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In the first of the weekend’s hurling finals the Exiles of Warwickshire face Leitrim GAA. What distinguishes the so called ‘lesser’ competitions is that they aren’t lesser at all. In fact the passion for hurling among smaller counties with a narrow playing population is a zealous passion for the game. If you’re hurling and keeping the game above water in a weaker county you’re fighting a tougher battle than a player in the thick of it in the first Sunday in September.
Exhibit A are Leitrim captain Karl McDermott’s comments to the GAA.ie website. It burns with a passion and commitment for the game of hurling:
“It’s massive to get to play in Croke Park. I wouldn't really have been able to look forward and see a day like this a few years ago.
“It would have been a bit of a dream. It's come to reality now and we just have to look forward to it and try to perform on the day.”
“There's only a very small hurling community in Leitrim. There's a small bunch of men and women that actually drive the thing on and keep it going.
Leitrim hurling is under pressure with only three clubs hurling at present, with Gortletteragh unable to field at senior level due to player numbers. McDermott clearly feels the Croke Park appearance might help fan the flames for hurling.
“It's a big deal, we're hoping this might have a bit of an impact on the younger lads. Get an interest developed and maybe develop a bit of hurling again.
“It's the same people doing the same work that's actually keeping the underage going. A very limited number of people out training kids keeping the thing going.”
The sentiment will be heartfelt by mentors in Leitrim and other smaller hurling counties where promoting and coaching the game is a Sisyphean task.
Warwickshire themselves only draw on four clubs for their panel. It is overwhelmingly manned by exiles working or studying across the water. John Mitchel’s and Erin go Bragh (Birmingham), Roger Casement’s (Coventry) and St. Barnabas (Nottingham) provide all of the Warwickshire players.
Among their panel is former Antrim All Star nominee and club All Ireland winning Loughgiel Shamrocks forward Liam Watson. He has scored 5-25 in the competition to date from dead balls and from play and he will be a serious handful for the Connacht men.
Also featuring strongly for Warwickshire GAA this season have been full-back Willie Allen, centre-back Paul Hoban, centre-forward Shane Caulfield. For Leitrim attackers Padraig O’Donnell, Clement Cunniffe, Com Moreton and the remarkable Zak Moradi will all hope to etch their name into the Croke Park scoreboard. Zak Moradi was born in Iraq, not a hurling stronghold it might be said, but he hurls for the Thomas Davis club in Dublin.
Leitrim have been training away in Mullingar under the watchful eye of Martin Cunniffe, father of player Clement and they will be hopeful the Lory Meagher will be available for a celebratory boat trip up the Shannon on the Moon River!
All the best to both teams on Sunday.