Paddy Deegan has had more prolific days in county finals against Ballyhale than he enjoyed on Sunday – two years ago when deployed at full forward he rampaged for 2-3 – but he has never hit a sweeter score than the point that reclaimed the county title for O’Loughlin Gaels at the weekend.
Safely restored to his familiar intercounty posting in the half backs, Deegan swept over the winner in the last minute of injury-time to deny the outgoing champions a record-extending sixth successive championship.
“I told the boys that I’d play anywhere. I enjoyed my time up front in the forwards, filling a gap, I suppose but I’m happy at the back as well.”
An All Star nomination this year in defence, he had a great battle with the eternal TJ Reid throughout the hour and, in the end, it was the centre back who had the final say, which he said was a cause of “more relief when the final whistle went”.
Cracking opponents who have been masters of serial success is a daunting challenge and during the last 10 minutes of the final it looked as if Ballyhale were about to do it again, as they moved two points clear. Had Deegan felt it might be slipping away?
“No. You expect that going into a game, especially against Ballyhale. We had said to each other, ‘keep tipping over points’ – manage the game. Don’t panic.’ That’s what happened. Our subs came on and made a big impact.”
Points by replacements Conor Kelly and Luke Hogan helped O’Loughlin’s to keep in touch.
From an O’Loughlin’s perspective, the prospect of Ballyhale in the final wasn’t as intimidating as might have been thought because a number of players had lined out in the 2016 final when they beat the same opposition – also when they were All-Ireland champions. Deegan played centrefield that day.
“It’s a big challenge but that’s what you want do, play the best. I suppose in 2016 we beat them as well. It means a lot more when you win a county championship to beat Ballyhale because you know you’ve beaten the best because of what they’ve done over the years.”
For O’Loughlin’s manager, Brian Hogan, it’s a question of leadership and the added responsibility on the club’s intercounty contingent but he acknowledged Deegan’s leading role.
“Yeah, I mean you talk about character – that man has [it]. Look, it’s not fair to single out one lad; there’s character throughout the field. At different stages, different lads stood up but obviously Paddy, Huw [Lawlor], Mikey [Butler] and Conor [Heary] are the county guys, you do look to them at times.”
Like Deegan, Butler and Lawlor are nominated for All Stars with Lawlor by consensus a lock for an actual award when the team is announced in less than three weeks.
Nonetheless, talk after the match turned pretty quickly to the club championship, which starts for the Kilkenny champions the weekend after next against Mount Leinster Rangers, the Carlow side, who reached the 2014 All-Ireland final.
O’Loughlin Gaels have a decent pedigree in Leinster. From their four previous runs in the championship, they have claimed two provincial titles, in 2003 and 2010.
An unusual quirk of their relatively brief history in the championship is that on all four occasions they lost out to the eventual All-Ireland champions.
As provincial winners, they exited the All-Ireland stages against Newtownshandrum and Clarinbridge, respectively. Their first county title in 2001 saw them beaten in the Leinster semi-final by Birr and most recently, in 2016 they also lost to the future All-Ireland winners, Cuala, in the provincial final.
Deegan, a member of the 2016 team, is asked about the pressure on them as Kilkenny champions given the strength of Ballyhale, who top the All-Ireland roll of honour.
“I suppose when you win Kilkenny it’s one of the toughest championships that’s there. Ballyhale have shown the way over the years, winning All-Irelands on a constant basis. It’s open [for us].
“We’ll take a few nights to enjoy this and then we’ll refocus because we want to go as far as possible. That’s our ambition, now that our first ambition – to win a county title – is achieved.”
In the meantime they have to sort out the competing pull of club and county. Kilkenny’s hurlers are about to embark on a team holiday. It’s an enticing break but the club now has pressing business.
“New York for five or six days,” according to Deegan, “so it wouldn’t be for very long but at the end of the day, O’Loughlins is at the forefront of our mind at the moment and if it means we miss out on it, then we miss out on it. We’ll take it from there.”
