| |||
 Brendan Mulcahy Interview The Evening Echo | |||
|
Eamonn Murphy reports on the Evening Echo County Senior Hurling Final
Age - 26
Ten days before the Evening Echo County Final, Newtownshandrum adopts a
relaxed pose; a club that's been here and seen it all before.
All the officials chat and joke, unaffected by the biting autumn wind
that sweeps across the open side of the main pitch and under the
floodlights.
Training in October with the campaign yet to reach its climax has been
a regular event.
They're well used to journalists rolling into the village looking for a
fresh take on their rise to greatness.
It is business as usual in the community hall, hosting the regular
bingo slot, press night or not.
In the pub a handful of thirsty patrons sit around the roaring fire, a
row of locals look relaxed in what seems to be their regular seats at the
bar,while a couple are hovering around the pool table. The village itself
may be decorated with bunting, but in the local there are no feverish operatic
conversations about the big match, the villagers know what to expect.
The players jog off from training to head for home as the clock ticks
towards 10. And it's only the press waiting for a few words that
emphasises to captain Brendan Mulcahy it's 'that' time of year again.
"When the media are here tonight it really brings it home to you that
you are in a county final. We do have an advantage in that we are used to
the build-up, and that does stand to us, but it's coming home now that we
really need to win this final."
It is a common theme from the Newtown boys - that 'need'. They won't be
underestimating that raw hunger that fuels Cloyne; after all they know
what it's like to use a final defeat to drive for glory the following year.
Even though their hunger might have a different taste to the East Cork
men's, Brendan is sure that the appetite it still there.
"The way I look at it is that it would be an awful downer to have only
won two out of four finals. Now while we're still fairly young, most of us
are around 26 / 27 and who knows you might not get to a county final
again."
With the experience of a remarkable five years during which the semis of
the county had an empty look about it without Newtown's name, comes a
different sort of pressure for Brendan.
"It's our fourth final in six years and the first one is definitely the
most special. For me it was almost easier because now we know what's involved
and just how hard it is to win a county. For the first county you go in
blind and don't know what to expect and I felt that meant there were less
nerves or pressure. You've no inhibitions and you hurl more freely, you're not
thinking 'what if I do this wrong or make a mistake'."
With last year's defeat to Na Piarsaigh forcing Cloyne to endure a
painful winter last year, many seem to believe they will banish the demons on
Sunday, but he insists Newtown will draw on their own ghosts from 2002.
But isn't he afraid this seems to be Cloyne's year?
"You wonder are they about to get to the next step alright. They've
gone from losing a semi to losing a final and now they're back again. We
know what it's like after losing to Blackrock in 2002 and it definitely fired
us up for the next year.
"The worst thing of all for me is losing a final. You've put in the
exact same work as the winners and you come away with nothing. You're the same
as every other team in the championship with nothing to show.
"We've been through both, we know what it's like to win and we know
what it's like to lose, we know the difference so believe me we don't want
to lose it. Cloyne are a very close knit team, a family club like us, so
we know how strong their hunger is."
With 'the Baron' Bernie O'Connor back at the helm, it would be foolish
to underestimate how much Newtown want to win this title.
Mulcahy trained under the guiding hand of O'Connor from the age of 11,
in a brilliant young team sparkling with two future stars in Ben and Jerry.
From that early age they got used to that winning feeling, which peaked with
three consecutive U21 county titles before many of them graduated to
senior success. How important has Bernie's return been?
"Bernie has been a huge influence on the most of the fellas down through
the years. He took a break from us for three years. He probably needed a
break from us as much as we needed it from him, but it's great to have him
back as he's a great driving force behind the team. He knows us inside out and
we know him too and what's expected of us. Bernie has a very direct
approach and if you're honest with him, he'll be honest with you."
Bernie came back to win championships, he makes no bones about that,
and 10 days before throw-in, Newtown is starting to stir. Mulcahy is keen to
maximise their time at the top, no regrets, they don't work.
"At the start winning a county is a huge thing but you have to
appreciate there are always lulls and dips in clubs' histories so you really have
to make the most of it, you have to appreciate it and win as many as you
can.
It's no good looking back with regrets."
Maybe it's just the village can afford to be relaxed before the big
game, they've seen it all before after all, but post-Sunday they don't want to
be where they were in 2002. No regrets, they don't work.
| ||
www.newtownshandrum.com | |||