Munster Club JHC: Early risers Kilbrittain ready for next challenge

It will be an early start for Kilbrittain tomorrow morning as they make their Munster club championship debut, but the west Cork club are relishing the opportunity.

Having won the Co-op SuperStores Premier JHC four weeks ago with victory over Glen Rovers, Kilbrittain are in AIB Munster Club JHC semi-final action, away to Limerick’s Knockaderry.

A 1.30pm throw-in in west Limerick means unusual travel plans, but manager Joe Ryan is embracing the novelty of the situation.

“It’s all part of it,” he says, “it’s something new but I wouldn’t see it as a drawback.

“It’s like the county final being on a Friday night, people are asking if that’s awkward - but lads aren’t going to be late for a county final.

“Obviously, we’ll be leaving early but it’ll all be planned out and we’ll stop on the way, make sure that lads are well-prepared.”

Generally, a team entering Munster is coming off the big emotional high of winning the county, especially if it involves a long wait. Kilbrittain had such an outpouring but they have already had to channel their emotions as the final took place on October 17, which would have been the 19th birthday of talented young player Oisín Gillain, who died suddenly in March.

“Before we played Ballygarvan, we knew the date for the final would be falling on Oisín’s birthday, so that was hugely emotional when we won that,” Ryan says.

“The final was always going to be an occasion in itself and obviously it’s class when you win; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing for a lot of fellas but having the month to settle down and re-focus has been a help.”

The four-week gap allowed for the achievements to be feted but also to build up to another big challenge.

“I think in any other scenario, four weeks probably isn't ideal,” Ryan says, “but, when you win, it probably is.

“We essentially just didn’t do anything for a week. There were some serious celebrations and then we got them back on the astro, just doing something light to get them back going again.

“We had a challenge match organised for the weekend before last, which would have been two weeks out from the Knockaderry game - that was pulled because of the weather but we played it last Thursday night.

“That was ideal, because a match was probably the only thing we had to get, because of the length of time and you’re going from Páirc Uí Chaoimh conditions to even the best grass pitches being a bit soggy and cutting up.”

Added to that is the fact that the pitch is Knockaderry’s own, but this is something else that Ryan feels can be approached positively.
“It’s obviously massive for them,” he says, “but it helps to focus the mind for us too.

“It was always going to be a challenge going into Munster and this is just something else to deal with.

“The way I would look at it is that you’ve two small clubs with a great opportunity to achieve something big.”