Offaly man plots Birr's downfall

Leinster club hurling championship Final: Mobility within the hurling world frequently gives rise to ironies. It's nearly 10 years since someone as fervent about Limerick as Eamonn Cregan ended up plotting the county's downfall.

Over 20 years ago Diarmuid Healy performed a missionary task in bringing Offaly to the top table, where they took several crusts from the mouth of his own county, Kilkenny.

A member of Healy's resilient and mould-breaking side is now in a position to return the compliment. Aidan Fogarty, wing back and corner back on Healy's All-Ireland winning teams, moved to Kilkenny nearly 20 years ago.

Tomorrow, he is one of O'Loughlin Gaels' management team as the Kilkenny champions attempt to dethrone the most successful outfit in club hurling history, Birr of Offaly. He doesn't feel any real tug of loyalty and - some might say - as a

St Rynagh's man, why would he?

The emergence of O'Loughlin Gaels is a modern success story. Fogarty has been a selector with the seniors for six years and has helped oversee the evolution of the team.

"It goes back a few years," he says. "There was potential there, but the club was junior until 1995. It's a city club with a good catchment area and under-age structures so there were hopes for the future."

Having left junior ranks, the club motored through intermediate and, within two years, had risen all the way to senior. The momentum continued and, two years ago, with the county title under their belt, O'Loughlin's had their first crack at Birr - then en route to a third All-Ireland title.

Defeat that day and a bitterly regretted replay loss against Fenians in the following year's county quarter-final have stoked the fires for O'Loughlins, in Fogarty's words "given us our drive".

"The first year we were happy to stay up and build on that. We were beaten in the county final three years ago before winning it in 2001, but the inexperience told against us in Leinster. It was quite an easy game for Birr. We weren't at our best and they punished us. It was good to win the county for the first time but we didn't do ourselves justice in Leinster."

Reflecting the club's rising graph, players have graduated to the senior county side at a time of prosperity.

This year Martin Comerford is again an All Star, having scored the critical goal in the

All-Ireland final in which his brother Andy - who captained Kilkenny to the 2002 success - made a highly significant appearance as replacement. Seán Dowling also started at wing back.

"They've been a huge influence on us," says Fogarty of the intercounty contingent. "The Comerfords and the Dowlings. Andy Comerford in particular has been there for a long time, a great club man who puts in the same effort for us as he would for the county. It greatly benefits the club."

As he points out, his involvement is on the ground, but together with his playing career it provides an overview of the game in what is currently its leading county. Fogarty's experience makes him aware of the circularity of that style and tradition.

"Kilkenny hurlers have always been artists. No disrespect to Cork or Tipperary, but I've always associated Kilkenny with that from the days when I was playing against them. The skill level is so high - little flicks and little touches.

"Dermot Healy brought that to Offaly and it was reflected in the way we played. Birr are an example of that. They're a very, very classy team who play it simple, nice and quick. When you're driving around Kilkenny you see fellas out tipping away with the hurls and it's a natural progression from when you're young to want to wear the Black and Amber."

It has also been suggested the unyielding defensive qualities that brought Fogarty an All Star as well as the honour of being the first Offaly hurler to captain Leinster to a Railway Cup is visible in the O'Loughlin Gaels habit of winning matches in the tightest of corners.

Big deficits have been overhauled for three one-point wins and a replayed county final victory over DJ Carey's Gowran by two points.

"You could look at it that way," he says. "The way our club plays is similar to the way Offaly played in the past. But unless the lads have the hurling you can't force it on them. We have the players at the club from the Comerfords through to fellas you wouldn't know their names like Brian Kelly and Barry Power.

"It comes back to spirit. We believe we won't be beaten. But we could have been on four days this year. As a team we work for each other."

Put it to him that one view (from within the county) is that the side is built from the back, stronger at the back and in centrefield than up front and the conversation gets snappily interrogative.

"Who told you that? We're happy with our defence, but our forwards are all capable of scoring. We're well balanced."

And, of course, they'll need to be against the All-Ireland champions whose four titles in nine years is a tribute to their powers of regeneration. But as with all champions - particularly at club level - the spectre of decline haunts every season until the trophy is raised on St Patrick's Day.

Fogarty seems torn between admiration for the opposition's substantial achievements and the genuine sense of opportunity.

"Birr haven't got the praise they should have got and would have got if they were in Cork or Kilkenny. If they were from one of the traditional strongholds people would be raving about them, their achievement is so significant over nearly 10 years.

"They have new players coming in, but you feel that it has to come to the stage where they can be beaten and if things go right for us we'd be confident that we could take that chance."