DUBLIN MANAGER MICK Bohan is hoping that last Sunday’s A versus B training game will be the hour that gives his side the edge to claim back-to-back TG4 All-Ireland ladies senior football titles for the first time in the county’s history.
Bohan is yet to reveal his starting team for Sunday’s decider against Cork – the fourth meeting between the sides in the last five finals – but he thinks their most competitive session of the year has given them the edge.
“It was a very competitive game, probably the most competitive game we’ve had all year,” said Bohan.
“What the second team showed us on Sunday was that the level in the group has jumped from what it was before. The chasing pack has come much closer to the starting group. That was the challenge we set them at the start of the season so it was fantastic to see that last weekend.
“Ultimately for some people last Sunday was their All-Ireland final and they know that they’re not going to be part of the 30 (match-day squad). They are going out there and they are not going to play a part this weekend.
“We’ve always been like this right through the year that the person who’s put their hand up on form will get their opportunity and that was the idea of Sunday.”
Twelve months ago Bohan led Dublin to their second-ever All-Ireland title, with victory over Mayo in the final.
The build-up to the game dragged on for him, but as soon as he linked up with the squad he felt at home. Even those closest to him couldn’t fathom the torturous wait for the first whistle to be blown.
“The day of the game, you’re just wishing it to start. Even with family members, who understand to a degree, nobody fully gets the feeling compared to people in the group.
“It’s like that when you win and when you lose: that’s who you want to be with because they are the ones who’ve done the hard yards with you. Meeting up in DCU, getting to that stage is when it starts to kick in, that’s the great part.”
After watching Dublin men’s footballers win their fourth All-Ireland in a row recently, Bohan is focused on his own two-in-a-row quest but he’s loathe to look any further than Sunday with his side.
He is of the opinion that the ladies game is a far tighter competition than the men’s, and with five potential winners this year in his eyes, he’s happy to be back facing the final hurdle once again.
“I’d say the women’s game is way more even at the moment, I would certainly have picked out at the start of the year the four semi-finalists and you can throw Mayo into that as well. “Those five teams I would have said to you at the start of the year, any one of those or any two of those could be competing for an All-Ireland this year.
“I’m not quite sure you could pick out five teams in the men’s at the moment that would be in the same boat so as regards looking beyond next Sunday is madness.
“To win any trophy nationally is a huge thing, to win two of them in the one year would be magnificent, it’s certainly something we haven’t done before.
“I found this year’s men’s final particularly pleasing because they’ve gone on to create their own bit of history. Please God one more for the history books to make them the greatest team of all time, which I think they have already proven.
“We have huge connections between our own group and theirs, girls going out with some of the lads, sisters of players, and daughters of former All-Ireland medal winners. That makes the whole Dublin family thing a little bit closer.”
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AFTER COMPLETING FOUR-in-a-row, the All-Ireland champions Dublin have 12 players nominated for the 2018 GAA-GPA PWC All-Star awards with 11 counties in total having players included.
Con O’Callaghan, Paul Mannion and Dean Rock have all been nominated.
Source: James Crombie/INPHO
The 45-player shortlist has been released today for this year’s awards which recognise the star players from the 2018 football championship action.
Defeated All-Ireland finalists Tyrone have seven players nominated, the same number as beaten semi-finalists Monaghan and Galway.
Kildare and Donegal have three players apiece in the frame with two Kerry players nominated in David Clifford and Gavin White.
Kerry footballer Gavin White.
Source: James Crombie/INPHO
Laois goalkeeper Graham Brody, Fermanagh defender Che Cullen, Armagh forward Rory Grugan and Carlow attacker Paul Broderick are all recognised as well, the only four players from counties that did not reach the Super 8s.
Carlow forward Paul Broderick
Source: Ken Sutton/INPHO
Only six players from the 2017 All-Star side are nominated on this occasion – Jack McCaffrey, Colm Cavanagh, James McCarthy, Dean Rock, Con O’Callaghan and Paul Mannion.
