JOE KERNAN SAYS the reality for his Ireland players is that they must beat ‘boys earning half a million a year’ if they’re to regain the International Rules title.
Legendary Armagh figure Kernan is confident, however, of stealing an upset win against Australia with a high-paced game-plan built principally around accurate kick-passing.
To that end, Kernan described the availability of Dublin’s Diarmuid Connolly for Saturday week’s Croke Park summit as a major coup.
Kernan admitted that when Ireland captain and Dublin team-mate Bernard Brogan learned of Connolly’s presence, he said: ‘That’s great, Diarmuid’s in; it means I’m going to get the ball in here (gestures to chest) instead of up there in the air’.
Ireland’s 23-man panel and eight stand-by players will team up at the Carton House training facility in Kildare this weekend, before going into camp from next Wednesday.
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“We’ve 12 counties represented,” said Kernan. “Every county should be delighted that their player is representing Ireland and, maybe, winning the Cormac McAnallen Cup; being a winner.
“I used to say with the Railway Cup teams, ‘Some counties won’t win an Ulster title or an All-Ireland — but they could win a Railway Cup medal’.
“For our guys, to represent their country and beat Australia, a professional team, boys earning half a million a year, that would be something really immense.
“They might wake up the next week and say, ‘Feck, that’s desperate money those boys are on!’ But, no, that’s the challenge for every player.”
Monaghan duo Darren and Kieran Hughes are included in the panel — Kieran is on the stand-by list — despite still being involved with Scotstown in the AIB Ulster club championship.
A third player, Mattie Donnelly, will play for Trillick against Scotstown in the provincial semi-final this weekend, though Kernan said there’s no issue about their availability for club or country.
Likewise, he insisted it won’t be a problem for Longford’s Michael Quinn to play for Ireland on Saturday week and then for his club, Killoe Emmet Og, the following day in the Leinster championship.
The Crossmaglen Rangers man admitted he was disappointed not to be able to include a single player from his native Armagh.
“Of course it disappoints me,” he said. “You’d love to have some of your own. Every club in the country would love an Irish jersey hanging up on their wall.
“My own son (Aaron), has one down in the club in Cross’ and, for me, that would be fantastic to have one or two Armagh players there but at this moment in time, we didn’t feel there was anybody there that we could select. Simple as that. That will change but this year there was nobody there, unfortunately.”
Kernan said he isn’t anticipating any rough-house tactics from the Australians, who have selected a star-studded side.
“I think these boys want to come over and entertain,” he suggested. “In fairness to the Australians, the team they picked last year and this year shows their intent to get their best players playing and to play with a bit of style.”
'To beat Australia, boys earning half a million a year, that would be something really immense'
JOE KERNAN SAYS the reality for his Ireland players is that they must beat ‘boys earning half a million a year’ if they’re to regain the International Rules title.
Legendary Armagh figure Kernan is confident, however, of stealing an upset win against Australia with a high-paced game-plan built principally around accurate kick-passing.
To that end, Kernan described the availability of Dublin’s Diarmuid Connolly for Saturday week’s Croke Park summit as a major coup.
Kernan admitted that when Ireland captain and Dublin team-mate Bernard Brogan learned of Connolly’s presence, he said: ‘That’s great, Diarmuid’s in; it means I’m going to get the ball in here (gestures to chest) instead of up there in the air’.
Ireland’s 23-man panel and eight stand-by players will team up at the Carton House training facility in Kildare this weekend, before going into camp from next Wednesday.
“We’ve 12 counties represented,” said Kernan. “Every county should be delighted that their player is representing Ireland and, maybe, winning the Cormac McAnallen Cup; being a winner.
“I used to say with the Railway Cup teams, ‘Some counties won’t win an Ulster title or an All-Ireland — but they could win a Railway Cup medal’.
“They might wake up the next week and say, ‘Feck, that’s desperate money those boys are on!’ But, no, that’s the challenge for every player.”
Monaghan duo Darren and Kieran Hughes are included in the panel — Kieran is on the stand-by list — despite still being involved with Scotstown in the AIB Ulster club championship.
A third player, Mattie Donnelly, will play for Trillick against Scotstown in the provincial semi-final this weekend, though Kernan said there’s no issue about their availability for club or country.
Likewise, he insisted it won’t be a problem for Longford’s Michael Quinn to play for Ireland on Saturday week and then for his club, Killoe Emmet Og, the following day in the Leinster championship.
The Crossmaglen Rangers man admitted he was disappointed not to be able to include a single player from his native Armagh.
“Of course it disappoints me,” he said. “You’d love to have some of your own. Every club in the country would love an Irish jersey hanging up on their wall.
“My own son (Aaron), has one down in the club in Cross’ and, for me, that would be fantastic to have one or two Armagh players there but at this moment in time, we didn’t feel there was anybody there that we could select. Simple as that. That will change but this year there was nobody there, unfortunately.”
Kernan said he isn’t anticipating any rough-house tactics from the Australians, who have selected a star-studded side.
“I think these boys want to come over and entertain,” he suggested. “In fairness to the Australians, the team they picked last year and this year shows their intent to get their best players playing and to play with a bit of style.”
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GAA Gaelic Football International Rules Joe Kernan