THE weather may have been the spoilsport, but it was a real taste of senior hurling in West Cork in Enniskeane on Sunday.

BY TOM LYONS

Never before had a senior hurling club team travelled to West Cork to play a senior club team from the Carbery division. Newcestown supporters were there in force but so, too, were the Barrs’ followers in their blue and white.

We chatted with legendary Cork forward Charlie McCarthy and he reminded us that he had often travelled to West Cork to play, but it was always in football. Jack Cahalane was in the dugout watching his team warm up, telling us about an injury that may keep him out for the rest of the championship season, but delighted to see senior hurling being played in his ancestral division.

Total concentration on the game then – a fair draw, even if the standard wasn’t up to county-winning form – and a chat with former Doheny captain Paudie Murray, camogie coaching legend and now manager of the Barrs’ hurlers. What did he think of coming to West Cork to play this game?

‘We were looking forward to coming down here to play,’ said Murray.

‘We must mention St Mary’s first off – top-class pitch, great facilities, fine arrangements.

‘I suppose today would tell us about our team. I’ve been saying all week, particularly against Newcestown, it’s grand to have the silky skills, but did we have it for the battle?  Overall, I’d have to be happy with that.

‘Newcestown could have picked it at the end, but I’d be giving out because we certainly didn’t use the ball well on a few occasions towards the end. I thought we had the winning of the ball inside but we didn’t deliver it.

‘The bottom line is when you’re missing Jack Cahalane and Brian Hayes, I don’t think there’s any team in the county that could do without two players like that. We knew we were under pressure and we’re delighted to get through to the play-offs.

‘A lot of younger guys – it’s a big step up for them, and we had four or five under 22 today. It’s a big learning experience for them.’

Murray acknowledges how significant it was to play this game on West Cork soil – and he is all for it.

‘As regards playing in West Cork, the people who fix these games, it has to be done,’ Murray said.

‘I’m from down around here, I know the effort that goes into promoting hurling here, trying to improve it, so we had no issue whatsoever about coming down here.

‘I’d love to see other teams coming down west as well. We all found our way anyway, nobody got lost I hope!

‘I’ve gone through the history of the Barr’s coming to West Cork, especially in football, so we have no trouble with that. Look at it the other way, West Cork teams have to go to the city to play, so where’s the problem?’

When asked about Cork hurling at present and if he might be interested in getting involved, Murray’s answer was short and to the point.

‘No, no interest whatsoever, under too much pressure in this job now to even think about it,’ Murray replied.

Newcestown manager Daniel Twomey had just finished his pep talk to the players when we chatted with him. Proud of his team’s performance but very disappointed that they hadn’t won, he was philosophical about the future.

‘Yes, I know we did West Cork proud today but we just have to get over that winning line,’ Twomey noted.

‘We had the winning of the game – those two late wides. We also had the winning of the game the last day against Midleton. We need to find that extra step, to push on.

‘There’s a talented bunch there, they’re fantastic hurlers. We just need to keep driving on. We could be sitting on four points today, Midleton beaten and goal chances squandered today. They would have gotten us over the line.

‘I know they are two fantastic teams, Midleton and the Barr’s, and we’re trying hard to get up there, we’re trying hard to take that extra step, break the glass ceiling because we know we have a very talented team at the moment and it won’t last forever.

‘Now is the time to use it – no more of this Newcestown grit, sticking in there to get a draw. We need to start winning these games.’

Twomey added: ‘Happy to be staying up for next season, but very disappointed not to be getting the win. We’re building a panel and it’s working. We have a good minor team and should get a few more from that. We’re safe from relegation so it’s all focus on the future now.’