Kenny wants hurlers to make a statement

Cathal Kenny's intercounty hurling career is certainly different to most.

The Oran clubman is an experienced member of the Roscommon senior hurling panel but between spending time in Australia and trying to get his body right, his career in the “Primrose and Blue” has been unique.

The Kenny family is steeped in the small ball code. His brothers Paul and Eamonn have also represented the county but Cathal was unable to commit last year as he tried to nurse his body back to full health.

Needless to say, he is keenly aware that, at the age of 30, time is of the essence as Roscommon start their Nickey Rackard Cup campaign against Mayo in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park on Saturday next at 3 p.m..

“The motivation to go again came from coming back to live locally again. I suppose I said to myself that I had more years to offer something.

“I enjoy hurling. It is a big part of my club (Oran) and my family would be a big part of the club. It is a proud thing to do, so any day you get the chance to represent your county is a proud day.

“I would have been asked the previous year (to be a part of the panel) but this year I felt I was in a better position to commit. I jumped at the opportunity. You don’t have too many years left to play at the top level with your county team. I think everybody who gets an opportunity like that should jump at it,” he noted.

Kenny was part of the last Roscommon side that claimed the Nickey Rackard Cup in 2015, so his experience will be important as the county aim to secure their third ever title at this grade.

The county has reached the last three Richie McElligott Cup (All-Ireland U-20 B hurling) finals. As a result, Kenny feels that the younger generation coming in now are far more advanced than when he started out over a decade ago.

“I would have come on to the panel first when I was 19 and I’m 30 now. The years don’t be long clipping away. You play and, over time, you can become a leader. But the younger generation are coming up, whether it be hurling or football or in any code, and they are looking after themselves. They really are.

“The sports science has evolved. They are very good athletes, and they don’t need a lot of guidance. They are very honest. If someone is being honest that is nearly all you can ask for. Kevin (Sammon), Matt (Cusack) and Patsy (Fahy) say that if we can bring honesty to training, the rest looks after itself.

“The best thing about these young lads is they have been playing in Croke Park against good quality teams. They are playing Derry and Down, teams that would be up and down between Christy Ring and Joe McDonagh. They bring us on.

“Maybe with age comes a bit of conservatism and when you get older you can be afraid to make a mistake. When these young lads come to training, they are a breath of fresh air. It just shows how good they are that a lad can just take the shackles off and play with freedom. It has rubbed off on us as well,” he stated.

Preparing for championship takes up no shortage of time but the Oran man spoke to the Roscommon Herald the day before his brother Paul got married (on Friday). Despite a hectic schedule, the former minor and U-21 footballer is chomping at the bit to get going.

“The hour (going forward) last weekend is a big plus. The brightness in the evenings is huge. We had a right good training session last weekend. There were no floodlights being put on and the sun was shining.

“You are looking forward to putting on your boots. It’s not like when you face into the cold weather. This is any player’s dream, to be able to put on your boots and go out and grab a hurl. You look forward to it,” Kenny claimed.

Roscommon will be underdogs facing Division Three League champions Mayo. But Kenny believes his charges are capable of producing their best display of the year.

“Last year, they (Roscommon) were very close to Mayo. I was at the match, and they were within the puck of a ball of being in the Rackard final.

“We are in the Nickey Rackard division, and I have represented Roscommon in the Christy Ring division. It is where the county should be if performances and work go in and everything goes your way.

“Sometimes it is hard to get out of a division, but we have a good opportunity now to raise that hurt from the league match, hit the ground running and hopefully make a statement to the rest of the teams at the start of the Rackard,” he concluded.