OFFALY CHAIRMAN MICHAEL Duignan was on a podcast recently when he referenced the impact that an “exceptional Kilcormac-Killoughey U14 team” has had.
The core of that U14 group, from the late 2010s, were U20s this year and 11 of them made it onto the Offaly panel that won the U20 All-Ireland.
The pick of the bunch? No question, Adam Screeney. He and a group of pals from the area were U7s when Kilcormac-Killoughey contested the 2013 All-Ireland club final, an experience and a journey that inspired.
“I remember going around in a bright yellow hat and my blue jacket,” smiled Screeney of that campaign. “It made the winter very short that year.”
Four years later, and a little more world-wise, Screeney was in Portlaoise for Kilcormac-Killoughey’s 2017 Leinster final against Cuala. As manager Stephen Byrne said afterwards, they were ‘blown out of the water’ by a brilliant Cuala side that won by 14 points.
“Probably a bit naive that day,” said Screeney, looking back. “We left Con O’Callaghan in the square, very isolated with Ger (Healion), they sort of took us to town that day.”
K-K are back in another Leinster final now, seven years on, and while King Con was the prodigious and explosive young talent of 2017, it’s Screeney now.
He has some filling out to do yet, just like O’Callaghan did, but has an arsenal of flicks, touches and skills which make him more than a match for any opponent right now. That comes from a childhood spent holding a hurl.
“We’ve a window man who is a next door neighbour to us and any time I end up ringing him he knows, ‘Oh, which window is it?’ he’ll ask,” said Screeney. “He has the measurements to all the windows now. It would still happen. It wasn’t too long ago actually, it happened last year, just pucking against the wall and you don’t mean to.”
And yet for all the skill, and his underrated ability to pressure defenders into dispossessions, he still hears that comment regularly about needing to bulk up.
“I don’t really pass much remarks on it, to be honest,” he said, arguing that there doesn’t have to be a prototype hurler. “You don’t want hurling to turn into just a game of fitness. You still want (to have) the level of skill that people from other places can’t do. I do enjoy the gym with the lads. It’s as enjoyable as going training. I suppose everyone is built differently. We’ll keep going at it anyway.”
Richie Hogan, the ex-Kilkenny forward of similar proportions, has said he wasn’t as good as Screeney at the same age. And it didn’t turn out too bad for Hogan.
“Richie is a fair operator,” said Screeney. “Maybe it was just because it was him looking at himself that he doesn’t realise, I don’t know, but he’s extremely skilful.”
Screeney was regularly mobbed after Offaly’s games this year when they won the All-Ireland. It was a special year and one he could cap with a Leinster club medal. But which of the two would be better to win?
“To be honest, I haven’t looked past Na Fianna,” insisted Screeney. “They’re a serious side and they have great experience of being there last year. Hopefully we’ll turn up with the right frame of mind and that we’ll have enough to get over the line.”
Na Fianna (Dublin) v Kilcormac-Killoughey (Offaly): Croke Park, 7.40pm (RTE 2)
Hope he’s on the winning team tonight ! Hon the faithful boys