ANN DOWNEY’S POWERFUL presence is still evident in the Kilkenny camp, almost three years on from her departure as manager.
Downey — who famously won 12 All-Ireland titles with the Cats as a player — was in charge when the county ended a 22-year wait for O’Duffy Cup success in 2016.
Her sister Angela, another 12-time All-Ireland winner, was a member of her backroom team and remains part of the set-up in 2021.
Kilkenny returned to contest the Croke Park decider three more times under Downey’s watch but failed to win the cup back, with Downey deciding to step away in the wake of their 2019 defeat to Cork.
Former Kilkenny hurler, and two-time All-Ireland winner, Brian Dowling was announced as her successor having previously worked as a selector under Downey for that 2019 campaign.
Another All-Ireland appearance followed last December where Kilkenny dethroned Galway to return to the summit of camogie. The game was played at a crowdless Croke Park on account of the social restrictions that were in place at the time, but there was one guest of honour who managed to make her way down to the pitch for the celebrations.
Thanks a million to Nickey Brennan & Pat Tracy from KK Comm Radio, only for you I wouldn't have been in Croker today to witness an unbelievable win for the girls. Thanks lads... pic.twitter.com/cGVaOZclFi
— ANN DOWNEY (@anndowney57) December 12, 2020
“I don’t think Ann is ever going to be able to just walk away from Kilkenny camogie,” Kilkenny forward Mary O’Connell told the media at the launch of the All-Ireland camogie championships.
“She has a huge connection with all of us and and we all look up to her and Angela, her twin sister, who you know has just as much success, is still involved with us as well.
“So, Ann would pop her head in every now and again to training and she was down on the pitch with us after the All-Ireland last year as well.
“She’s very much still there. She’d know some of the older girls a lot better than she would be younger girls, so she’d still be in big contact with those girls as well.
“She’s always there and and they’re in her rounds anyway.”
Elaborating on how Dowling has stepped up to carry on the baton from Downey, O’Connell adds:
“Brian is incredible. I suppose he came in and under Ann Downey the first year.
“So he actually learned a lot in terms of getting to know all the players and getting to know the setup. And I suppose the morale that’s in the team, and I think it set him up nicely for last year.
“He knew us quite well and he actually trained as for the first year. Ann was the manager and he was a trainer, so Brian is very hands on. He got together a great background team last year between Tommy Shefflin, Pat O’Neill, Ray Challenor and and Philly Larkin.
“So he got an incredible team behind him and he was also hands on with training as well. So it was just a great setup and no better person to step in after Ann than Brian.”
Kilkenny will get their All-Ireland championship campaign underway this weekend, joining their rivals Galway in Group 3 along with Clare and Westmeath.
The Banner will provide their first assignment as Kilkenny prepare to travel to Sixmilebridge on Saturday afternoon at 2pm.
Dowling’s side will go into the championship opener as Division 1 champions after edging out the Tribeswomen in Croke Park last month.
After a sluggish opening half, Kilkenny brought a different energy to their game for the second period as they rattled off 1-5 without reply to gradually start taking control of proceedings.
Slow starts have hampered some of Kilkenny’s league performances although O’Connell believes that the quality of the opposition they faced accounts for some of that.
As the championship looms, she’s expecting the speed of the game to go up a few gears.
“The championship is always going to be that bit quicker and there’s always gonna be a bit more of an edge to it, just with the nature of it being championship. And they’ve been more kind of more at stake.
“I think the championships going to be brilliant this year. I don’t think there’s going to be much between teams at all. Even if you look at the league semi-finals, you know, Tipperary nearly beat us down in Nowlan Park on our home ground.
“The other semi-final was Cork and Galway and that went to extra-time and then in League final itself between ourselves and Galway, there was absolutely nothing between us as well, so I think we’re going to be lined up for a good championship.
“And what better way to have it?”
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