Young Ireland's growing in stature

Ian O'Riordan talks to Young Ireland's trainer John Brennan as the club prepare to contest their first Leinster final on Sunday

Young Ireland's have significantly pared down their training in the weeks before the biggest game in the club's history - Sunday's Leinster club hurling final against reigning All-Ireland champions Birr. Though the reason is certainly not because they're feeling over-confident.

All the rain of recent weeks has left their pitch in Gowran practically useless for training, and especially when the Kilkenny club is built around connoisseurs of skilled hurling such as DJ Carey and Charlie Carter. A trip to Thomastown last Sunday morning provided one of the few full training sessions since the semi-final win over Rathnure earlier this month.

"Well at least we've no injury worries," says team trainer John Brennan. "And so from that point of view it's all been grand. But it's just been nearly impossible to train. We have no lights on our field either, and anyway you can't even hit a ball on it at the moment. It's very, very heavy."

Brennan admits that training session at Thomastown wasn't much good anyway because of all the rain that fell in the hours before. At least he's certain now the players will start Sunday's final in Portlaoise with fresh legs.

"Sure there's not a whole lot you can do about it bar keep things ticking over."

Having won only their second Kilkenny senior hurling title in the club's history (adding to the 1996 victory), Young Ireland's have already entered new territory by reaching the Leinster final. A 22-point win over Meath champions Kilmessan was followed by the nine-point victory over Wexford champions Rathnure - and so the club are contesting their first Leinster final.

Leinster and All-Ireland club title remain the only honours Carey and Carter have yet to win. Carey has scored 4-9 since they've come out of Kilkenny, and Carter, too, has been at his best. Defender Stephen Byrne has been equally prominent, as has the veteran Pat O'Neill in a substitute's role. Against any opposition other than Birr they would probably start as firm favourites.

The problem is Birr have even more county representatives (10), and are aiming for their fourth All-Ireland title since 1995. The Whelahans, the Hanniffys, the Pilkingtons, as well as Joe Errity, JP O'Meara, Niall Claffey and Stephen Browne won't need any introduction to the Kilkenny side.

"Obviously it is going to be a huge match for us," says Brennan, who along with Denis Philpott and Brian Farrell is two years working in the club's senior management. "We know as well as anyone that Birr are going to be very hard to beat. Hopefully we will be ready for them.

"It's been harder to judge the form when you start playing clubs from outside the county. But we certainly haven't gone backwards anyway. The Rathnure game was as tough and competitive as I have seen this season, and considering our slow start it was a good win for us."

It's been impossible, though, not to notice the key role of Carey in the club's progression. He has continued where he left off with Kilkenny's All-Ireland title, scoring almost at will. And he has credited all the hard training he did with the club over the summer months as the main reason he was able to return to the top of his game so swiftly.

"Of course DJ has been putting in a huge effort," says Brennan. "But he knows the rest of the lads have been too. It's a team job and he'd be the first to remind you of that. He's as big into the team thing as anyone, and will tell you that without the team he can't do it either."

Either way there is likely to be another honour for Carey this weekend with the announcement on Friday of the 2002 hurling All-Stars. A record ninth honour beckons. "I'd say now that he should be guaranteed one," adds Brennan. "And I wouldn't have any argument with that."