cill na Martra have a tendency to make life hard for themselves, and the county final against Bantry Blues typified that. It was a see-saw encounter, and at stages it looked like Bantry Blues would go one better after losing the 2022 decider, but Cill na Martra showed backbone heading down the home stretch, kicking the last four points to pip their opposition, 3-11 to 2-13. The team showed a side that they arguably lacked in recent years.

“There was something about the last campaign, we just never gave up,” the forward says.

“We showed bottle against Bantry, that day was probably too exciting for both sides. It was a brilliant game of football, couldn’t ask for a better county final from a spectator point of view. It was tough to play in it to be honest. Bantry had us, but luckily they couldn’t pull away, we stayed in touch and finished well. The subs made a difference, Shane Dineen came on and landed three points, he will go down in history in Cill na Martra anyway. The way we won it, probably makes it sweeter.” 

Cill na Martra were known as the nearly men, so close yet so far, but why did everything come together for the Mid-Cork outfit in 2023?

“I would say the maturity of the team for sure,” Dineen said.

“In the past, when things got tough we maybe folded a small bit. I actually can’t put a finger on why that was the case. We were always told we were the better team and should be winning this particular game and so on and were we thinking about that? I don’t think we were, but maybe we were naive and when the opposition hit us, we dropped. Conceding goals was always a killer, I can remember the semi-final against Newmarket in 2021, and they got goals at the wrong time from our point of view. Teams were able to rattle us and the whole team just panicked. That sense of panic was gone last season, we were older and wiser.” 

Cill na Martra claimed the Munster title back in December, before making it to the All-Ireland final, but lost to Armagh’s Cullyhanna by four points, on a day when the Muskerry side notched up 16 wides. While it was a tough end to an historic season, it wouldn’t take away from what the team achieved.

“In our eyes, we had done what we wanted to do, so the shackles were off in Munster,” said the sharpshooter.

“We had nothing to lose, and went out and played football and it was brilliant to win it. Then reaching Croke Park was unreal, it was some day for the parish. It was massive to make the All-Ireland final, basically the wides killed us. The game was there for us to be honest. There is no point in crying over spilt milk really, we have moved on and are looking forward to the new season.” 

Cill na Martra could surprise a few in the McCarthy Insurance Group SAFC, they will face neighbours Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh, Carrigaline and Kiskeam this year. As always a difficult group to predict. Dineen, who made his debut for the first team back in 2014 in the opening round of the IFC against Éire Óg, is relishing the group stage ties.

“It’s a lovely introduction to senior A football,” he says.

“There is a local rivalry with Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh, our former manager Kevin O’Sullivan is coaching Carrigaline, and Kiskeam won’t be bad. We will have a rattle off it.”