Doon's Denis Moloney in action during the 2018 Limerick SHC Final against Na Piarsaigh at the LIT Gaelic Grounds.
By Cian O’Connell
“The kids can't go to school without their hurley and helmet, that is a must - it is as important as a schoolbag,” Doon GAA secretary Declan Ryan remarks about the passion which exists for the game.
A habit established during Brother Dormer’s time as principal has served Doon well with the club hugely supportive and appreciative of the work being carried out in the local national school for decades.
Doon are preparing for another Limerick SHC Semi-Final against Patrickswell at the LIT Gaelic Grounds on Sunday, but they were readying themselves for these types of days for quite a long time.
“Our pick is tiny,” Ryan admits. “I think in primary school we have 58 boys. So it is tiny, but the only thing is we don't have soccer or rugby. If you want to play sport you have no choice, you have only one sport.
“We've put an awful lot of work into our underage over 10 or 12 years. So that is where this is coming from. We are very lucky with our primary school too because they put in a lot of work.”
That is the key to Doon’s emergence as a serious outfit in the Limerick game with Richie English, Darragh O’Donovan, Pat Ryan, and Barry Murphy all making an impact on the inter-county stage recently.
It is a source of pride to people in the area that Doon is now well stocked with Limerick hurlers at every level of the game. “We had two minors this year, two last year, we would be consistent with two, three or four on every county panel,” Ryan says.
Br James Dormer being presented with the Education Award by Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael John Horan during the GAA President's Awards at Croke Park last March.
“The fact that we have got players on county teams and looking at the high profile players we have now, we would never had those 10 years ago. The likes of Darragh O'Donovan, Richie English, Pat Ryan, Barry Murphy, they are giving the young kids plenty to look up to.
“Plus in a small place they are available to the younger kids and they know the younger kids and the younger kids know them. It isn't a case that there is Pat Ryan or Darragh O'Donovan from a distance, they know the six and seven year old kids to talk to, which gives them a huge boost.”
That is where the graft commences in Doon. Just over a decade ago Doon opted to invest significant time and resources into the juvenile structures.
“This year's minor team, who are now Under 18. We set up a nursery about 10 or 11 years ago which is like clockwork every Friday night and Saturday morning with the young kids from four or five up,” Ryan comments.
“We organise serious coaching and games for those. This year's minor team, who won the Under 16 two years ago, they were the first group to come through the nursery.
“We don't change. Under 6s, 8s, 10s, 12s there is no change it is either on Friday nights or Saturday mornings. We don't need to send out a text, it is on.”
The objective is to ensure that Doon remain relevant and one area identified was to compete at the highest grade possible every year.
Doon's Darragh O'Donovan, Pat Ryan, Richie English, and Barry Murphy with the Liam MacCarthy Cup at the LIT Gaelic Grounds.
“What we were aiming to do was to bring through more kids every year,” Ryan states. “Naturally when you get to 18 or 19 or 20 we want them to be coming through, to be more competitive at senior.
“That was the plan with the nursery and to play at A in all competitions. Club wise we made a decision seven, eight, nine years ago that we were never going to play in a B competition.
“We felt, even if we had a weak team or a poor team, that we were going to learn more playing in A, at a higher standard. We get some years where we are not competitive, but we still play in A, and try to improve the kids.
“We found we didn't learn in the years we went back playing in B. Okay you'd win something, but we didn't improve from it.
“The total population in the parish is between 1300 and 1400. We would have around 150 or 160 members in the club. We do field three adult teams, Senior, Junior A, and Junior B. Only ourselves and Na Piarsaigh field three adult teams.”
Such resilience confirms how Doon continue to maximise the resources at their disposal and a sense of excitement surrounds the upcoming encounter against Patrickswell.
A County Premier Under 21 title has already been secured, the minors contest a decider in a fortnight. Important matches are arriving thick and fast. All those endless Fridays and Saturdays are now being reflected throughout the playing fields of Limerick.