The nominees were decided by a committee made up of GAA media and chaired by GAA President John Horan.
This year’s All-Star awards take place on Friday 2 November in Dublin’s Convention Centre and will be screened live by RTÉ TV.
The list of nominees in full is:
Goalkeepers
Stephen Cluxton (Dublin)
Graham Brody (Laois)
Rory Beggan (Monaghan)
Monaghan goalkeeper Rory Beggan
Source: James Crombie/INPHO
Defenders
Eoghan Bán Gallagher (Donegal)
Jonny Cooper (Dublin)
Jack McCaffrey (Dublin)
Eoin Murchan (Dublin)
James McCarthy (Dublin)
Che Cullen (Fermanagh)
Sean Kelly (Galway)
Eoghan Kerin (Galway)
Sean Andy Ó Ceallaigh (Galway)
Gavin White (Kerry)
Eoin Doyle (Kildare)
Karl O’Connell (Monaghan)
Drew Wylie (Monaghan)
Ryan Wylie (Monaghan)
Padraig Hampsey (Tyrone)
Michael McKernan (Tyrone)
Tiernan McCann (Tyrone)
Peter Harte (Tyrone)
Tyrone’s Peter Harte.
Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO
Midfielders
Michael Murphy (Donegal)
Brian Fenton (Dublin)
Thomas Flynn (Galway)
Niall Kearns (Monaghan)
Colm Cavanagh (Tyrone)
Mattie Donnelly (Tyrone)
Donegal’s Michael Murphy and Dublin’s Brian Fenton.
Source: Lorraine OÕSullivan/INPHO
Forwards
Rory Grugan (Armagh)
Paul Broderick (Carlow)
Ryan McHugh (Donegal)
Niall Scully (Dublin)
Ciaran Kilkenny (Dublin)
Brian Howard (Dublin)
Paul Mannion (Dublin)
Dean Rock (Dublin)
Con O’Callaghan (Dublin)
Shane Walsh (Galway)
Damien Comer (Galway)
Ian Burke (Galway)
David Clifford (Kerry)
Daniel Flynn (Kildare)
Paul Cribben (Kildare)
Conor McManus (Monaghan)
Ryan McAnespie (Monaghan)
Niall Sludden (Tyrone)
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THERE WILL DEFINITELY be a Dublin winner in the 2018 Footballer of the Year race after three members of the triumphant All-Ireland side have been nominated for the accolade.
Defender Jack McCaffrey, midfielder Brian Fenton and forward Ciarán Kilkenny are the trio in the running for the honour which is part of the 2018 GAA-GPA PWC All-Star awards.
The winner will be the fifth Dublin footballer to claim the award with McCaffrey one of the former recipients after his exploits in 2015. Bernard Brogan (2010), Alan Brogan (2011) and Michael Darragh MacAuley (2013) are the other Dublin players to have landed the individual prize.
McCaffrey’s nomination caps a remarkable personal revival after he tore his cruciate in the early stages of the 2017 decider but bounced back this season to become central to Dublin’s success once more and won the RTÉ Sunday man-of-the-match award after the recent final victory over Tyrone.
The Clontarf man is joined in the running by Raheny’s Fenton and Castleknock’s Kilkenny, who both will have strong claims for the award after superb showings throughout this season’s championship.
Both Fenton and Kilkenny were nominated for the award in 2016 but Mayo’s Lee Keegan emerged as the ultimate winner.
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It is the first time since 2015 that Dublin have had all three nominees in the Footballer of the Year battle. It also signals the stature of the trio, who were all All-Ireland U21 victors in 2014, in the Dublin senior ranks as they have progressed rapidly.
The nominees were decided by a committee made up of GAA media and chaired by GAA President John Horan. The award will be voted on exclusively by inter-county players.
This year’s All-Star awards take place on Friday 2 November in Dublin’s Convention Centre and will be screened live by RTÉ TV.
