Mike Quirke is enjoying being involved at inter-county level with Laois.
By Cian O’Connell
A keen observer of the inter-county game for much of the past decade, Mike Quirke is delighted to now be operating as Laois manager.
Once his playing days with Kerry ended Quirke has relished being involved in a coaching capacity so the opportunity to take charge of Laois is a task the Tralee native has quickly embraced.
Central to Quirke’s approach, though, is ensuring that skill always features high on the priority list.
“It is definitely a challenge and an enjoyable one for now,” Quirke admits. “We started when we were supposed to on November 15 so we are probably up in around high 20s or 30 sessions.
“It isn't like we are flogging guys or doing anything more than we are supposed to be doing. Everything has been based around the game and football in every session.
“There has been no mad running so I'd like to think the players are enjoying it and getting a bit of a challenge from the whole thing. I know from our side of things with Maurice Horan, Tom Hargroves, and the lads we are definitely enjoying the whole process too.”
Quirke briskly stitched together a backroom team with a wide range of experience. Tom Hargroves previously worked with Bristol Rugby, Maurice Horan has a highly regarded sporting CV, Eoin Kearns was also a selector with John Sugrue, while Maurice Browne is another well respected figure.
An interesting blend exists. “There is to be fair,” Quirke responds.
New Laois manager Mike Quirke.
“That is the big culture shock when you go from club football to inter-county is the amount of different little departments you need to square off.
“I've been very fortunate to have the likes of Tom, who is the next level when it comes to the physical conditioning stuff and what he is bringing to the whole county from the minors to the 20s and the way he is giving them a real pathway there.
“Obviously Maurice Horan has fierce experience and he does the majority of the coaching and it is going well. Eoin Kearns was involved previously with John Sugrue. He is a great guy with a great handle on the players.
"Maurice Browne is a Kerry man originally, but he has been involved with Killeshin for a couple of years and has been living in that side of the country for about 15 years. They are well in tune with the club game up there and they know guys really well. We've ticked a lot of boxes really.
“The main thing is the players, you can have all of the coaches you want, but the players have really bought into it and worked really hard, they seem to be enjoying the whole thing.”
Laois’ cocktail of emerging and established footballers are eager to make an impact under Quirke’s guidance. Dealing with the fact that some key performers in recent years didn’t commit for 2020 was something Quirke and his selectors faced immediately.
“We moved on very quickly, we didn't pine away for the guys who weren't able to commit,” Quirke says. “I'd like to make the distinction that I wouldn't have any problem with anybody who felt they couldn't commit for the year.
“Obviously it is a big commitment, other guys have priorities with their families, work or maybe they just need a break to rejuvenate their own batteries. I never had any issue with any fella who told me he wasn't able to play.
Mike Quirke is hopeful about making an impact with Laois in 2020.
“Very quickly we just got on with the guys, who were really committed to the whole thing. I've made the point repeatedly, you have a lot of footballers in Division Two who are dropping out of the game, but we have a lot of guys in that older bracket who just buck the trend completely.
“They are some of our most diligent and energised guys. That is great to see. Hopefully with the way we are training and everything we are doing, we are trying to make it as enjoyable and fun for fellas. It is a commitment, but it is still a game, and we want to make sure fellas are enjoying the whole process.”
Ultimately Laois were satisfied to leave Dr Hyde Park armed with a share of the spoils following a dramatic revival against Roscommon. “We were in the finish, but at half-time we would have been disappointed to come out with a point because we had played really, really well in the first half,” Quirke states.
“We created loads of chances and just didn't take enough of them really. It was strange that we found ourselves in that situation to be fair going into injury time. The lads showed fierce character to be able to dig it out, we were pleased with the point really.”
Armagh are next on the agenda in Portlaoise on Saturday evening with Quirke believing that there is plenty of potential in the Laois ranks. “Definitely, we are certainly aren't getting carried away after getting a draw and one point in our first game,” Quirke replies.
“Since we got involved we could see that there was a lot of talent there, it was just a matter of developing a bit of something between all of us really. Between the players, management, and coaches - everybody.
“I think there is enough exciting young guys there and you have a few older, established leaders, who are ploughing a great furrow for us. It is a nice mix really and that result helps keep moving things in the right direction.”
It is a journey worth monitoring.
