IT WILL BE two decades next month since Ciaran Carey scythed through the Clare defence and fired over one of the most famous points in Limerick hurling history on a baking hot day in the Gaelic Grounds.
Ask him about that point now and he’s keen to park it.
‘It’s water under the bridge, every dog has his day,” laughs Carey.
Talk about the Kerry hurling project that he’s overseeing and he’s more animated.
Carey’s coaching CV has taken in Limerick camogie and U21 hurling teams while he has had club experience with his native Patrickswell and Kerry’s Lixnaw.
The latter provided an invaluable insight when it came to taking on the role of Kerry senior hurling manager last winter, alongside his coaching sidekick Mark Foley.
“It was hugely helpful in that we’d a fair idea of the pool of players that were out there. We’d a fair idea of all the club setups.
“It was nice to be down there and be involved with the clubs, to have that experience going forward with the county teams.
“I’d say any fella playing the game of hurling or kicking football for 10 or 12 years, might be telling a white little lie, if they said they didn’t want to get into management.
“I’m no different and fortunately for me, the Kerry position came up and the rest is history so far.”
He was fully aware of the scale of the task.
“I think the whole country knows that football is number one down in Kerry and I’m certainly not going to go down and upset the applecart in relation to that.
“You’re not going to break the tradition that they have down there over night. The pressure of going down there and putting my head on the chopping block really, that was the one that entices me.”
Kerry have had a spring of plying their trade at Division 1B and Carey can already see the benefit of being exposed to elite opposition.
“The big thing really was that they maintained their status in (Division) 1B going forward, that was the big one.
“You’ve a lot of guys coming off minor but you’re talking coming off minor B and being straight catapulted into the position that they’re in.
“That gives you an idea of the work we’ve put in. We were looking for instant coffee from day one and we needed to if they were going to maintain their status in 1B.
“Thankfully they’ve responded to that. One thing that stands out for me was the day we played Clare down in Ennis and you know they gave us a trimming, but I was just alongside Jason Diggins and he appeared to hold his own for the whole game.
“I said ‘Isn’t that great for a guy who played minor B hurling last year that he can go out and hold his own against Clare’, so that moment stood out for me.
“We’ve three or four of the guys who would be (in) that same position as him and if they can improve that bit by bit, the world is their oyster really.”
With the league concluded, Kerry have slipped quickly into championship mode. They find themselves in the odd situation of playing in Leinster but had the home comforts in Tralee when they defeated Carlow last Sunday.
Westmeath, who are coming off the back of crushing Offaly, are next up on Saturday afternoon.
“I’ve been watching Westmeath, and they’d have to be respected with the three guys the have on the line, with Michael Walsh, Michael Ryan and I think Declan Carr is giving them a hand.
“They won the (Offaly) game convincingly and they are going to be serious opposition for whoever they meet in the round robin.”
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