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THE BRIGHTEST EMERGING talents from Dublin, Kerry and Tyrone have all been shortlisted for the Young Footballer of the Year accolade as part of the 2018 GAA-GPA PWC All-Star awards.
Dublin’s Brian Howard, Kerry’s David Clifford and Tyrone’s Michael McKernan are the trio in the running after the nominations were chosen yesterday.
Howard, a senior squad member in 2017, grew into a major player for Jim Gavin’s side this year with a series of impressive displays helping Dublin win the Sam Maguire.
Clifford made the seamless transition from minor to senior this season for Kerry. His performances in the Super 8s were particularly notable as he hit 1-5 against Galway, 1-3 against Monaghan – including that late dramatic goal to draw the game – and 2-6 against Kildare.
McKernan started the championship campaign by coming off the bench to net for Tyrone against Monaghan in their Ulster loss before subsequently nailing down a starting spot in defence as they journeyed to the All-Ireland final.
The shortlist for the Young Footballer of the Year prize is still confined to players who are U21. Howard will be bidding to land the prize for the second successive year for Dublin after Con O’Callaghan was recognised in 2017. The most recent Kerry victor was Tommy Walsh in 2008 and the last Tyrone winner was Sean Cavanagh back in 2003.
The nominees were decided by a committee made up of GAA media and chaired by GAA President John Horan. The award will be voted on exclusively by inter-county players.
This year’s All-Star awards take place on Friday 2 November in Dublin’s Convention Centre and will be screened live by RTÉ TV.
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TWO FORMER ROSCOMMON footballers will be involved in the process to select a new manager to lead the county in 2019 after Kevin McStay’s departure last week.
Roscommon are on the hunt for a new football manager.
Source: Tommy Grealy/INPHO
After three years in the role, McStay announced his resignation and his decision to retire from inter-county management.
The committee to find a new manager has been formed and will consist of county chairman Seamus Sweeney, county secretary Brian Carroll, county treasurer David O’Connor, former Roscommon captain Niall Carty and former Roscommon footballer Ciaran Heneghan.
Carty captained Roscommon to win the Division 3 league title in 2014 and the Division 2 league crown in 2015. Padraig Pearses defender Carty retired in November 2016 from senior inter-county duty, a decade after winning an All-Ireland minor medal with Roscommon.
Niall Carty lifts the Division 2 league trophy after Roscommon’s victory in 2015.
Heneghan was part of the Roscommon side that contested the 1998 Connacht senior football final and has been involved in underage coaching in recent years in the county.
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Ciaran Heneghan in action in the 1998 Connacht final for Roscommon against Galway.
Source: Keith Heneghan/INPHO
Clubs have invited to submit nominations for the the position if they wish, with a deadline of 5pm on Friday 14 September imposed.
The committee has also been given the authority to add an additional member if required and approach any suitable candidates themselves.
Roscommon exited this year’s championship race at the Super 8s stages after losses to Tyrone, Donegal and Dublin. They will compete in Division 1 of the league in 2019 after claiming promotion last spring.
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LEITRIM’S COUNTY STADIUM is the latest GAA ground that will undergo a name change with consumer finance business Avantcard set to become the title sponsor of their base in Carrick-on-Shannon.
The development will see the stadium known as Avantcard Páirc Sean Mac Diarmada. The sponsorship will run for the 2019-2021 seasons and sees the Carrick-on-Shannon based lender come on board as the inaugural sponsor of Leitrim GAA county grounds.
The deal means Leitrim will follow in the footsteps of Mayo (Elverys MacHale Park), Cavan (Kinspan Breffni), Westemath (TEG Cusack Park), Carlow (Newatch Cullen Park) and Wexford (Innovate Wexford Park) who have all made the move in recent years to sell the naming rights of their county ground.
