Castlerea hoping to halt Cill na Martra’s march
Castlerea St. Kevin's intermediate football manager, Dara Bruen, has been overwhelmed by the goodwill towards the panel since their Connacht final success. Picture: Liam Reynolds
Nestled between the rugged landscape of Macroom, Ballingeary and Inchigeelagh in West Cork, you’ll find the little village of Cill na Martra. The scenery is breathtaking as the hills and mountains roll towards Bantry Bay further west.
The village houses the only toy soldier factory in the country, a tourist attraction that brings thousands of people into the Gaeltacht area every year. Inside the factory, creativity is paramount. Imaginations are let loose.
But like all rural villages, the GAA club is the focal point. Anyone who watched the Laochra Gael episode with former Cork senior footballer, Noel O’Leary, on TG4 will appreciate how important the local GAA club can be during the toughest of times.
Ironically, O’Leary is one of the selectors alongside manager John Evans who will be plotting Castlerea St. Kevin’s downfall this week. When the sides meet in this afternoon's AIB All-Ireland club intermediate football championship semi-final in Laois Hire O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, at 2.30 p.m., the Roscommon and Connacht champions will have to meet fire with fire.
Kerry clubs have dominated the Munster championship, winning every title since 2013 (there was no championship in 2020 because of Covid-19), so for Cill na Martra to break the mold by taking out Milltown-Castlemaine in the provincial semi-final before comfortably accounting for Limerick’s Mungret St. Paul’s in the decider tells Castlerea manager Dara Bruen and his selectors everything they need to know about what’s waiting for them.
“We didn’t learn much about them in the Munster final because the game was played in horrendous conditions. They’re a typical Cork team — big men mixed in with the few strong, stocky forwards. They’ve had a big spread of scorers throughout the season.
“It’s a big step-up. We’ll be at the pin of our collar to beat them. They have two or three in and around the Cork panel. John Evans and Noel O’Leary are part of the management team, so there’s that bit of experience there as well,” highlighted Bruen.
After winning the provincial decider against Monivea-Abbey, at the end of November, it was a case of trying to recharge the batteries from a Castlerea perspective. Players were understandably wrecked after a long, hard season but Bruen is satisfied that the fire needed to have any chance of booking a date in Croke Park a week later has been rekindled as preparations ratchet up for Saturday’s eagerly-anticipated encounter.
“We took a week off after the Monivea-Abbey game. We came back, sat down, and had a chat to see what we wanted. We tipped along for a couple of weeks and did the bare minimum. We let them continue to celebrate at the weekend.
“Over the last few weeks, we’ve gone at it again. Everyone is tuned in. We gave the players a bit of leeway over Christmas, but that comes from the players. They’ve made those types of decisions all year and they’ve made them again now. I don’t see it as an issue. The players are clued in and they want to have a crack at getting to an All-Ireland final,” explained Bruen.
Bruen was involved with the Roscommon U-21 team when John Evans was in charge of the county senior footballers. He appreciates that the Kerryman will have his West Cork team chomping at the bit, but the Castlerea boss isn’t about to move away from a formula that has served him and his players so well up to now.
“We’re forming a plan at the minute, and it won’t deviate away from what we’ve done. The concentration levels will have to be better, but there’s an opportunity there at the same time.
“They’re a very physical side, which is something that we haven’t really come up against. There were a lot of cards dished out in their game against Milltown-Castlemaine. It means we’ll have to keep the ball out of contact as much as we can.”
Irrespective of what happens this afternoon, Bruen and his Castlerea players have won many admirers and the idea that their achievements can inspire a younger generation in the future remains the legacy that the Castlerea manager hopes will be left behind once this magical journey comes to an end.
“The goodwill towards the lads and the management has been unreal. We were invited in, as a group, by the Castlerea Town Team to turn on the lights in The Square. Just in general, the attendance at the AGM was up. There’s just a feel-good factor around the place. People are smiling and want to be part of it. The lads brought the cups to the schools — all of those little things in a small tight community make a difference.
“If we never won a game again, the lads have experienced this. The amount of goodwill towards the team, not just at home but aboard, has been unreal. People have been sending messages and just want to help out. It really has been brilliant.
“The kids have been the big one. Kids seeing success within the club and the town only adds to it. Aoife O’Rourke had a post up there the other day about the number of days until she goes into the ring in Paris. For a small town like Castlerea, you can aspire to be successful. Those things are great for the kids to see and learn,” he pointed out.
Later this afternoon, those young supporters will make their way to Portlaoise to see if another successful chapter in this rollercoaster journey can be penned. The passion from the stands will be fierce from supporters of two hugely proud clubs.
One of Cill na Martra’s key defenders, Tadhg Ó Corcora, is likely to pick up Castlerea’s talisman Adam McDermott, while captain Gearóid Ó Goillidhe, Dan Ó Duinnín, Maidhcí Ó Duinnín and Seán Ó Fóirréidh have been mainstays in a side that certainly have an edge, but, crucially, the skill set to match.
Castlerea’s defence has been immense for them, but Jack Keane, Seán Joyce, Michael Conroy and company are facing a different beast this weekend. Crucially, the ingredients are there, most notably how both teams have dealt with the long lay-off since their provincial successes, for Roscommon’s representatives to spring another ambush.
But, like the Toy Soldier Factory in their village, Cill na Martra have the look of a side that are marching ominously towards a national decider. It will take Castlerea’s St. Kevin’s most Herculean effort to date to stop them.
