Fighting to be on centre stage

GAELIC GAMES: IAN O'RIORDANtalks to Kevin McKernan, whose father Brendan was on the All-Ireland winning Down team of 1991

MUCH HAS been written and said this week about how James McCartan has finally bridged the gap between Down football of the past and of the present – even though McCartan himself has done his best to deny it. He may have won two All-Irelands as a player, in 1991 and ’94, but that doesn’t automatically transfer to winning it as a manager in 2010, does it?

Still it’s hard to resist the connection when that gap is being bridged in other ways too. McCartan’s father, James senior, was also part of Down’s All-Ireland winning teams of 1960 and ’61 – and as if to reinforce the link, McCartan’s younger brother Daniel is the current Down corner back. The link also goes beyond the McCartans: Down centre back Kevin McKernan is a son of Brendan McKernan, who was corner back on the 1991 All-Ireland side that beat Meath in the final. Naturally, McKernan plays down any potential advantage that link might have on Sunday’s game, and he does have a point.

“I would have been only four years old, or turning four that December, when he won that All-Ireland in 1991,” says McKernan. “I know I wasn’t at the game, but I do remember the homecoming. My granddad had a heart bypass before the final, so I watched the game at home with him. It’s a long time ago. I’ve some blurred memories alright, but nothing specific.

“I’m proud my father has been there and done it, but that’s no help to me on Sunday. I have to keep my feet on the ground, because we have a huge task in front of us, playing Cork. Mickey Linden or Seán O’Neill or any other past players isn’t going to score a goal for us on Sunday. It’s about this group of players, who want to make their own bit of history.”

He’s still only 22, but McKernan brings considerable experience to Croke Park on Sunday. He captained Abbey Grammar School to the All-Ireland Colleges title in 2006, beating a Marty Clarke-led St Louis, Kilkeel, in the Ulster final, and won the All-Ireland minor title with Down in 2005, and an Ulster Under-21 title, in 2008.

McKernan is now in his third year on the senior panel, but says 2010 has been another steep learning curve, particularly after he lost his place in the half-back line following Down’s defeat to Tyrone in the Ulster semi-final.

“I wasn’t going to let that rest,” he says. “I wanted to get that position back. Other boys were given the chance, and fair dues. Come the qualifiers, I came in against Offaly. Sitting on the bench is not something you take lightly. You are glad to get a jersey and I was going to fight to keep it when I had it. When you get that jersey back, you don’t want to lose it again. And I think centre back is my best position. You can get on the ball, express yourself, but at the same time you have a job to do. I was in the full-back line as well and at times it’s a lonely place. At least at centre half you can play a bit of ball and you can get your hands on the ball and come out with it.

“And the games that I have played in, James Colgan (the man he replaced) has been the first man to shake my hand and wish me luck. It’s a long time since Down teams have had that competition. We’re in it together. If we win an All-Ireland every one is going to win one.”

McKernan’s influence in the semi-final win over Kildare was enormous, not least his two first-half points that helped settle Down. It was also an expression of the new-found confidence that Down have discovered, whether or not McCartan will admit to helping instil that.

“Down teams still don’t have the success of maybe Tyrone or Kerry,” says McKernan, “who are there or thereabouts every year. You hope rather than expect Down teams are going to do well. But we know we have good players in Down. It’s just a matter of putting in the performances we have been putting in all year.

“And since we got the games in Croke Park, I think that’s really suited us. Playing against Kerry, and Kildare, and beating them. That really gave us the confidence. But we’re under no illusion what is ahead of us. When things are going bad it’s not good, when things are going well it’s brilliant. And I still remember walking out of Wicklow last year after losing in the qualifiers. We couldn’t even get out of it. There was so much traffic. We were stuck in the car park. It was a lonely, lonely place, we couldn’t even sit in the bus it was that warm. We were just standing outside shaking heads. It was one defeat too many.”

Perhaps that defeat to Wicklow, as much as any of their victories this year, was the turning point for Down.

“Ross Carr had done a lot of good work for Down last year,” agrees McKernan. “He gave me my debut, he gave a lot of the younger boys their start. He did a lot of work in getting Martin Clarke back from Australia. James McCartan would say it himself, when he came in, a lot of things fell into place.”

McKernan’s positioning at centre back being one of them.

Kevin McKernan

Club: Burren.

Position: Centre back.

Age: 22.

Occupation: Electrician.

Honours: All-Ireland minor title, 2005; Captain, Abbey Grammar School, All-Ireland Colleges Hogan Cup winners, 2006; Ulster Under-21 title, 2008; Ulster McKenna Cup title, 2008.