“We are delighted to have a Leitrim based company showing the confidence in Leitrim GAA to come on board to partner with us for the coming seasons,” stated Leitrim county board chairman Terence Boyle.
“This new sponsorship will be a boost to Leitrim GAA as we ramp up our preparations for the season ahead.
“Avantcard is a local business, rooted in the community with strong links to the GAA. We see this as a great opportunity to work together and feel there are plenty of ways that we can complement each other, and we will work together to achieve that.”
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That was Mick Bohan’s response on numerous occasions as he was hounded time and time again about the prospect of his Dublin ladies football team starring in a TV documentary as they chased All-Ireland glory in 2017.
The 2017 All-Ireland senior champions.
Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO
The three years prior had brought nothing but hurt and heartbreak on All-Ireland final day in Croke Park. Three losses to Cork. In 2014, a one-point defeat. In 2015, the difference was two and in 2016, one again.
Absolute devastation.
2017 was a new year though. A fresh start with a new face at the helm as the quest to get their hands on the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time since 2010 — and just the second time in the county’s history — began once again.
Fourth time lucky.
And Cormac Hargaden of Loosehorse saw a fascinating story just waiting to be shared with the Irish public in documentary format.
A native of Clontarf just like Bohan, he chanced his arm and rang the new Dublin boss one day, pitching the idea.
“Our discussion on the phone was very brief,” Bohan explained at the Dublin media night ahead of their highly anticipated All-Ireland final meeting with Cork on Sunday.
“I just said, ‘Cormac, not a chance. If I was in my second or third year and we had done something, it’s certainly something we’d consider. But first year and with everything these guys have gone through, if they were to fail publicly, this could destroy them altogether.’”
Cue Pat Comer, the substitute goalkeeper and filmmaker who followed Galway’s 1998 All-Ireland football final win in the widely-acclaimed ‘A Year ‘Til Sunday’.
Bohan was familiar with him from his time coaching the Clare footballers. Comer had done some work with them which was received very well. So there was that connection. The response from Bohan was the same: not a chance.
The phonecalls weren’t working. It was time to chase him down in person.
“I arrived at work one day and then, sure enough, Pat Comer was waiting for me in the car-park,” Bohan continues. “So it was clear these guys weren’t going to give up.
Dublin manager Mick Bohan.
Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO
“He said to me, ‘You know I’m a lucky cameraman – the three teams I’ve been involved in doing behind the scenes stuff for have won All-Irelands.’ I said I don’t believe in hoodoos or black magic or anything like that.”
Shortly after, Hardagan arrived to his mother’s house in Clontarf. The deadline for the submission was fast approaching. He promised that it would be something really special, something the players would treasure for the rest of their lives.
“And again, I said, look, that’s fine, I hear you and I’ve spoken to them and they’re not against it. But I just think it’s an absolute landmine to be going near.”
Then came the last-chance saloon.
A solution to an ongoing problem.
“We talked about finance,” Bohan says. “At that time – and this is true – this group were coming here to training and they weren’t getting fed.
“People talk about finance in Dublin – I still remember the conversation I had with Sinead Finnegan about coming to training and going home at half 10 at night and having beans and toast when she got home.
“Sinead Aherne, who had a high-pressure job with KPMG told me that on the nights she doesn’t train, she’s home at 10pm and that getting home to Malahide at 10.30-11pm on the nights she does train having not been fed left her body depleted.
“That was the first thing we said we would address when we came in. Our food bill last year was €17,500. When you say that to people, they say it’s ridiculous money. But it was the first thing we went after.
Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO
“And when Loosehorse said they would cover it, that’s what made the documentary happen. That was the decision.”
(A spokesperson for Loosehorse told The42 that the financial details above did not accurately reflect their contribution, but had yet to respond to a request for an alternative figure at the time of publication.)
And from there, the cameras were let in to follow Dublin on a journey of highs and lows, ups and downs as they got their hands on that coveted All-Ireland title.
