Get us to the match on time

There's a double-header of a different kind for the Kenny household next weekend as daughter Aisling ties the knot while her brothers David and Sean aim to help steer the Tooreen hurlers back to Croke Park, writes Stuart Tynan.

The day after a wedding can take on many forms. A music session back in your local pub among friends and family. Perhaps flying out with your now husband or wife for a trip away. But what about an All-Ireland semi-final?

That is the exact situation facing the Kenny household as brothers David and Sean, who are both expected to start for Tooreen in this Sunday’s All-Ireland club intermediate hurling semi-final against Eire Óg Carrickmore, will be watching their sister Aisling tie the knot just 24 hours before the big encounter in Cavan.

Given the All-Ireland semi-final was originally scheduled for next Saturday, it’s fair to say there was some concern in the Kenny homestead that both events were going to be on at the same time.

“We've been on the rollercoaster for the few days because my poor daughter, she didn't really realise the whole event of the Connacht final and the ramifications of us winning,” dad Austin told the Western People. “We kind of protected her from it along the way so it was kind of comical.” 

Austin himself is a key member of the Tooreen backroom team as first-aider, but is also club secretary.

“We knew that if we progressed that we would be most likely on the same weekend as Aisling’s wedding.

“A neighbour of mine was out on the field after the game and said ‘sure don't worry Aisling, I can give you away!’ and of course she didn't bite on that either. She didn't really realise until she met somebody else and of course then it began to sink home that the next day out for Tooreen was going to be on the weekend of her wedding.

“There was a little bit of panic, but we had a lot of goodwill along the way. We're a very sporting family and certainly we didn't want to see the lads having to be making choices away from the club. Definitely they'd have gone to their sister's wedding but, oh, the ramifications there wouldn't be great either!” 

A sigh of relief came when Tooreen’s request to move the game to Sunday was granted. But Austin, father to two core men of this Tooreen side, admits there was some ‘tension’ in the house before official confirmation arrived.

“Our club has been very good to the lads and good to us all, really. It's being a dad on top of that which makes it difficult trying to steer the direction of the conversation that was going on the last few weeks.

“Of course, we want our club to do well but of course, it's Aisling's big day and there's also the twist in the tale that it's a Ballyhaunis man she's marrying, you know!” 

That Ballyhaunis man is Adrian Phillips. Not only a teammate of David and Sean for the county hurlers previously but, more often than not now with Adrian’s goalkeeper commitments with the Mayo senior football team, a rival on the field with the Ballyhaunis hurlers.

The clubs did battle once again in this year’s Mayo senior final, with Tooreen coming out on top in the final action of the game in dramatic fashion.

He may not be going too deep into the rivalry in his father of the bride speech, but Austin Kenny feels the same way as other individuals associated with Tooreen: there is no tougher game in the year than the Ballyhaunis one.

“It's testimony to Ballyhaunis and the resilience of their group. Now, we have resilience in our own group too, and we're proud of it, but Ballyhaunis show year after year that they can match, and maybe this year they'll feel aggrieved that it was just down to the wire.” 

Tooreen themselves know about how cruel sport can be, and there is a feeling of some ‘unfinished business’ in Croke Park after their All-Ireland final defeat to Monaleen in 2023.

“You know, they don't talk about it. I'm around the game a long time. If I'm reading anything into it, watching the preparation and that, I feel that from last year, they’re disappointed that they didn't progress out of the Connacht campaign. For one reason or another, they didn't kind of click. Bits of injuries and stuff. Now there's a real steeliness about the group.

“Maybe being as close as I am, I think they deserve to get back there to see is there is unfinished business.” 

Austin will trade the suit on Saturday for club gear the following afternoon as he’ll be on the sideline doing first aid alongside physio Shane Morley. In addition, Austin helps coach Tooreen’s minor team, who claimed a fourth consecutive county title earlier this month. Given Tooreen’s ‘small fraternity’, the club always looks to get the next generation ready.

“It's something I think we do quite well in Tooreen, the tradition of a younger guy coming in and being looked after. I can name a few guys like the Fionn Delaneys of this world and the David Delaneys and the Matthew Delaneys. They're all of the household Delaney name.

“But I would have coached a lot of these guys, and they just love their hurling. It's as simple as that. As well as being lovely kids to coach, they're now becoming young men and joining into a great group of senior players. We kind of say off the field of play that you need to be producing three, four players into a senior set up each year.” 

Austin added: “It's hard to break into that. Now, that's a challenge, I think, for any club. It is a challenge to get the transition of three, four players to that level. We can't take our eye off the ball. I'm long enough around the game to know that success can be a very fickle thing. You can be great and going well for three, four years, and then you find that we didn't look after our youth.

“We have a great Bord na nÓg structure. That's why I involve myself a little bit back down along the way. I love to see youngsters getting a chance to play hurling and progress, give them their pathway, and if they can take it, great.” 

Austin Kenny will be a very proud man on Saturday when his daughter gets married and he hopes to have that feeling of pride not just the following day, but if Tooreen have their shot at glory in HQ next month.

“I'm very, very proud of our club and naturally enough, very, very proud of my two sons.

“Hurling, you know, they have to adapt their life around that. It's great to have that in front of them again as a carrot. If we get there, great.

“These days don't come around too often, no more than their sister getting married. So, it'll be great if they get a chance to prevail again in the semi-final and get to Croke Park. I'd be the proudest dad there, let me tell you.” 

Should they emerge victorious against Eire Óg Carrickmore, the celebrations would certainly be in line with any ‘day two’.