Barry Hayes wins championship double

Barry Hayes has completed what must be a rare double when he managed the Old Leighlin team to a 2-7 to 2-5 victory in the Carlow senior ladies football final on Saturday and less than 24 hours later, he led Baltinglass as they beat Carnew Emmets by 1-20 to 0-15 at Aughrim in the Wicklow senior football final.

And if all that wasn’t good enough, his club, Old Leighlin qualified for the Carlow senior football final when they beat Palatine by 3-10 to 0-17 on Sunday. Hayes still cannot believe what he has achieved.

“It is a fabulous. The ladies started off with a brilliant win. Then Baltinglass getting over the line. Driving home in the car and hearing Old Leighlin were back in a county final. Those sort of things don’t happen very often,” he said.

Events started to unfold when Caoimhe O’Neill’s late goal knocked Bennekerry-Tinryland, the reigning All-Ireland intermediate football club holders out of the Carlow championship. The rivalry between Old Leighlin and Bennekerry-Tinryland has always been friendly but intense.

“I suppose there have been a lot of games between us over the years. There is not that much between us. We lost Rachel (Sawyer) early on. We had planned to be without every player. It was very unfortunate to lose Rachel but the girls continued with the game plan that was laid out for them. Thankfully we got that goal at the end and we held out,” he said.

If it was tenterhooks on Saturday, it was almost the opposite on Sunday where Baltinglass were atoning for 2024 when Tinahely beat them in the final.

“We started very well. We were seven points up at half-time. We spoke about it in the dressing room at half-time. We had that bit of a breeze in the second half. We just had to keep the scoreboard ticking over. It was nice in the last three to four minutes to be able to relax and enjoy that. It was a completely different experience to what went on the day before,” agreed Hayes.

The former Old Leighlin senior footballer was not even going to manage the ladies team this year. He revealed a compromise was reached where he felt he could look after both teams.

“I made a decision that I was going to give everything to Baltinglass this year. Then the Old Leighlin players rang me and asked me three, four, five times. I was reluctant to do it as I felt I would not be able to give the time that is required. They adjusted around the whole Baltinglass schedule,” he explained.

Word spread quickly as news of the double unfolded.

“Both teams were very aware. Even the lads today (Sunday) were on the phone to me. Old Leighlin is a small village. Everyone knows what everybody is up to. They just wanted me to do the best I can. It is brilliant.

“It is a great weekend for me and for both the Old Leighlin and Baltinglass players,” said Hayes.