Naas 0-14 Sarsfields 0-12
Managers…who needs them?
It’s not too often you’ll hear of a club winning a county title without having a manager on the line but Naas have managed just that. After surviving a late Sarsfields rally, the long-starved people of Naas could celebrate a first county championship in 31 years after their year of years drew to a wonderful conclusion in St Conleth’s Park.
The whole thing was up in the air a month ago when, just before their semi-final against Maynooth, Paul Kelly left his post and left this team without a manager. It was hardly ideal then but in tough times emerge tough people and up stepped senior players Eamonn Callaghan and Eoin Doyle to take on a role as joint managers of the team. As the boys played, club stalwart Cormac Kirwan took on a more hands-on role in making substitutions and other calls on match-day.
The pair multi-tasked to great effect in their semi-final, when they accounted for Maynooth easily and it was more of the same in Newbridge on Sunday. They may have been a long time without a senior title but a recent underage revival, one that has seen them win three minor titles in the last five years, has revived a sleeping giant and on Sunday it brought them to the promised land.
These gifted young players have no fear and they have drove the whole thing on, none-more-so than the highly rated Alex Beirne and Darragh Kirwan, both youngsters playing huge parts again today with 0-5 between them.
At the other end of his career, captain fantastic Eamonn Callaghan also played a pivotal role, scoring 0-2 in a typically composed performance. During the week, his neighbour and the club’s P.R.O Liam McManus told us it would be a ‘dream come through’ for Callaghan to win his first county senior title.
“It would be a very emotional day on Sunday if we were to do it after 30 years away. It would be emotional for everyone, but none-more-so than Eamonn, after all he’s given to our club,” added McManus.
By 5.00, when the win was secured, with the celebrations in full-flow, with half of Naas out on the pitch, the captain must have been felt like he was in dreamland.
— Naas GAA SF (@NaasGAA_SF) November 7, 2021
— Naas GAA SF (@NaasGAA_SF) November 7, 2021
County Champions 🔵⚪️ #Champs #Naas #KildareGAA #NaasGAA pic.twitter.com/qr9eGPglta
— Emma Connolly (@EmmaCon2010) November 7, 2021
Seems like half of Naas is out on the pitch. Champions for first time in 31 years. pic.twitter.com/XiJ0GCSLAz
— Pauric Lodge (@pauriclodge) November 7, 2021
