Opportunity knocks for Burren Rangers and Carlow Town
Alex Delaney will be an important player for Carlow Town in Sunday's final Photo: Pat Ahern
It was as if he had been stung by a bee. The sense of indignation was palpable. Was this the dumbest question he has ever had to answer?
The Burren Rangers captain had just been asked would the club want to go up to senior next year if they were to beat Carlow Town in next Sunday’s Intermediate Hurling Final.
“100%. Yes. We want to compete at that level. We want to make it to the top. That is everyone’s goal,” said Jimmie Carroll.
The 21 year old has already won silverware as a captain when he led the Carlow minor footballers to a Kilkenny League success.
At club level he was part of the Ballon and Burren Rangers teams that clinched junior A football and junior hurling titles in 2024. He is not quite sure how he ended up captaining Burren Rangers juniors this year.
“I don’t know. Since I came up there a few years ago, I put the head down and worked. You try to be a leader. When things are not going your way you work to try and turn it around.”
There is an interesting mix in the squad. Jimmie’s brother Martin. Lorcan Doyle and Lachlann MacGagh have been in with the Carlow senior hurling squad. Dylan Townsend is one of the best strikers of the sliotar in the county. Surely he is destined for senior intercounty fare? Goalkeeper, Joe Waters is in his late forties. Thirty years or so older than the team captain. A lot of players in the squad, including Carroll, have been in with the county at one level or another.
“It is great. We are a good community. We want to get to the top. That is where we want to be,” notes Jimmie.
“There is a great atmosphere in the team. It has been for the last few years. Everyone is friends. We are there for each other. There is a good bond between all the lads.” Carlow Town will be formidable opponents. The Oak Park side have shown good form this season. They haven’t lost a game in the league stages. Carroll is well aware of this.
“They beat us in the group stages by three points but we will see what happens now on the day.” We are working as hard as we can. We are looking forward to it. It is a great time for the club. We are just doing everything we can to get over the line.”
Karol English, the Carlow intermediate hurling captain, is one of only a few of the current squad who played senior hurling in the Carlow Town club. That was for eight years from 2002 until 2010.
“There is nothing like senior hurling,” he says and insists the club is in a good position to win the intermediate title this year and go up and test themselves at the highest level next season.
“I think the time is really good at the minute. There is a lot of energy behind the club and a huge amount of work has gone in over the last couple of years. It is a pleasure to be a part of it,” he says.
English is not just captain. His experience is vital. At centre forward he has a controlling influence on those around him. He has been there and done that.
“This group of young lads coming through and for me to be on the other end of it, they give me great energy. If I can help them out. If I can hand over some of my experience, I am just delighted to do that,” he says.
With the senior final on the previous night, the intermediates get to play on Sunday.
“County finals are really special. County final Sunday is a really traditional thing. To come off the field that day with the daylight diming hopefully we will have our hands on the cup,” he hopes.
The Christy Ring Cup winner of 2008 acknowledges that Carlow Town went through the group stages unbeaten.
“It is a double edged sword. You are put on a pedestal to be knocked off but at the same time you need to be challenged the whole time.”
English looks back at the early months of the year where they made it to the Leinster Hurling League final. They didn’t win but it was a lesson.
“We were lucky enough to get to a Leinster League final. Bannow-Ballymitty reminded us that there was a lot of work still to be done,” English said.
So back in the training field on Oak Park Road, there was a quiet acknowledgment that there was no comfort zone.
“To be treated as a senior hurling team you need to behave as a senior hurling team. You have to go out and perform to a standard of senior hurling level.
I think that is one of the things that Brian (Delaney), John (Gladney), Frosty (Andrew Kelly) and Darragh (McCarthy) who are over the team this year have said that if you want to be a senior hurling team, you have to perform like a senior hurling team. That is what we are trying to achieve.”
The management team is a nice mix of club players who have come up through the grades and a number from outside the club who have been asked to help out. The captain says this is working.
“Brian has been always involved as a player. The amount of effort Mary Clare and all his family put in is great. Darragh McCarthy’s son hurled with us the whole way up.
“We have some fresh faces. John Gladney from Bagenalstown has no baggage. He has come in and maybe has the freedom to say a few things which haven’t been said before. The same with Andrew Kelly. The lads who have come in have given it a fresh perspective. There is a healthy blend there and all the players reacted well, young and old, because everyone has been asked to reassess and double down.” And so the players and the management team will be asked further questions on Sunday.
English has great respect for Burren Rangers. This is the big test for an ambitious Carlow Town club.
“From 2009 to now what Burren have achieved is remarkable. I have a huge amount of respect for them and unfortunately they are in our way on Sunday.” No matter what happens, the captain is going to absorb the atmosphere around playing in a county final. He hopes those around him will do likewise.
“The next ten days will be really enjoyable and I am looking forward to it,” he says.