The highly-acclaimed, candid ‘Blues Sisters’ hit TV screens across the length and breadth of the country on Monday, 27 November 2017.
The knock-on effect was massive, the aftermath huge.
“I still remember the day after it was shown, one of the students coming up to me out in Mark’s Community School in Tallaght,” Bohan grins.
“This was one of my prize PE students who I don’t think I’ve ever seen in a tracksuit – and she goes, ‘That was deadly last night, sir.’ And I asked her what was deadly about it and she goes, ‘It was fuckin’ emotional!’
“That was the best way she could articulate the effect of it. And she was right. it was emotional. And it was emotional because the stories were true.
“They were telling real-life stories. They were letting people into their lives.”
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SEVEN COUNTIES ARE represented in the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Star Awards Football Team of the Year for 2018.
All-Ireland champions Kerry, who secured their fifth title in succession, at the grade have four players on the team while runners-up Galway have three included.
Players from Kildare, Monaghan, Derry, Dublin, Meath and Wicklow also make up the selection.
The team was chosen by Electric Ireland panellists, including All-Star winning former Cork footballer, Daniel Goulding and All-Star winning former Tyrone captain, Sean Cavanagh.
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Kerry, Galway, Kildare, Monaghan, Derry, Dublin and Meath are all represented in the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Star Awards Football Team of the Year for 2018. Well done all 👏👏 #FutureIsBright #MinorStars
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Electric Ireland GAA Minor Star Football Team of the Year
WHEN KIERAN DONAGHY waged war on the Mayo full-back line in the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final replay in Limerick, Irish rugby legend Paul O’Connell was in the Gaelic Grounds to watch the chaos unfold.
As it happened, O’Connell found himself sitting alongside Kerry hero Eoin ‘Bomber’ Liston. An iconic full-forward in his own day, Liston naturally kept a close eye on Donaghy, who at 32-years-old was experiencing his second coming in the Kerry jersey.
“Bomber Liston just told me ‘Donaghy is using his arse beautifully,’” O’Connell tweeted during the second-half.
Bomber Liston just told me 'Donaghy is using his arse beautifully'
— Paul O'Connell (@Paul_OConnell) August 30, 2014
Donaghy’s 6’5″ frame, soft hands and deceptive speed on the ground helped him become one of the most influential players of his generation.
But as Liston observed, one of Donaghy’s more underestimated qualities was his ability to hold off opponents with his backside. Donaghy’s ‘arse-work’ gave him enough space to catch deliveries inside or at least direct them towards a team-mate.
It was a move he perfected on the basketball court. The sport once Donaghy’s first love and remains a huge part of his life. ”I’m a basketballer playing football,” he reflected this week.
“It’s a role that there weren’t too many other fellas doing. It gave us a different option. There were times in my career when it worked very well but there were also times when it didn’t work.
“When it works, it’s good, and it’s an exciting brand of football. The people of Kerry have a real warmth with me because we were playing that way, there were high balls going in and I was managing to get my hands on a few of them.”
And now his days in the Kerry jersey are over, Donaghy won’t need to wait long to get his adrenaline fix of elite level sport. This weekend, he’ll lead his Garvey’s Tralee Warriors side into a two-day pre-season basketball tournament at Templeogue Basketball Club ahead of the new Super League campaign.
Donaghy played a big role in founding the Warriors club in 2015 as he juggled playing football with Kerry and Austin Stacks, family life and working with PST Sport. His influence was vital as two rival clubs in Tralee joined forces to bring Super League basketball back to the town.
pic.twitter.com/cajpkUSNvg
— Garveys Warriors (@warriors_bc) October 7, 2017
Donaghy’s mission was to make their home ties not just a “game but a show”.
“We kill the lights for the player introductions and we turn on our lasers and spotlights and we’ve got the music blaring when the players come on,” he said in 2016.
