*Caimin Morey. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
HAVING unquestionably proved themselves to be the team of the last decade with five senior hurling titles in just eight years maximising what has been Sixmilebridge’s most fruitful generation.
However, it’s now four years since Derek Fahy and Shane Golden went up to lift the Canon Hamilton Cup from a social distance of course in what was the COVID championship.
The coronavirus is still very much around but Sixmilebridge haven’t been as prominent in the shake-up for senior honours as they were dethroned at the quarter-final stage by Éire Óg in 2021 and didn’t even get out of the group for the first time in seven years last year.
However, fresh blood both on and off the field has ignited a revitalisation process, centred around a refreshing new-look home grown managerial pairing of Tommy Liddy and Stiofan Fitzpatrick who are eager to put player friendships to one side for the greater good of trying to rekindle a senior title charge.
“I would have been over a lot of these lads at underage between Under 16, Minor and Under 21 so I would have experience with a lot of them but there is also the factor that I would have been friendly with them outside of the hurling field,” Liddy outlined. “However, they are a very driven group so that would never come into it as once you’re making decisions for the panel to achieve the best results possible, I think they’re understanding enough to know that any decision from the management will be for the betterment of the club and the team”.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Tommy detailed that they have received a bounce in their preparation in recent weeks. “We had an up and down league but I suppose that was on account of having a lot of injuries and lads being away so we couldn’t get anywhere near out first 15 on the field for the first couple of games. I suppose there was probably a bedding in process there with the management anyway which is often inevitable. We found more of a flow towards the end of the league and we’ve maintained that push since then.
“The core would have a lot of experience but they’ve trained very hard over the past couple of weeks and you can see a bit of a bounce in them that they’re looking forward to championship being around the corner. It’s great to get Seadna [Morey] and Cathal [Malone] back on the training as it has given everyone a lift. I suppose it’s no different to any team that are getting fellas back that have competed at that level, it’s always going to improve standards in training especially coming up to championship”.
The prospect of taking on their nearest and dearest neighbours Newmarket as well as one of their leading rivals for the Canon in the last decade Crusheen are well worn paths but the largely unknown entity of a fresh-faced St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield side isn’t as comfortable for Liddy and Co. in their opening bout in Newmarket-on-Fergus this Friday evening (7.30pm)
“We’re under no illusion as to what Doora/Barefield are bringing, they’re athletes and are bringing legs all over the field. I happen to watch them three times over the course of last year’s championship against Kilmaley, Scariff and Wolfe Tones and I had said at that time, before I even got this job at all, that they were a coming team. The youth, energy and ferocity of tackle, they were competitive in every game in what was a very tough group last year but they improved with every game. So while we wouldn’t be taking any game for granted, It certainly won’t be Doora/Barefield anyway.
“We didn’t get out of the group ourselves last year so our focus is trying to get back to winning ways just as much as Doora/Barefield and the boys are looking forward to it but they also obviously know what’s at stake as well because they don’t want that long lay-off that they experienced last year again.
“The ‘Bridge were out of the championship last year in mid-August and not looking at another championship game in twelve months so hopefully it will provide an extra determination to get over the line on Friday evening”.
Management: Tommy Liddy, Stiofan Fitzpatrick (Joint-Managers); Adrian Chaplin, Barry Coffey (Coaches/Selectors); James Naughton, Chloe Morey (S&C Coaches); Aidan O’Connor (Kitman)
Captain: Jamie Shanahan
Key Player: Cathal Malone
One to Watch: Fiachra Ó Braoin
Fresh Blood: Jason Loughnane, Alan Mulready, Matthew O’Halloran, Mark Sheedy
Departure Gate: N/A
Treatment Table: None
Titles Won: 15 (1977, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020)
Last season’s run: Despite a positive start against Crusheen, the ‘Bridge’s championship wheels came off against Clonlara and the Mills to fall at the group stages.
Schedule
Round 1 – v St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield at Newmarket, Friday 7.30pm
Round 2 – v Crusheen (Weekend of August 23rd-25th)
Round 3 – v Newmarket-on-Fergus (Weekend of September 6-8th)
