Kenny hoping for a little luck

Interview

In what will be his 13th year playing senior football for Meath Seamus Kenny is hoping this will a lucky campaign for himself and the team.

He is certainly hoping fortune will smile on him a little kinder than last year when in the early stages of Meath’s opening Leinster SFC game with Wicklow he damaged a cruciate ligament and was out for the rest of the summer.

“I was starting to be happy with my game when seven minutes into the game with Wicklow I got the injury and was out of the championship.

“The year from start to finish is one I would want to forget. I was getting back from an injury to my left knee when my right knee went. A lot of things transpired against me so last year is one I’m not going to remember too fondly.”

His way back has been slow and at times painful yet the Simonstown man has stuck with it and is now in line to feature against the Garden County on Saturday.

“I’d love to play against them. I’ve always wanted to play for Meath and I’ve been lucky to be given that chance over the years. Every time you get the jersey it’s just such an honour because you’re playing for such a proud county.

He says he’s now very happy with his fitness and is fully prepared to give it everything to help the Royal County progress.

“I would have obviously missed a fair chunk over the winter but I tried to keep myself in decent enough shape. I feel I’m getting into shape just at the right time,” he said.

“I never really doubted myself that I would come back, I had some tough day, you get the setbacks but you have to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Kenny was delighted that Meath secured promotion from the NFL Div 2B and he’s not too worried by the fact that they lost to Monaghan in the final at Croke Park.

Many of the players had turned out at club level in the lead up to the Monaghan game and this, he says, would have undermined their freshness. While there was no trophy to take home he feels the team would have benefited in other ways.

“We obviously wanted to win the game but I think even of more value was the chance the younger players in the team got to play at Croke Park and experience that. I think that will stand to us.”

Kenny recalls making his debut for Meath in a floodlight tournament in Simonstown in 2000 and since then he’s enjoyed the cut and thrust of inter-county football.

He’s hoping Meath will have a memorable day against Wicklow this time around. As ever Kenny will be ready to help out in the trenches for the love of his county.

Jimmy Geoghegan