The games at Tralee Sports Complex regularly draw crowds of 800 fans, which is roughly 4% of the town’s population. NBA-style walk-outs, pre-game music, a team mascot and a lively PA announcer added some glamour to the nights, but the main attraction was ‘Star’.
At least he was until a young American by the name of Trae Pemberton walked through the doors.
Kieran Donaghy takes free throw as Trae Pemberton watches on
Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO
**********
Trae Pemberton arrived in Tralee in 2016 not knowing quite what to expect.
He grew up in Indiana and spent four years playing college hoops with Maryville in St Louis, Missouri. He scored 1126 points across four seasons with the Division II side, finishing in 14th place on their all-time scoring list.
Pemberton made the all-conference team in his senior year which saw him average 16 points per game.
He graduated with a degree in Sports Business Management but decided he wanted to see where basketball would take him. One of Pemberton’s former coaches reached out to a coach in Ireland who was on the look-out for international players – Mark Bernsen of the Tralee Warriors.
“The rest is history from there I guess,” Pemberton tells The42.
He signed a professional contract with Tralee and packed his bags for a new adventure across the Atlantic.
“I had no idea what to expect,” he continues. “Mark was telling me different things and looking back now he was spot on with how he laid it out for me, in so far as how nice the people are. They were looking out for you all the time and the town really rallied around the team and you and take care of you.
“He was spot on with that. Going from college to that town was kind of similar in some ways in the fact that the school I went to was a bit smaller. Everybody knew each other which I liked so that really wasn’t too big of a transition.
Trae Pemberton in action against UCC Demons
Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO
“I had to get used to some of the different slang words and people talking a bit faster, that took me a week or two. Other than that it was fine.”
Bernsen was excited to pair up Pemberton up with the team’s other high-profile guard Kieran Donaghy.
“You’re going to be playing with Kieran Donaghy. He’s like the LeBron James of Gaelic football over here,’” Bernsen told him.
“Yeah, okay, okay,” Pemberton replied.
When they finally crossed paths at training, Donaghy was intrigued by the team’s new addition.
“I really didn’t know what to expect getting there,” continues Pemberton.
“I finally met him and he was as sound as can be. At the first training he gets there and he’s talking to me, asking me tonnes of questions. And he said, ‘If you’ve ever any questions come and let me know, we’ll get anything handled and taken care of.’”
Pemberton remains deeply appreciative of how welcome Donaghy made him feel when he first arrived in Tralee. They quickly forged a bond off the court as well as on it.
“He wanted to know about my family and stuff like that and getting to know me. That really made me feel at home being there when someone was caring about me like that, given I’m from a whole different country so that was pretty awesome.
“He has a family, two girls now and he’s always looking out for them that’s number one by all means, which it should be for anybody. He was nice enough to invite me and my girlfriend over to his house. Hillary, she’d make dinner for us and we’d hang out over there a few times.
“He just invited us in with open arms when you don’t have to do that. That goes a long way to speak about the type of person he is and how he cares for his team-mates and people close to him.
Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO
“He knows when to turn it on and off. In the locker room before games it’s all business, but as soon as that last buzzer sounds we’re back in the locker room whether we win or lose.
“If we lose we’re talking about what we could have done better and move on from there. Come back, relax with the team, maybe whether it’s having a few pints or whatever.
“Literally the next day I’ll get a phonecall from him: ‘Hey man, how are you doing? Is the body okay? What do you think we did wrong in the game last night?’”
The pair could often be found in the Sports Complex before dawn working on their jump shots. Pemberton is known for his smooth shooting style and Donaghy was like a sponge, soaking up his advice.
“He works for PST Sport so he’d be doing that most mornings. Maybe two to three times per week we’d try get into the gym at 6am in the morning and get some extra shots up.
“From his aspect, he knew I was a pretty good shooter and he wanted to pick my brain and get some extra shots up to improve on that aspect of his game. I think it really paid dividends in our second season together.
