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Hurling

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St Joseph's Doora-Barefield building for the future

St Joseph's Doora-Barefield won the Clare IHC title last month.

St Joseph's Doora-Barefield won the Clare IHC title last month.

By Cian O’Connell

Aaron Landy has experienced the full gamut of sporting emotions in 2022. Ultimately to be a selector watching St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield hurling into the winter means it has been a memorable year.

It hasn’t been without challenges either. The experienced Doora-Barefield player suffered a cruciate ligament knee injury which ended his campaign at an early stage, but quickly accepted the call to join Michael Guilfoyle’s backroom team.

“The dreaded cruciate is so frequent in sport at the minute, especially hurling,” Landy says about his changed circumstances. “I would have seen myself maybe in a role like this in the future, but it came a bit sooner. It is a great thing that happened in a way.

“Last year was our second final loss in three years so you question everything, and it is hard to regroup. I went back training, unfortunately I did do it, but it is funny, in sport when something is taken away from you, I think you want it more than ever.”

That is most certainly the case for Landy, who is still ready, willing, and able to serve the St Joseph’s cause whatever the capacity. “I got a new view on the team and everything as a whole from being on the sideline,” he adds.

“It is great to be able to help out. I want to win it as much as anyone playing on the field, it is great with Mike and Oisin (O’Brien).

“Mike asked me to step into the role, I was delighted to be involved. These are all of my best friends, I know these lads inside out.

“I was able to give pointers, to voice my opinion in my own way. It has been great. It is tough because you always want to be out on the field, dying with them, but it has been a great year. It has been lovely to be a part of it.”

Guilfoyle has made an impact steering Doora-Barefield to glory in Clare. An AIB Munster Club Intermediate victory over Causeway means Saturday’s clash at the penultimate round against Monaleen promises to be interesting.

Members of the St Joseph's Doora-Barefield panel discuss hurling with players from the U7s team in the club.

Members of the St Joseph's Doora-Barefield panel discuss hurling with players from the U7s team in the club.

“You cannot question that man’s passion,” Landy says about Guilfoyle’s enthusiasm. “He wants to win so much.

“Unfortunately last year we didn't get over the line, he found that very difficult. Fair play to him, he got back going, he gathered the troops together, and got going again. He had Oisin come in with him, Oisin's coaching has been exceptional.

“The lads as a team have really bought into Oisin and everything he does. That just makes everything so much easier for everyone around. The two of them work very well together, they are a credit to the success we have achieved this year.”

The time spent away from playing means Landy has a real appreciation for what is happening throughout the club. “It has been a great year overall,” Landy states. “We set out at the start of the year with a goal of achieving our senior status again.

“Through a lot of hard work during the year we got there in the end. The club as a whole has been competitive across the board.

“Our 14s are competitive, our 16s are in a semi-final, our minor As were in a county final, our junior C team lost a county final, but a lot of that panel were on a junior A winning side. Then we had the intermediate so it all came together.”

Three Clare senior titles were gleaned in a glorious four year spell that also yielded two Munster and one All-Ireland club for St Joseph’s. It was a team sprinkled with class. There is a deep tradition, but during the past decade Doora-Barefield have switched between the senior and intermediate ranks.

“It is a new, younger team with their own identity,” Landy says. “We won it in 2016 (intermediate), we always wanted to create our own history.

“Unfortunately we didn't have the squad and the panel of players to do it. This year it is a young team. Seánie McMahon's young lad is starting centre back for us.

Jamesie O'Connor, St Joseph's Doora-Barefield, and Rod Guiney, Rathnure, in action during the 1999 AIB All-Ireland Club SHC Final at Croke Park.

Jamesie O'Connor, St Joseph's Doora-Barefield, and Rod Guiney, Rathnure, in action during the 1999 AIB All-Ireland Club SHC Final at Croke Park.

“Obviously everyone wants to achieve what they achieved, but that is the past. We have to focus on the present and look towards the future.

"There are a lot of good young lads coming through which hadn't been there in recent years. It is a wheel that has turned for us fortunately enough.”

Sheer graft throughout the age grade provides equal measures of hope and expectation. “That is a credit to all of the coaches and everyone who gets involved and volunteers with Barefield,” Landy responds.

“It is a credit to them, all of that hard work is starting to pay off. It is great to see. There are a lot of people, who don't get the limelight, but it is great to see we are being a bit more successful.

“Hopefully there is more success to come in the future. That is down to everyone who helps out in the club and plays their part.”

Six years ago Monaleen staged a dramatic comeback to defeat St Joseph’s in the AIB Munster Intermediate Championship.

“We played Monaleen in a Munster quarter-final in 2016, we were nine points up at half-time, we let it slip through our hands,” Landy reflects.

“There would be nine or 10 lads still on the panel this year, they are aware of how easily we let that slip. For younger lads they might have been watching, it just shows you that 30 minutes won't win you a game.

“We just need to go out to perform for 60 minutes because we feel like we owe them one. It is great to be in the position we are to have another crack - it is just a co-incidence that it is Monaleen again. We are just looking forward to the challenge.”