"I think we're in a good place at the minute"

Carlow captain, Mikey Bambrick, represented Carlow at the Launch of the 2025 Tailteann Cup in Croke Park on Tuesday and things were a lot calmer for his team compared to when the Old Leighlin man faced the media. On that occasion it was the Launch of the 2025 Leinster SFC in Cedral St Conleth’s Park at the end of March.

That appearance for the Carlow captain on that occasion came against the backdrop of the turmoil which prevailed in the county when Shane Curran stepped down as manger but the appointment of former player, Eire Óg’s Joe Murphy, has calmed the waters on Barrowside and Bambrick told the Carlow Nationalist at the Croke Park Launch on Tuesday that his team were in a good place for the 2025 Tailteann Cup campaign.

“Yeah, I think we're in a good place at the minute,” he emphasised.

“We’ve had a good training block there for a number of weeks under Joe (Murphy). We’re looking to hit the ground running going into the first round.” 

 That first round of the Group Stages of the Tailteann Cup, where Carlow are in Group D, sees Joe Murphy’s side travel to Brewster Park to take on Fermanagh on this Sunday at 2pm before hosting Wexford the following week and concluding with a game against Longford at a neutral venue. What are his thoughts on his team’s Group opponents, we ask Mikey Bambrick? 

"Wexford and Longford, we'd be familiar with a good bit from playing them. We’d be somewhat familiar with Fermanagh but obviously being seeds they’d be that bit stronger. We somewhat know what we’ll be up against but we also know it’s going to be a tough fight in all of those game to get a result.” 

Expanding further the Old Leighlin player acknowledges that the opening game away to Fermanagh will be a big challenge. “Going up to Brewster Park that’s going to be a tough but it’s one we’re all looking forward to we can't wait to go up there and play,” he stressed.

The Leinster Championship game against Meath as well as the Allianz League campaign has provided plenty of learnings for Mikey Bambrick and his Carlow team mates. 

“I think we've learned loads from the players we have brought in and new lads stepping into the panel,” he told us. “Especially in the last few weeks we have had a number of lads coming in so, yeah, we've learned loads and I think we will learn loads even after the First Round going to the Second Round.” 

The Carlow captain sees a lot of positivity in the recent change of management in the county. 

“Yeah, I think we've built on it as players, definitely. The Management coming in has been a huge lift to everyone. There’s been a big lift in training and an intensity there we haven't had in a while. We can just see it building in ourselves so hopefully we’ll go on and show it in the First Round.” 

As regards the hopes and ambitions for Carlow in the 2025 Tailteann Cup Mikey Bambrick is looking no further that the Fermanagh game this Sunday. 

“The hopes and ambitions are the same for everyone. We all have our own ones. Right now, it’s the Group Stage and the First Round up in Brewster Park. We can't look too far ahead. I think in the League we did that a bit too often. We looked too far down the road and lost focus of where we're at. So, the First Round up in Brewster Park is where we're aiming at the minute,” he concluded.