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What a bunch. What a team. Heart guts and a bit of luck and we're going home with the cup after beating some of the best teams in the land. #guts #Warriors #irishhoops🍀 #basketballireland #family #freindsforlife #supporters #bestfansinireland #gotusovertheline #uptherewiththebestwinsever @garveys_supervalutralee @sealodgewaterville @benners.hotel.tralee @greyhoundbar
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“We did that and he had one of his football phsyios come in and we did some cardio work with him, which was really good. We were helping each other on both ends. We were getting the body ready in the hips, legs and doing all that type of stuff.
“That was a bit new for me in looking at it from a different sport. It was a good adjustment and something different.
“As far as a team-mate goes, he was an unbelievable competitor in practice. He wants to win every drill – no matter what it is he’s trying to win. I’d be really upset if he wasn’t on my team and I had to play against him.
“He needs that competitor’s edge and he’ll do everything to get it which I love and took some things like that from him.”
The Warriors won the Super League Champions Trophy in both of Pemberton’s seasons with the club in 2016/17 and 17/18.
The team’s American star picked up numerous individual accolades including the Import Player of the Year, multiple Superleague Player of the Month awards and Basketball Ireland Men’s Superleague All-Star award.
Source: Trae Pemberton/YouTube
When he looks back, Pemberton modestly says Donaghy was a major driving force for Tralee’s successes.
“In our first year we won a few games on the road earlier in the season and then we hit a lull where we lost to a few of the better teams in the league. So we weren’t too happy about that. Kieran called a team meeting and we sat down.”
“Guys, we can beat all these lower level teams – that’s fine,” Donaghy told the group. “But we’re only going to get judged on if we’re able to step up to the plate when we play these better teams or we duly fold.”
Pemberton continues: “From then on we ramped up practice a little bit more and stepped up in those bigger games. It showed in the playoffs at the end of the season. We went up to Letterkenny which was a journey from Tralee.
“It was a good session of team bonding on the way up and we grew a little bit closer that weekend. We beat two of the top teams that weekend to win the championship. That was a big memory for me.
Trae Pemberton talking his team
Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO
“Then in the second year, there were more expectations on us given we’d won the previous year. Kieran came into the same mindset saying, ‘Let’s not get off to a bad start again. Let’s take it from the beginning and ramp it up.’
“I think we did as far as training with a different mindset. We were a bit more consistent in that second year. We finished off with another championship which was great.”
Despite all the glory they enjoyed together on the court, Pemberton admits many of his fondest memories arrived outside of the games.
“We had a few great team bonding trips in that first year. We were in Dublin for a game on a Saturday. We won it and stayed the night in Dublin and went to a Drake concert on the Sunday which was pretty awesome.
“Kieran said it was his first hip-hop concert so that was a great experience, he absolutely loved it. The Drake trip was organised by Fergal O’Sullivan on our team and we had a blast.
“We had another one later that year. We were down in Waterville on another team bonding trip. They were one of our sponsors so Kieran kind of set that all up. We enjoyed our time down there as well. I’ve quite a few good memories and some of them didn’t even involve being on the court. A lot of it was stuff we did off the court as a team.
“I also loved to play golf and Kieran does too, he’s a pretty good golfer. We’d go out to the Tralee golf links there and smack a few balls around. All that stuff will always stick with me as far as memories.”
Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO
Last November, Donaghy, Pemberton and some of the team’s international players enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with Tralee basketball royalty Ricardo Leonard and Roscoe Patterson.
“Last year, we spent the day at Roscoe Patterson’s house. Kieran came over and Rick (Ricardo) Leonard was there as well. We just spent the night there eating good food and telling stories which were crazy to hear, especially from Roscoe and Rick because they’re a little bit older so they have stories from way back in the day. That was pretty cool.”
He even managed to watch Donaghy doing his thing with the Kingdom on a number of occasions.
“It’s been good for me because I’ve been able to go to quite a few of Kieran’s football games. One that always sticks out for me is when the played Dublin in the league final in Croke Park (in 2017).
