Interesting Lory Meagher Cup decider awaits
Fermanagh's Ryan Bogue and Longford's John Casey pictured ahead of the Lory Meagher Cup Final. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
By Paul Keane
A labour of love? John Casey wouldn't dare call it that. As far as he is concerned, there is no great labour at all with playing for Longford, just the love.
"I'm looking forward to next season already," smiled Casey who has spent precisely half his life hurling for Longford.
"I made my debut against Fermanagh in 2007, I was a nipper at 17."
The one year his mind did wander and he decided to park the hurling to focus on club football, in 2010, Longford went and won the Lory Meagher Cup without him.
"I remember them coming in and the celebrations afterwards, I told myself I'd never leave the team again," said Casey.
Despite that frustration and the sense of missing out on a landmark triumph, he did manage to watch a few reruns of the 2010 final over the years. As time has gone by, it has become an even more intriguing watch, not for what happened on the pitch in that final 14 years ago but for the kids he saw in the stand, looking on.
"At this stage I've seen three or four different lads in the crowd that day that are playing with us now," he said.
Casey was chuffed to see those players come through over the years but the truth is he'd love to see so many more follow them. And he has been doing his best to make this happen in future, gaining the necessary coaching qualification earlier this year to allow him to get out and work with newcomers to the game.
"I'm doing the U6s in a new club called Rathcline," he said. "At the start of the year, we had committed to doing the coaching badges, because we wanted to give back, the whole squad has done the foundation course now and we are committed to that. Because Longford hurling, look, it is a struggle at times, there is only 60 senior players at the minute and against Warwickshire this year in the league semi-final we only had 18 togged out."
Injuries were an issue at that stage of the season and Longford lost the Division 3B semi-final to Warwickshire but they have bounced back strongly in the Championship. They last won the Lory Meagher Cup a decade ago, 2014 - Fermanagh were victors as recently as 2021 - and would love to give Longford hurling a shot in the arm by winning again.
"We have the opportunity to showcase our talents and to inspire that next generation to play in Croke Park themselves," said Casey. "It is a great opportunity we have, getting to the Lory Meagher final and playing in Croke Park but, for me, it is for the next generation."
The motivations are similar for opponents Fermanagh. Like Casey, Ryan Bogue is a long-time servant for the Ernesiders and sees tomorrow's game as a huge opportunity to showcase what they are all about to the younger generation in the Ulster county.
He took heart from the fact that around 60 kids turned up for the recent 'meet the players' event ahead of the final.
"Lisbellaw are the one senior team in the county, they play in the Ulster intermediate championship, that is their championship, there is no county final at that level," said Bogue, explaining where the concentration of hurling in the county lies. "Belleek and Lisnaskea and Lisbellaw's second team all play in a Fermanagh junior championship then. I could probably name everybody that will be at the game on Sunday following Fermanagh. It's such a small community."
Bogue has never been able to walk away from the group for too long either.
"I was in Australia for a couple of years but when you come back you are mad for it again," he said. "All my friends are here, everyone on the panel are your friends, and it's just what you do and that's it. You don't do anything else."
Both players, Casey and Bogue, are optimistic ahead of the trip south and make decent pitches as to why they can win. They agree that it will be a tough afternoon, whichever way it goes.
"I do think this could be the best game of the day," said Casey. "It's been nip and tuck between us for the last number of years. We know eachother inside out at this stage."
Bogue concurred. "We played them a few weeks ago in the Championship," said Bogue, referencing their 2-21 to 3-18 draw a fortnight ago in Longford. "Videos and all will have been looked at before the final and it will be hell for leather again."
