*James Curran. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
IF St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield were floated on the stock market, they would arguably be on every stockbrokers’ radar right now.
Not only due to the size and potential of the club itself but as much to do with the incremental rise of their flagship sides in both codes that has seen them become a dual senior force once more.
Take their football wing for example as since winning back the intermediate crown in 2020, they have improved their senior standing with every passing year and almost pulled off the ultimate derby ambush when pushing back-to-back champions Éire Óg to their optimum in last year’s quarter-final.
In order to maintain that upward development graph though, they need to go a step further this year which brings its own pressure and expectancy albeit that manager Donagh Vaughan isn’t about to dwell on that titanic extra-time battle with the Townies. “We’re a few years around now so we’ve gained valuable experience and we were unlucky not to take the scalp of Éire Óg in last year’s quarter-final but while it will have aided the lads’ confidence and it was great to play to that level against one of the top teams, we also have to park that game now and get back down to reality.
“Like everyone else, past reputations or games are out the window again now as we are all back down the bottom of the hill and back to work, starting on Friday evening in Corofin. We need to bring the same energy and work-rate against St Breckan’s,” he said.
His caution comes from the fact that Group 2 is viewed as very hard to call as Doora/Barefield, St Breckan’s, Corofin and Kildysart have all aspirations of winning the Jack Daly despite their recent intermediate experience. “Kilmihil won the intermediate last year but this group is comprised of the previous four winners who all know each other quite well. St Breckan’s would have beaten us in an intermediate semi-final before beating Kildysart in the final, we would have beaten Corofin in our intermediate final twelve months later and then Corofin had a late rally to beat Kildysart the following year in the final so these are teams that have come through the same route and now are eager to make their mark at senior level. Thank god, we all seem to be finding our feet at senior level and that’s down to the quality of the players and the strength of those panels so it promises to be a really interesting group.”
That intrigue commences on Friday evening in Páirc Finne in Corofin at 7.30pm when Vaughan’s Parish side take on last year’s finalists St Breckan’s. “Friday is massive as you’re building all year for this game. The league is great for development but despite training hard, you’re still not one hundred per cent sure until you play that first round. So Round 1 is massive and we happen to be playing a team that contested the county final last year and are an excellent team which is reflected on the amount of players on the county set-up particularly up front.
“They have some excellent forwards in their armoury but they’re also a team that we know well but they turned us over very easily last year and we wouldn’t be happy at all with our performance against them at the group stages. So we won’t be short of motivation but we just have to turn up on Friday and play to our maximum. Regardless of the format or number of teams, a championship hinges on the first round as after Friday, we’ll know exactly where we are all of a shot”.
Management: Donagh Vaughan (Manager); Eoin Troy (Coach/Selector); Diarmuid Whelan (Video Analysis/Selector); Evan Hennessy (S&C); Morgan Rowland (Kitman)
Captain: Jack Hannan
Key Player: James Curran
One to Watch: Paddy Bugler
Fresh Blood: Conor Daly, Charlie Hannan, Joe Keane, Cormac Maher, Mike Nash
Departure Gate: Cian Barron (Hurling only)
Treatment Table: None
Titles Won: 1
Last season’s run: Quarter-Finals
Schedule
Round 1 – v St Breckan’s at Corofin, Friday 7.30pm
Round 2 – v Corofin (Weekend of August 16/17/18th)
Round 3 – v Kildysart (Weekend of August 31st/September 1st)