“That was the first time I was in Croke Park and that was unbelievable. I was sitting next to Kieran’s Mom. It was amazing to see how into it his Mom gets when it comes to the football.
“I don’t Kieran actually got on for that game but it was still great to witness that because Kerry ended up winning. It was awesome.
“I absolutely love the sport. I tell everybody about it back home. They’re like, ‘It sounds mad.’ But it is a cool sport.”
When Pemberton caught wind of Donaghy’s retirement from inter-county football yesterday, he paid a glowing tribute to his old team-mate on Twitter.
He wrote: “Congrats on the retirement my guy! Unbelievable competitor and even better person! Privileged to have shared the court with you. Blessing to you on your next step! More success on the court coming soon.”
Congrats on the retirement my guy! Unbelievable competitor and even better person! Privileged to have shared the court with you. Blessing to you on your next step! More success on the court coming soon 🏀🏆 https://t.co/quv0DefmTF
— Trae Pemberton (@TraeP30) September 11, 2018
Pemberton joined English National Basketball League team Reading Rockets this season, but he’ll be keeping a close eye on Donaghy’s exploits on the basketball court.
“I know the competitive edge will always be there and it will probably ramp up a little for him in basketball now he’s done with Kerry. I definitely will be tuned in watching and I know he’ll continue to work on that jump shot and keep the defence honest. I think he’s got two to three more years when it comes to basketball.”
Eamonn Fitzmaurice and Mike Quirke both tipped Donaghy for a managerial role in the future and Pemberton could see him being a successful coach in either code.
“The personality is absolutely there for him to coach. He can make you want to run through a wall for him. As far as a manager goes, that’s all you want.
“If you get players to believe in your system and believe in you, you pretty much have three-quarters of the battle won already.
“The rest of it is just going out there and putting the tactics to it. Whether it’ll be football or basketball, either one I think he’ll excel in if he wants to go into the management side of it.
“It was mostly his idea to get Tralee Warriors off the ground. He put a lot of backing into it. It’s part of his nature to be an outgoing person. Being able to talk to people and get the best out of them. That’s one of his greatest traits, being able to to get the best out of whoever he’s talking to.”
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PADRAIC DAVIS HAS been appointed as the new senior manager after he was ratified along with his management team at a special meeting of Coiste Chontae Longfort on Wednesday night.
The former Longford forward takes over from Denis Connerton, who stepped down from the position in July after a second stint in charge of the county.
The Longford Leader reports that Paul Barden and Donal Ledwith will form part of Davis’ backroom team along with former Galway player and minor football manager John Donnellan.
Padraic Davis was tonight ratified as the Longford Senior Football manager. Paul Barden and Donal Ledwith form part of his backroom team.
— Longford Leader (@Longford_Leader) September 12, 2018
Barden retired from inter-county football in 2015 and is regarded as one of Longford’s greatest ever players after a remarkable 16 years at senior level.
Drumlish clubman Davis enjoyed a 12 year inter-county career between 1995 and 2007, and will bring a wealth of experience to the role after being proposed as the new manager earlier this month.
The 42-year-old went into management following the end of his playing career, helping St. Vincent’s to a minor football championship, while also helping the Longford U21s to the 2011 Leinster final.
He was also a selector with the Longford seniors during Glenn Ryan’s time in charge.
Pádraig Davis and his management team have been ratified at tonight's special meeting of Coiste Chontae Longfort pic.twitter.com/KORpfsa9DD
— Longford GAA (@OfficialLDGAA) September 12, 2018
Longford came agonisngly close to securing promotion to Division 2 earlier this year before defeating Meath later in the summer to book their place in a Leinster SFC semi-final for the first time in 30 years.
It was also the county’s first championship win over Meath since 1982.
They subsequently bowed out of the provincial competition on the back of a heavy defeat to Dublin and lost out to Kildare in the All-Ireland qualifiers.
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