One senior championship in 21 years isn’t good enough for Baltinglass.
That’s what got Jason Kennedy out of bed every morning.
2007 was the club’s sole Wicklow football title this century until Kennedy led the charged and dragged his parish back to the top.
You listen to him speak and it’s honestly like he’s preparing for an All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin. Everything he eats, the way he sleeps and thinks about football when he’s not playing football would suggest he’s a professional. When he’s not on the pitch, he’s in the gym. When he’s at neither of those, he’s preparing for those.
It’s not like it’s easily done but, for Jason Kennedy, the things are worth doing don’t come the easiest.
“I’m not going to lie and say I love going training every day and that I love getting up early on a Sunday morning and sitting in on Saturday nights when boys are out drinking.
“But when we won the championship this year, it made it all worthwhile.”
On Sunday, at 2pm in Aughrim, the Baltinglass flag will fly for Wicklow and it will fly in the Leinster Senior Football Championship against Sean O’Mahony’s.
When you speak to Jason Kennedy, it’s not hard to see why. Listen to the passion of the man. Watch it in his eyes. He breathes club football and, sometimes, it is all worthwhile.
Colm Parkinson chats to Kerry GAA legend, and author, Kieran Donaghy in a special edition of The GAA Hour. Listen below or subscribe on iTunes
