Standing in the broad sunshine in Pearse Park, Longford, last Saturday as evening began to creep across the midlands a disappointed but still positive Pat Holmes picked his way through the questions that followed his side’s third consecutive defeat in an All Ireland u21 semi-final. “Of course you are disappointed, that you didn't get another step when you come out of your province. But some very fine players have emerged for Mayo. The group of players that we had, you couldn't fault any of them for attitude for commitment, and I believe that they all gave to their full potential, but what more can you ask for?” Despite tasting defeat Holmes is confident that the players who have now passed on from his tutelage at this grade and some who are still under-age next year will have a big say in the future fortunes of Mayo football.
“Some of them are there already and you have got to look at the guys like the Kevin Keanes of this world the Eoghan O'Reillys who have come through so early from minor, and there are 11 of the Mayo u21 team who won the All Ireland in 2006 involved in the Mayo senior panel right now. That's great to see, there is a number like Tom Parsons, Donal Vaughan, Kevin McLoughlin, and Aidan O'Shea who you can add to the 11 from 2006, and you have half your senior panel who have come through the u21s since 2006. That's a credit to the clubs, the schools, the minor management down through the last number of years, like Ray Dempsey, he got them in fine condition and that's why so many have made the step up here this year.”
After collecting four Connacht titles and one All Ireland since 2006 the management trinity of Holmes, Noel Connelly, and Michael Collins should have no problem in convincing the county board to give them another term if they so wish, but Holmes has not thought about next year yet. “I have no idea where we'll be next year but the bottom line is that you don't even think about things like that on a day like today. And it's only manners that you would be talking to the county board before you talk to anybody else.”
Playing from the back
Just outside the dressing room where he felt the disappointment of losing the All-Ireland minor final replay almost eight months ago, Westport’s Kevin Keane was in reflective mood after the defeat. The young secondary school student has marked himself out as a real leader despite his tender years, and his continuing desire to improve should see him become a regular in green and red in the years to come. “It's hard to take a defeat but it's the way you react to it, you get back to training and regroup again and hopefully we get back to put it right next year. We left ourselves a lot to catch up in the game, in the first half we were very loose on our men. The last 20 minutes of the second half we upped our gears, but it wasn't enough.”
Being one of a number of players who made the step straight up from minor Keane admitted that he did find it tough at the start, but he pushed himself to get up to speed for the grade. “It's a big step, back in minor you are the man of the gang, but when you step up to u21 you get kind of pushed around the place. You have to build yourself up for that, it's a massive step up for that. It's the way you react to that and put the effort in and if you’re good enough, you’re good enough.
“I'm privileged to be here, my aim at the start of the year was to make the panel, thankfully I got the starting berth and I said no one else is getting it, so I put my foot down and said no else is going to get this spot.”
Despite losing and All Ireland final and semi-final in the space of a few months, Keane is fully confident that there will be an All Ireland title in Mayo very soon. “A lot of lads still under age next year, a good few of us came through from minor, it's a great prospect for Mayo football. There is an All Ireland yet in Mayo as long as these lads keep playing and the AFL stay away, we'll have one some day.” When asked if he fancied making the trip to Australia himself, Keane admitted that he didn’t think the game was for him, “I don't think so, I think I'll be staying put.”
