TOM MULLALLY WAS happy but he wasn’t jumping from the rafters or anything like that. Being a Glenmore man, he has known many jubilant days and was well aware that the job remained unfinished.
Having managed Mount Leinster Rangers for the past seven years though, he knows where they have come from too. Only established in 1987, they won an All-Ireland intermediate title 20 months ago, the first club from Carlow to go all the way.
Now, they are breaking new ground for their county once more and Mullally admits that the enormity of it all might not have set in yet.
“Probably not. At the same time we can only concentrate on ourselves. As a group, we had the ambition when we came out of Carlow that we wanted to give Leinster a crack. We’ve been presented with an opportunity.
“The last day against Castletowngeoghegan was a hugely important result… we showed enough character. There were questions asked of us today too and over the 60 minutes we answered enough of them.
“Coming through any semi-final in any competition is good. The fact that it’s a Leinster competition puts added importance to it. We’re obviously delighted, thrilled with it.”
He had no issues with his team being rated so lowly beforehand.“It’s understandable. We’ve come up from intermediate level. The likes of Ballyboden, Oulart, Kilcormac have been there; they’re seasoned teams. We’re not so much learning our trade but trying to improve year on year.”
They had pushed subsequent All-Ireland finalist, Kilcormac-Killoughey to five points last year though so that gave them belief. And the penalty save by Frank Foley, followed closely by Eddie Byrne’s goal was an obvious turning point within the game itself.
Next up are Oulart-The Ballagh. Mullally knows them well, having been trainer of the Clara team that won this year’s Kilkenny title before falling to the Wexford men. It will be another tough task but you suspect they will be very well prepared.
“We face in against Oulart, who are a household name throughout Leinster. Mount Leinster Rangers wouldn’t be anywhere near them. You look through the Oulart team and it’s inter-county stars left, right and centre.
“I was involved with Clara this year and they gave Clara a beating. So we’re aware of what’s ahead of us. We’ll prepare the best we can. Not putting on the poor mouth or anything like that but we’ll know we’re going in as underdogs.
“You never know. There are no scripts written for anybody in finals so you try to make your own.”
