Bergin shining bright for O'Loughlins in twilight of his career

By John Harrington

He’ll turn 35 in April, but O’Loughlin Gaels sharpshooter, Mark Bergin, is arguably playing the best hurling of his career.

He’s scored 45 points in his team’s last five victories going back to the Kilkenny SHC Final win over Ballyhale Shamrocks.

13 of those have come from play, and his accuracy under pressure from placed balls has been pivotal to his team’s progression to Sunday’s AIB All-Ireland Club Final against St. Thomas’.

Quite often when you talk to players in the twilight of their careers they’ll tell you that they feel the pressure to perform greater than ever because they have a keen appreciation of how high the stakes are, concerns about their continued ability to perform at the highest level, and an awareness that the window of opportunity is closing with every game they play.

But Bergin doesn’t seem at all burdened like that. If anything, he looks more relaxed than ever on a hurling pitch.

“Yeah, for me it's gone the other way,” he says. “I feel less pressure as I grow older. I think it helps as well that there's an awful lot of leaders around our team.

“You look at Huw Lawlor, Mikey Butler, Paddy Deegan, Conor Heary...these lads are representing the club with Kilkenny and are our leaders in the team and I just try to row in behind them.

“I'm just really enjoying it and just taking it year on year. I don't know when my last year is going to be. But, obviously, it's extra-special this year. It's extra-special when you get older and you win Kilkenny championships and Leinster championships because it means so much.

“Maybe it's that bit of maturity, but you can see how much it means to other people and to your family as well. That gives you a great buzz and a great kick.”

Clearly Bergin’s mental game is stronger than ever, but he’s also looking in great physical shape for his age which he puts down to clever management.

“We've been very fortunate with Brian Hogan as manager,” he says. “It wasn't so long ago that Hogie was playing so he understands that the older you get little niggles start creeping in and family life is important as well.

“He's very understanding and we also have a top-class strength and conditioning coach in Mickey Comerford who is with Kilkenny at present too. He was with us in 2016. So he knows us inside out. He knows when you can step out of training.

“I think it's just that bit of ownership that Hogie and Mickey Comerford have given to me and said, look, if you're not right or feeling niggles just step out of this session.

“Thankfully I've been injury-free as well which is absolutely huge. Throughout my career I've had no serious injuries so, touch-wood, that will continue.

“I'm just really enjoying hurling to be honest with you. I'm really enjoying being part of this panel of players. There's a great spirit there and a great unity there. It's very easy to go training and playing matches when that's there. I get a great kick out of it.”

That spirit has been very evident throughout O’Loughlin Gaels’ run to Sunday’s All-Ireland Final.

They won the All-Ireland semi-final against Cushendall, the Leinster Final against Na Fianna, and the Kilkenny Final against Ballyhale Shamrocks all by a single point.

Bergin believes their character has been formed by the crucible of Kilkenny club championship hurling where every match is a battle.

“Any time you win those tight games they’re always sweeter, they're always nice. Coming down the stretch in the last 10 minutes of the game, you want to be there or there abouts.

“In the Kilkenny Leaugue and Championship, that's where that character came from. We played Mullinavat in the quarter-final of the Kilkenny championship in Thomastown and we showed unbelievable character there. We went seven or eight points down in terrible conditions and we battled back to win the game by three or four points.

“I think then we added a bit of steel to our game that was maybe missing the previous year when we lost out in the first round of the championship. We took it on from there. We beat Ballyhale in the last minute and I think that's the only way to beat them, to be honest. We won the game with the last shot.

“Na Fianna then in the Leinster Final, I think the clock went into the 60th minute and we got the winning point. And then the Cushendall match was just a serious battle that could have gone either way.

“Look, you're playing county champions so the standard is going to be absolutely massive. We knew every game we were going to play was going to be extremely tight and that's the way it has been and I can see Sunday being the exact same again. It's going to be extremely tight.”

When you have a defence like O’Loughlin Gaels do, it’s easy to be confident that you’ll be there or there abouts regardless of the opposition.

They boast half of the Kilkenny defensive sextet with Huw Lawlor at full-back, Mikey Butler at corner-back, and Paddy Deegan at centre-back, and all three of them have been inspirational on the run to Sunday’s Final.

“Yeah, they're serious backs,” says Bergin. “Huw and Mikey are two-time All-Stars. Paddy has been one of Kilkenny's top performers over the last four or five years.

“It does give you great hope and belief that the lads are going to keep things tight. But there's a responsibility as well on us as forwards to make sure that we're scoring, that we're chipping in, that we're all working hard together and I think we have this year.

“It's been good so far but we're going to need a massive performance from absolutely everyone in order for us to get over the line on Sunday.

“You just look at St Thomas' and they won the club All-Ireland in 2013, they were in the final in 2019, they lost to Ballyhale narrowly in Thurles in a semi-final a couple of years ago, they're after beating Ballygunner who were favourites to win it out. So it's going to be a huge test and we're going to need 20 players on Sunday.

“Look, it's where you want to be, a club All-Ireland Final, it's brilliant.”