Tá siad ag dul sa treo ceart.
An Rinn Gaeltacht in Waterford won their third ever Waterford intermediate hurling Championship on Saturday, beating Clonea in Walsh Park, and that brings many of their players one step closer to their goal of winning a game at the top grade of Déise hurling.
Hurling is rarely number one in the Gaeltacht areas. Football takes precedence more often than not, but in this coastal parish tucked away in West Waterford, the small ball is on par.
Isn’t it great to see that? A club that treats both hurling and football equally, that competes at the top level in both, that is buoyed by the competition, and fuelled by the desire to win no matter what code they’re playing in.
Their heads will now turn to the Munster intermediate hurling Championship next week, with a journey to Kilmaley, Clare ahead of them next weekend, but soon after, the Waterford senior football semi-final is on the horizon.
There’s no rest for them.
Many CLG Na Rinne players are sick of being tainted with that stereotype, that they are a ‘football club’, that they don’t know how to hurl, and they are doing their best to change it.
Indeed, a rousing celebratory chant of famous Irish folk tune Óró Sé do Bheatha Bhaile only serves to highlight their pride of place, and how much this win meant to them.
It would make you jealous, wouldn’t it?
— An Ghaeltacht CLG (@anghaeltachtclg) October 28, 2017
We chatted to An Rinn live-wire corner forward, Fearghal Curran, and what stands out the most is the Waterford senior footballer’s grá for the small ball.
“First of all, it means a huge amount because all other teams think we are only a ‘football club’ because we are playing in senior football.
“We are a dual senior club now which is a huge achievement,” said the St Pat’s Drumcondra student.
Comhgairdeachas @CLGnaRinne #anrinnabú pic.twitter.com/0G7nvOtx9U
— Paddy O Cathain (@PCathain) October 28, 2017
They’ve been here before, reaching senior level, but they didn’t last too long. Listening to Curran, you’d be surprised if they’re condemned to the same fate this time around.
“It Means so much for us all, but especially the older lads on the panel because as one of them said before, ‘my goal before retiring is to win a senior game.’
“Our main goal is to stay up senior hurling because we failed to stay up after we won the intermediate county finals In 2008 and 2012. We have a small population and we are the smallest Gaeltacht, so it means a huge amount for the community,” he continued.
Ring is a small parish, a small area, and they’ve a small population, but that just knits them closer together, and though it has been tough to balance the work-load of a hurling team and a football team, they’ve been doing their best, with every panel member pulling in the one direction.
Nach aoibhinn é #Gaeilge bhinn, bhuacach na Rinne a chloisint i bPáirc an Bhreathnaigh inniu. #gaa@CLGnaRinne pic.twitter.com/jYI8LpVZrI
— Irial Mac Murchú (@Irialm) October 28, 2017
We are preparing for a semi final for senior football, but due to Waterford hurling that is delayed,” said Curran.
An Rinn had a team of heroes on Saturday, but one man stood tallest and that was their powerhouse, direct-running midfielder Donie Breathnach.
The former DCU Fitzgibbon star racked up a whopping 14 points from lár na páirce, including six from play, and according to Curran, no matter what Clonea tried, they were unable to lay a finger on the former Waterford senior hurling panelist.
“Donie Breathnach was unbelievable. He scored straight away seconds after the throw in.
“After he knocked over a few more points, Clonea realised they had to do something to try to manage him, and they moved Willie Hahessey, a former minor and under-21 All-Ireland medalist with Waterford, on to man mark him, but it made no difference at all.
“Donie was on the Waterford team in 2015 when they won the national league, he had one appearance from the bench for a championship game for Waterford, before he went to America that summer.
— An Ghaeltacht CLG (@anghaeltachtclg) October 28, 2017
He was just superb on frees, and no one could catch him running with the ball. Literally Donie I’d say he only had one wide and he was popping them over from midfield. He finished strong too with the last point of the game,” added Curran.
14 points from midfield in a county final. Derek McGrath will be keeping his eyes peeled.
