DANESFORT had a slow, deliberate and well planned build-up to Sunday's All-Ireland final,
and when they hit the big stage they just let rip."That was the way to do it," insisted match star and centre-back, Paddy Hogan afterwards.
"That went well from start to finish and we were never under any real pressure.
"All the lads put in a massive effort during the year, and when they arrived at Croke Park they
were ready to let rip.
"We got off to a good start and that kept us going. This is not a bad hurling team.
We proved that through the consistency of our performances all season, not just through today's win."
Last year's All-Ireland under-21 medal winner said there was a good under-age structure in the club,
and that was paying rich dividends. Nine of the team were under-21.
Keep going
"We have to keep going now," he insisted. "We have the first touch. We have the speed.
Now we must keep the determination to keep going.
"The challenge is to build on this victory. If we keep things going at under-age level it will serve us well.
If we can get two or three lads a year pushing into the team that would be ideal."
Immediately he looked to the future. He said the challenge now was to tackle the
Kilkenny intermediate league/championship, and to do well in it.
"The intermediate grade is a step up for us," he admitted. "A lot of the teams are of a good standard.
We are coming up now and we don't know what it will be like. Just like in today's game, we will have to
be at our best from the start.
"We will enjoy this win for a night or two. This win is history now, and to add to it we must look to
establishing ourselves in the intermediate grade."
The long serving Paddy Fennelly had the broadest smile on his face in the winners dressing-room,
where the mood was one of satisfaction rather than outright excitement.
41 year old Paddy
Paddy celebrated his 41st birthday on March 8. He has been soldiering with the club since 1983 when he was 16.
"I never thought I would get to see a day like this with Danesfort," he admitted.
"I waited for years and years in the hope that we might do something. This is great, fantastic."
He said that with the health of the under-age set-up in the club he always knew there was the chance of the club
making the breakthrough in Kilkenny.
"The craic and banter with the lads is terrific," he insisted. "It is hard to give it up. Even now I find it hard to retire,
but we will see what happens. I might play a bit of special junior or something.
"This is the type of day you always want for your club, the community you live in. It is so, so special for the people
in the parish and the people from it who may be living in other places. I think everyone was in Croke Park today,
the entire Danesfort clan."
Can do well
He said there was great hurling in this Danesfort team, and he reckoned they could do well in the intermediate division.
"My advice to the players would be to drive on from here," Paddy continued. "They haven't reached their maximum potential yet,
and there could be more for them in the future if they really want it.
"It is nice to be part of all this, even at this late, late stage of my career. I was here in Croke Park 23 years ago as a minor with
Kilkenny and we lost an All-Ireland. I have all the medals now, minor, Kilkenny, Leinster and All-Ireland junior. Not bad for an old hand". |
