He's got All Ireland winners medals in the bag at both hurling and football; he also picked up a u21 football All Ireland winners medal earlier this year and had some time with the senior football panel in the early months of the year; then followed that up with a Nicky Rackard Cup winners medal with the Mayo senior hurlers in Croke Park and is now going to looking for an All Ireland u21B winners medals with the Mayo hurlers tomorrow. It's not been a bad few years for Tooreen's David Kenny on the football and hurling fields around the country.
Speaking about his success to date to the Mayo Advertiser, Kenny said "It's a great honour to go and represent your county in an All Ireland at any stage so this is another special occasion, it's the seventh All Ireland final over the years I've been in and yet to lose one that's not bad going, so hopefully we can keep it up again. I guess, I'm lucky I'm just 20 and have been in so many already, but they are there to be won and it's there on the day to go and win it. If I've learned anything work rate wins games and I've been involved with a number of teams who have shown that work rate and that's won us those finals."
That work rate and hunger were key to Mayo getting this far and in their All Ireland quarter-final clash with Kildare which they went into as massive underdogs they showed that in spades, he said. "Kildare was tough, tough, 0-8 to 0-6 doesn't sound like a hurling score to be fair, but it was hard, tough and great to be involved in. It was a backs game, you know, no conceding, tough tackling and making it hard for attackers on both sides. We hit 10 or 12 wides on the day. We'd a lot to improve on in that sense after that game and we went back to improve on it and went back to work on it for the next day in the All Ireland semi-final against Roscommon and then we hit 14 wides!!! We just got to start converting our chances a bit more."
This Mayo group had been operating at C level when they were minor, where they won the All Ireland title and he thinks that the Lillywhites did overlook them a bit before that game and Mayo were going to make them pay for doing so. "We knew Kildare were going to be favourites going into that quarter-final, but they might have made mistake number one, never overlook a team you've got to show respect the opposition you are up against and we went out and showed them we can hurl in Mayo just as well as anyone."
In the All Ireland semi-final Mayo had to face Roscommon for the second time in three weeks and they were made work a lot harder for their win than the Connacht final but once more they showed hunger and work rate to get over the line. "In the Roscommon game they got a goal that was against the run of play. We were leading then, but we'd hit a lot of wides again and they got the goal, but it showed great determination to win a puck out, win a free and put it over the bar and then Zac to put over the last point, it was brilliant end to a tough, tough game in tough conditions"
The small nature of the clubs scene for Mayo hurling makes sure that everyone knows each other intimately before they ever tog out together in a county dressing room and that helps the teams Kenny feels. ""There's three or four clubs making up the team and we've known each other all down the years, I went to school with the Ballyhaunis lads and the Castlebar and Westport lads all knew each other, it was very easy to bond with each other over the years, good lads and good craic. At club level, we'd beat the heads off each other, but we always got on and respected each other and knew what they could bring to the Mayo side. It's a great opportunity for lads to come together in a county side and express and show what they can do and they can hurl with the best. We're lucky we've a good bunch"
Kenny who is a woodwork student in UL hasn't had much time to rest this year with all his workload in football, hurling and college but he's loving it. ""I haven't really had a rest, I'm very lucky not to have an injury, I couldn't put a number on the games I've played between football with the club, the u21s the seniors for a while, then the hurlers at club, senior and u21 level, it's been all go all year. I could do with an aul week off and go to Magaluf for a week when it's all done."
As for going down to the home of hurling Semple Stadium, it's something that he's relishing "I've never played in Semple Stadium before, I've been at senior games down there and the atmosphere was intense, hopefully it'll be good on Saturday, with us being a curtain raiser for the A final." But making sure that the occasion doesn't get to the team is something that he and the others on the panel who were involved with the senior success will be keen to pass on he says. "The experience that myself and the other lads who were involved with the Rackard team and give to the other lads is what will be important, this might be some guys first and only All Ireland final, I'm lucky to have been involved in a few already and hope to we can help them on the field and off it in the build up.
