Difficult start in store for Carlow hurlers

It was a disconsolate group of players who, on Sunday 26th May last season, trooped off Corrigan Park after being beaten by Antrim. The host county had emerged triumphant in the final round of the Leinster senior hurling championship. It meant relegation to the Joe McDonagh Cup for Carlow.

A tough day but the season had brought success. Carlow topped the NHL Division 2A and were heading back to Division 1. In Belfast, manager, Tom Mullally, pointed this out. It may not have been a message Carlow hurling folk wanted to hear that day but now that the New Year has been rung in, the first round of league games will come around very quickly. Offaly away in the first round at the end of January. A week later, Waterford come to Netwatch Cullen Park. Tasty.

“Any competition which tests the group is a good competition to be in,” says Mullally.

There are caveats.

“We will be under more pressure this year. We were late back. St Mullins players needed a break and we were a bit later starting (training).

“The competition is starting a week earlier than last year so there is pressure on there for us. We are trying to get up to the levels of the Waterfords, Antrims, Westmeaths. Offaly as well. We are under pressure but we are aware of that. It will be a good competition to test us. Last year’s league and this year’s league, as a whole, will be good for the group. Where we land at the end of it, we will know after we have played the games,” reasoned Mullally.

Westmeath, Carlow, Laois and Antrim have played many duels among each other. In recent years, Carlow have taken on Waterford and Dublin. They were not outclassed. Mullally concedes there is familiarity.

“We know each other. We are late starting back and counties like us can’t afford to be starting back late. We have to be well ahead in terms of work. That is the hand you have this year with the changes which are going on. We will deal with it and get on with it. I am not going to moan about it.” 

A number of players have not come back this year. To name just two. Conor Lawler and Jack Kavanagh. Mullally says players dropping out give others a chance to show what they are capable of.

“We are probably down three to four from last year. We have a few more coming back in. We are happy with who is in and who, we believe, is committed to Carlow. What we have to prove is what we can bring to Carlow in 2025. That is what the next couple of months and hopefully, the next five to six months will come about. That we can get as much satisfaction out of it as possible.” On the back-room side of things, Shane Briggs from Waterford who was involved with the Kerry hurlers for a number of years has come in in a coaching capacity.

National Hurling League 1B Fixtures 

January 25 (Saturday). Offaly v Carlow. Glenfisk O’Connor Park. 2.00pm.

February 01 (Saturday). Carlow v Waterford. Netwatch Cullen Park. 6.00pm.

February 23 (Sunday). Laois v Carlow. Laois Hire O’Moore Park. 2.00pm.

March 02 (Sunday). Carlow v Antrim. Netwatch Cullen Park. 2.30pm.

March 08 (Saturday). Dublin v Carlow. Parnell Park. 6.00pm.

March 22 (Saturday). Carlow v Westmeath. Netwatch Cullen Park. 5.00pm.