‘We enjoyed last year, but we’ve forgotten about that now’
By Kevin Egan
Before the decade is out, there’s a strong chance that somebody, somewhere, will complete a thesis on how an athlete’s psychology is changed by finally achieving their goals, and they will use Shinrone GAA club as part of their evidence.
After all, how could you not? For more than a decade, members and supporters of the club railed at the assertion they were mentally flaky and unable to win a knockout game, but they couldn’t deny it, because the evidence was overwhelming. Ten times in a dozen years they fell at the first knockout hurdle, usually on the back of some impressive hurling in the round robin stages of the championship. Craft and quality was never in doubt, but their ability to deliver under pressure was confirmed absent.
Then, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, 2022 changed everything. They knocked out St Rynagh’s, the reigning champions, at the quarter-final stage.
Two injury-time goals broke Belmont’s hearts and gave them a one-point win in the semi-final, and then in the county final they stayed in the game when Kilcormac-Killoughey burst out of the blocks, and ensured that when they were ready to come with a surge, that they were within touching distance.
And so it has continued in 2023, with a string of big finishes to win games against Belmont, Coolderry and Seir Keran, followed by an excellent recovery against Birr, after the town side retrieved a lead and brought Shinrone to extra-time.
Their best performance of the year was against Ballinamere, where again, they showed great game-management and guile to get to half-time a point up despite not playing their best hurling, and then they gradually asserted their class to win well. It’s been another season that has completely disproven everything we thought we knew about hurling in Shinrone.
“We’ve become so resilient,” says team captain Declan Cleary.
“There’s a great belief there now. At times in games we’ve been tested but we’ve stuck to it and somehow, in some way we find a way to get over the line.
The Coolderry game, a point, the Clareen game, a point. In the Belmont game we needed two late goals to see it out in the end. Ballinamere beat us in the group stage when they finished well and on the back of that, Birr gave us an awful hard test, we just about got through it. We had a tough day the last day against Ballinamere too.
“We’re learning each time. Each game is tougher and tougher and we’re finding a way somehow so there is an inner belief, confidence. We don’t panic, we’ll find a way someway. Please God we’ll do the same again on Sunday.”
In the initial aftermath of last year’s win, it was far from certain that Shinrone would come back a more grizzled, mature and hard-to-beat team. Ciarán Cleary, the towering full-forward who scored 0-5 and won man of the match in last year’s final, was departing for foreign shores and wasn’t going to be available. Celebrations in the aftermath of that momentous, maiden victory were extensive, to the point that they were a shadow of themselves in the Leinster club championship, and were duly blown away by Naas.
The signs were there that this was a group that would happily take their place in history, but wouldn’t lose any sleep if that Robbins Cup wasn’t backed up with more silverware.
“Winning last year was the best feeling in the world. It was everything we dreamt of. At the time it’s hard to believe but it’s sunk in and we’ve enjoyed it but we reset and we are focusing fully on this year again,” Cleary says. He pointed out how it was a collective effort, with players taking turns to be the one to ensure that standards were maintained.
“Individually, you’re obviously going to think that it’s great to be on the first Shinrone team ever to get over the line but we’ve just carried each other through since then. You push the lad beside you, he pushes you back. The old lads, the young lads, everything in between.
"We enjoyed last year, but we’ve forgotten about that now. We have our belief and our trust in each other, and after getting this far, there’s one more step we have to take.”
As captain, Cleary is aware that there might be a bit more expectancy on him to take the lead on such matters, but he’s been quite happy to take a back seat on that front, and to allow the group to find its own way through their journey back to the county final.
“I don’t think about it too much. I see my job as to be fit and ready to hurl as well as I can, and to make sure I don’t let the side down with my play, first and foremost. Yeah, I’m captain but we have leaders everywhere, every lad is stepping up. We’ve seen that throughout the year, we’ve seen it last year in the county final, players are all showing in different ways that they can be trusted to do what’s needed to be done, and to back each other up.
“Every time we step down onto the field for training there’s lads stepping up, in games the boys coming on as substitutes are making a serious impact, and it’s as simple as that. Every man is leading in some shape or form.”
So does he believe they are where they need to be, in advance of Sunday’s county final?
“We’ve recovered from the Ballinamere game, it was probably the first time all year where we really kicked on in the second half. That’s the same story, we didn’t think about it at the time, we just focssed on the next ball, but we kept getting better as the game went on.
“I suppose it was our best performance of the year. We built a bit of a lead for ourselves and we saw out the game without letting them back in too much at the end, and it’s the same for the final, we just need to focus on our hurling, and not get sidetracked by the occasion, or who we’re playing.
“Last year’s game is relevant, it’s the same two teams playing each other again and we know Kilcormac-Killoughey are a fine side, lots of strong hurlers and serious strength in depth. But all that’s in our control is to look after ourselves, make sure we’re physically and mentally ready.”
Calm, focused, and proven in tight finishes – Declan Cleary and Shinrone have come a long way.