Gareth McKinless and Ballinderry are set to face Crossmolina in the All-Ireland club intermediate final at Croke Park. The Derry defender reflects on Ballinderry’s previous senior All-Ireland triumph and the sacrifices made to reach this stage.
The focus may all be on the start of the Allianz Leagues and football’s new rules this week, but all of that can wait for Gareth McKinless. In other circumstances, the Derry defender would be easing himself back into the county set up after a long club campaign, maybe even togging out for tomorrow evening’s League opener against Tyrone in Omagh.
But the tragic event that touched the Crossmolina camp earlier this month rightly put football in the shade, and their rearranged All-Ireland club intermediate final with McKinless’s Ballinderry takes place this Sunday at Croke Park. The pairing is somewhat remarkable in that Crossmolina sat top of the tree in club football back in 2001 when beating Nemo Rangers in the senior final. Twelve months later, Ballinderry saw off the Cork kingpins to succeed them as champions, the game played in Thurles as Croke Park’s redevelopment neared completion. McKinless’s memories are vague. 'What’s it, 23 years ago?’ he says. ‘I would have been seven. All I remember from the game is getting through over the wire in Thurles. That's all I can really remember from that. ‘Obviously, I've watched the matches back since. Look, that was an unbelievable time for our club. What a squad of players. At that time, to achieve winning a senior All-Ireland was the pinnacle of probably a lot of those men's careers. ‘Obviously, they've gone down in history in the club – and again, probably inspired the next generation, which probably has led on to winning more championships. Again, we haven't got to that pinnacle again. It just goes to show you how hard it is and what them boys actually really did achieve on that day.’ At least they’ve earned their spot back in the senior grade in Derry but supplementing that with an All-Ireland in Croke Park would make it extra special. The sacrifices to give them the best chance of that happening were easy to make. ‘We trained right up to Christmas Eve nearly,’ McKinless explained. ‘We had a few collective sessions throughout that period. As Gaelic footballers nowadays, I think the drink bans are nearly gone. ‘The way it's gone nowadays, if you're not up to speed on and off the pitch, then there's really no point in being there. It's not that you wouldn't be able to go and enjoy yourselves. You can to a certain extent. As we always talk, everything in moderation. ‘The boys enjoyed their Christmas period to an extent. It's not too often you're in an All-Ireland semi-final, so they appreciated that and they just got down to basics and training.’ This month’s semi-final saw them pitted against Austin Stacks of Tralee, another club with a senior All-Ireland to their name, and the four-point victory was particularly notable given Kerry sides’ formidable record at this grade. Ballinderry only managed 0-2 in the first half but a scoring surge in the second saw them home. ‘The thing that didn't really worry me was we were still defending well at times. When Stacks were coming forward, we didn't feel that we were under severe pressure. Once we had the ball and we were attacking, we were still relatively calm instead of forcing things – and we just stuck to the game plan then, which we pretty much have done the majority of the year. ‘We knew we had players on the bench that would come on and give us that bit of a boost. I suppose our crowd definitely played a part, I felt. Once we got level, the roar from the crowd definitely brought us to another level and sent us for home.
Gaelic Football Ballinderry Croke Park All-Ireland Crossmolina Gareth Mckinless Club Football
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ballinderry's McKinless Reflects on Club's Croke Park JourneyGareth McKinless, a defender for Derry club Ballinderry, prepares for their All-Ireland club intermediate final against Crossmolina, reminiscing about Ballinderry's previous senior All-Ireland triumph in 2002. McKinless discusses the club's journey, the sacrifices made by players, and the team's determination to secure another victory on the Croke Park pitch.
Read more »
Con O’Callaghan inspires Cuala to reach Croke Park deciderCouple of late points from the boot of the Dublin colossus fends off Coolera/Strandhill fightback
Read more »
Errigal's breakthrough, Canavan scoring magic, Cuala march on to Croke ParkThe Tyrone and Dublin champions will face off in next Sunday’s decider.
Read more »
Katie Taylor Still Dreams of Croke Park FightIrish boxing superstar Katie Taylor has revealed that her dream of fighting at Croke Park remains alive. The undisputed super lightweight world champion says she is not finished in the professional boxing world and that a fight at Ireland's iconic stadium is her ultimate goal.
Read more »
Sarsfields' O'Connor Ready to Conquer Croke Park, Despite Rumours of Travel PlansJack O'Connor, star player for Sarsfields, addresses rumours of him taking a break from the Cork team and traveling in 2025, confirming his commitment to the upcoming season and the All-Ireland club senior hurling final. He discusses the team's journey to the final, their underdog status, and the excitement of playing in Croke Park.
Read more »
Coldplay’s Croke Park outing brings in €44.5m in bumper year for Irish gigsU2′s Sphere in Las Vegas shows win out in ‘top 300 worldwide concert grosses’, according to Pollstar data
Read more »