Meath hurlers shape up for new campaign

Meath hurlers will beging their quest for more silverware after a successful 2016 when they beging the 2017 campaign against Offaly in the walsh Cup at Trim on Sunday. In this week's edition of the Meath Chronicle Meath manager Martin Ennis looks forward to the challenges and reflects on last year. See the interview below.

MARTIN ENNIS WAS IN CONVERSATION WITH SPORTS EDITOR CONALL COLLIER AT THE CO BOARD AWARDS NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS. 

(Photo shows the Meath officlas and players with MC Frank Dempsey after the presentation of the Christy Ring Cup medals - see facebook video)

Meath senior hurling manager Martin Ennis has added to his backroom team ahead of Sunday’s opening fixture in the Walsh Cup against Offaly at Trim with the recruitment of former Westmeath hurler Pat Clancy who joins John Andrews and Mick McCullagh on sideline duty.

Clancy is familiar with Meath club hurling and last year guided Moylagh / Kilskyre to the IHC decider against Ratoath.

Andrews and McCullagh remain on board also and optimism was evident amongst the management and players last week at a Co Board-organised awards evening where the Christy Ring Cup and All-Ireland u-21 B HC medals were presented.

Ennis is going into his third year at the helm in 2017 and he took time out to speak to the Meath Chronicle at last week’s awards ceremony.

“Pat Clancy is a huge addition to our backroom team, we are all glad to have him on board, we have a stronger backroom team now and we also have a stronger panel of players this year,” stated the manager with confidence.

“This is my third year and I feel that we have made steady progress, maybe there was a perception at the outset that players could come and go whenever it suited them, but that didn’t work for me and the current players have taken that on board.

“For me, it comes down to belief, we stepped up to the Walsh Cup last year and I felt we needed to do that, we have Offaly in the first round this year in Trim next Sunday, I was hoping that we might get the hurling on before the football in Navan, but that didn’t work out.

“We are all looking forward to the Offaly game, we will be targeting a victory because only one team will qualify from the group and I want Meath to qualify.

“It’s a pre-season competition, but we have a good bit of work done already, we had a number of challenge games during December and new players have been assessed.

“Last year we had Wexford, Carlow and IT Carlow in the Walsh Cup and that was hugely positive for us, but no one really knew what to expect from Meath last year.

“This year we have the Christy Ring Cup success to our credit, we are back in the Leinster SHC and that is a big step forward for Meath,” he added.

However, 2016 was a good year for Meath hurling and apart from the success in the Christy Ring Cup, the All-Ireland u-21 B HC title was brought to the Royal County as well.

That is an achievement that Ennis believes is good for the overall development of hurling in Meath.

“There is also the progress made by the u-21 hurlers, that was a fine achievement, winning the All-Ireland title, beating Kerry in Trim was a fantastic result and then they handled Mayo in the final at Semple Stadium,” he remarked.

“We have drafted some of those u-21 players into the senior panel and this can only be positive for Meath hurling going forward as we attempt to gain promotion in the league.

“The league this year will be tough, Down and Derry are our first two games, it might be Div 2B, but, as we learned last year, all these teams want to be playing at a higher level and we will have to be at our best if we hope to get promotion.

“We have the ability to beat any team if we perform to our best and we will certainly be aiming for promotion, but it will be the same with Down, Mayo and Derry, all those games will be tight.

“If we can perform the way we did against Antrim in Croke Park then we can beat any of the teams in Div 2B, it’s up to us really, who would have suggested at the start of the league last year that Armagh would win the 2B title.

“We re-grouped after the 2B campaign, the view was that we had a bad or a poor league, maybe that was accurate in one sense, but we went into our last game against Down in Ballycran knowing that we had a chance of making the final.

“The Christy Ring Cup was a different proposition and we were aware that if we could get a bit of momentum going that we would have a chance.

“The trip to London was a big test for us and the players dug deep for that one, it brought us together more as a group also and we dug out the victory. 

“Then we were away to Kildare and that wasn’t an issue, we just had to get through that game also.

“The events surrounding the final could only be described as bizarre and it’s credit to the players that they kept their focus, both for the first game and then the re-fixture,” he added.

Success in the Christy Ring Cup earned Meath a ticket to the Leinster SHC round robin and tough challenges against Kerry, Laois and Westmeath.

It’s a challenge that Ennis is relishing and he feels that it will improve the players, but he also feels that the players are ready for the challenge now.

“It’s great to be back in the Leinster SHC, if you look at our progress over the last two years, we have moved from the Kehoe Cup to the Walsh Cup and from the Christy Ring Cup to the Leinster SHC, that is real progress,” he said.

“It will be a big step up for the lads, but we have nothing to fear, we know from two years ago when we played Kerry in the Christy Ring Cup that we can compete with them.

“We will find out all we need to know about Laois and who would not want to play against Westmeath in Mullingar - three great games and again, we will be targeting qualification, we certainly won’t be going out just to make up the numbers.

“Regarding player availability, there could be a bit of a demand for James Toher and one or two others, between the football and the hurling, but we will work with that as we go along.

“If we can produce consistent performances in the league and the championship then I don’t think we need to fear anyone, if we can do that then I think Div 2B and the Leinster SHC will be positive from a Meath perspective.

“And if we can produce those consistent displays we will get the level of support that was so important for us in the Christy Ring Cup final - the two finals,” he concluded.