Philip Wall credits reset as Kilbrittain eye Ballygarvan test

Kilbrittain’s season began with a reset. Twelve months on from a campaign that yielded two draws, a defeat, and no wins, they were a side still stung by failure. Semi-finalists so often, last year they were gone before the knockouts.

“We were very disappointed last year,” admits Philip Wall. “We didn't really make a good show of ourselves. We were out of the group with two draws and a loss. We didn't win a game and I think we were hurting a small bit from that.

“So that was the main thing, we were kind of taking it game by game and we were kind of going after the group stage, first round especially.

“I suppose there was a bit of a kind of reset this year alright. We were very disappointed last year. We didn't really make a good show of ourselves.” 

The draw hardly offered any charity. “We had a tough draw this year, we had Barryroe, Cloughduv and Nemo. Cloughduv just down, Nemo semi-finalists last year, and Barryroe, we seem to get every year!” he laughs. “It’s always such a tough game with the local derby.” 

It worked. Kilbrittain are back in the last four, where Ballygarvan await — the same Ballygarvan who turned them over last year, and who shared a county final with them back in 2010.

“They’re going really well this year, they had a great win against St Catherine’s the other day,” says Philip. “So I don't think anyone in the group is under any illusions as to how tough this test will be, and Barryroe as well, the last day.

“There's two tough teams that we've gotten a lot recently and we know ourselves how tough they are. We're looking forward to it, but we're under no illusions how difficult it's going to be.” 

That 2010 decider came before Philip’s time, but not before his brother Jamie’s. An abscess on Jamie’s spine ended his playing career and left him paralysed from the midriff down, but also launched a coaching path that Philip has benefitted from with both club and college.

“It was interesting,” Philip reflects. “It was a very, very different dynamic in Mary I than Kilbrittain. He probably would be a small bit more lenient with mistakes in Mary I, maybe then he would be with Kilbrittain!” he laughs. “But it was a great experience.

“I loved my time in Mary I. I was really lucky to play Fitzgibbon and then later with UL, and to be on a panel that won a Fitz. Those experiences are brilliant and trying to bring that down to the club is great and having Jamie there those years was extra special.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get over the line with Mary I or Kilbrittain, but great memories and great experiences.

The memories matter, not for the medals – there were none – but for what they stand for. Kilbrittain’s story stretches beyond the rise and fall of any single campaign.

“Jamie's great. There’s a level of admiration and like I said in 2010, watching them play and his teams play all the way up is great inspiration for me, and for all of my all of my group,” he explains. “We've a good age profile on the team this year.

“So we all would have grown up and looked up to, not just Jamie, but Ross Cashman, Maurice Sexton and Tom Harrington who’s still playing.”