Overcoming Clonkill will take ‘a massive effort’, says Mangan

Gerry Buckley reports

When Castletown-Geoghegan senior hurling manager Alan Mangan was reminded that he had also uniquely worn the bainisteoir’s bib in two senior football finals for Tyrrellspass in 2015 and 2016, he immediately responded: “But I didn’t win one yet!”

The 2004 Delaney Cup-winning forward conceded that the men in black and amber are browned off being ‘bridesmaids’ on the day of the Westmeath Examiner Cup final, having lost the last three deciders. “We have been one of the top three in the county for a good number of years, but have probably underachieved in terms of titles to our name relative to the number of times we have got to the final.

“We have some new players and a new management, and we’re hoping that it might get us across the line this year. We have to give credit to the management teams that went before us. A lot of the work was done by Pat O’Brien, Ger Jackson, Ronan Whelan and others,” he stated with trademark magnanimity.

Next Sunday’s final opponents Clonkill were comfortable winners in the round robin clash between the teams. In this regard, Mangan opined: “We didn’t work hard enough in that first round game against Clonkill. The backbone of their team is very strong, right down the middle with Alan McGrath, Peadar Scally, Shane Power, Niall Mitchell, ‘Nipper’ Dowdall, and Anthony Price. You also have Luke Loughlin and Jordy Smyth who add a bit of flair to the team. On their day, they’re capable of beating any team. It’s going to take a massive effort for us to get across the line against them.”

When queried as to whether it is an advantage or disadvantage going straight to the final as Clonkill have, while two others fight it out in a semi-final, the former dual star replied: “Last year was the first time this system was used. Raharney went straight into the final and won it. They beat us by more than the scoreline suggested in the 2021 final.

“Having said that, playing a semi-final and the way we played in it can only help us. Clonkill beat us by ten points already this year. The people who work the hardest in any sport normally get their due reward. In the final, we’d be hoping to match them in terms of work rate.”

Mangan had sympathy for Neal Kirby who will miss his second county final in recent years after picking up an injury, ironically in a challenge match against Castletown from Laois a few weeks ago He clarified the situation thus: “Neal knocked his shoulder out of place in that game. He thought it might recover a bit more quickly, but it looks like he’ll be out for another 4/5 weeks. Unfortunately for him, he also missed another final in the last couple of years due to army duties.”

Reflecting on the campaign as a whole, Mangan added: “We haven’t played particularly well this year. We played reasonably well in the second half of the semi-final against Raharney, but we haven’t really played to the potential that this team has.

“Hopefully, we’re getting better as each game comes along. With a bit of luck, we can be even better in the final. The mood is good in the camp after beating Raharney in the semi-final, as they had beaten us earlier in the campaign.”

An on-field medallist himself with his native club, the Castletown-Geoghegan manager concluded as follows: “There is no substitute for playing no matter how many people say that managing is better. It’s not. But as a management team we would just love to see Niall O’Brien lifting that cup.

“‘Nialler’ hasn’t got a chance before this year to captain the team because Pat was never going to pick his son as captain. He deserves a crack at being captain. He has been a leader for us for the past ten years, and we’re hoping that he gets his reward at the weekend.”