WHEN BRIAN DOWLING was first asked to come on board with the Kilkenny camogie team last year, he declined the offer.

Brian Dowling is Kilkenny's new manager. INPHO INPHO

The two-time All-Ireland winner wasn’t familiar with this version of the small-ball game and didn’t think working as their coach was the right fit for him.

But then he thought about it. The possibility of what could be achieved with this group swirled in his mind over the next few days.

He felt almost compelled to take up the opportunity and hurriedly called up Kilkenny manager Ann Downey to see if there was still a vacancy for him.

“Something was telling me that I have to do this,” Dowling tells The42.

“I rang Ann back and luckily enough the position was still available. I had to learn a huge amount during the year, not alone about players but also about opposition. The rules and everything.

“Going into the second year now, I feel a lot more advanced with everything so I’m looking forward to it.”

12 months on from that significant change of heart, Dowling is now preparing to take on the role of Kilkenny manager. The promotion came about when Downey — who won 12 All-Irelands as a player — announced that she was stepping down in the wake of Kilkenny’s All-Ireland final defeat to Galway.

It was their third decider loss in-a-row and their fifth since 2013. Their 2016 triumph was the first time they lifted the O’Duffy Cup in 22 years.

So after four years at the helm, Downey believed her time had come to step aside and hand the reins over.

Since his arrival to the squad, Downey has always held the former O’Loughlin Gaels player in high regard and emphasised the senses of calmness he brought to the table.

Ann Downey was in charge of Kilkenny for four years before stepping down. Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO

He was her first port of call when looking for a suitable successor. And this time, there wasn’t a single moment of indecision on Dowling’s end.

“Ann asked me a few days after the All-Ireland if I’d be interested in taking over from her. 

It was probably yes straight away. People were on to me asking if I’d be interested in taking it when Ann stepped down.

“I suppose if I was going back the role would probably be as manager so I said I’d go for it. I was only there for one year and I said I’d always regret it if I didn’t go back.

She’s [Downey] done so much for Kilkenny camogie. She’s a camogie legend. She’s done so much for the girls and she’s been there for four years.

“She’d made her mind up during the year that this was going to be her last year, win or lose. She just felt the team needed a new voice and she’s willing to stand away for the good of the team. The girls have great time for her.

I’ve big boots to fill but I’ll have Ann in the background. I’m sure she’ll help me and she’s already given me a lot of advice in the last couple of weeks.”

Dowling in action for O'Loughlin Gaels during the 2017 All-Ireland SFC club final against Clarinbridge. Cathal Noonan Cathal Noonan

Dowling will assemble the panel together for pre-season training in November. Launching into their strength and conditioning programme will be the first task on their list, while the heavy pitch work is on the way in January.

But before the new Cats manager could think about looking towards 2020, he had to put the 2019 season to bed. And that began with looking back at Kilkenny’s six point defeat to Galway in the All-Ireland final.

It took two separate sittings for Dowling to suffer through it, but he had to confront those painful memories before he could move past it.

I actually watched the first half on Wednesday night, I couldn’t watch it all the one night. I watched the second half on the Thursday.

“It was something I had to do for myself. Everyone is different, some people won’t look at it but when you’re watching the match live you think things that are a bit different than they actually are.

“I’m glad I watched it. You have to watch it at some stage I suppose and see where you went wrong and what you can do to improve. It wasn’t easy watching it all but it’s something I felt I had to do to get over the grieving process of it all.

It’s just so hard to look at it again. Personally I felt I had to look at it anyway and it probably helped me get over it a bit more. It’s done now and we just have to move on from it.”

Dowling was confirmed as the new Kilkenny manager this week after his appointment was ratified at a county board meeting. Downey’s sister Angela will be staying on in the backroom team for 2020 as will their former Kilkenny team-mate Breda Holmes.

Kilkenny's Davina Tobin after losing the All-Ireland final last month. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

Ray Challenor will continue in his role as selector and Tommy Shefflin of Ballyhale Shamrocks is also on board for the new campaign.

Dowling came into the Kilkenny camogie set-up last year with very little knowledge of the sport.

But as he faces into the challenge of ending Kilkenny’s All-Ireland final heartache, he’s glad of those second thoughts he had about answering Downey’s call to get involved.

“It’s a lot different to the men’s game. They don’t get as much as the men get, but the effort they put in is unbelievable. I was actually blown away by it.

Every single thing you asked them to do last year, they did it 100%. They wanted more, they wanted feedback, they wanted how they could improve. They live for camogie and it’s great to see.

“My job this year is to make sure we have the most professional set-up we possibly can and that everything we can get for the girls, we’ll be getting it for them.

“There’s been a bit of contact just to see how everybody is. A couple of people are talking about not going back and stuff like that but that was kind of, people say that after the All-Ireland final.

“Please God all the girls will be back for 2020 to give it another go.”

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