Meyler ‘extremely proud’ of Kilmoyley players after heart-breaking final defeat

Wexford man. Cork man. Kilmoyley man.

here’s nothing honorary about it, John Meyler is the real deal. A son of Kilmoyley, born many miles away. and now twenty odd years or so since he first rocked up to Naomh Páirc Erc – at the urging of Joe Walsh – one of their own. 

The club’s story in the last twenty years has been bound up with their brilliant manager. Others have had their time with the club – people like Anthony Daly and Fergie O’Loughlin have done wonderful things in their time at Lerrig – but Meyler comes back time and again to his home from home.

His latest spell on the side line in North Kerry has probably been the most special of the lot. Even more so than those early breakthrough days of the early part of the century.

This Munster and All Ireland journey has felt epic in scale and scope, as the green and gold of Kilmoyley broke one glass ceiling after another. In the end that final barrier could not be breached, but by god did Meyler’s men give it one hell of a rattle.

Even in defeat on Saturday evening to Naas, Kilmoyley did themselves, their parish and their county proud. Not to mention their manager.

“I’m extremely proud of what they’ve done and extremely proud of what they’ve achieved,” he said under the Hogan Stand.

“It’s been a long year and probably the worst day [weather wise] of all the hurling we’ve done this year with the wind and the rain and that, but it’s been a tremendous journey.

“There’s huge effort gone into it. There’s huge time gone into it, huge commitment gone into it and good luck to Naas they’re doing well and they’re competing.

“For a parish the size of Kilmoyley they’re really batting above their station really.”

That pride is what will remain strongest in the memory. The disappointment of the moment will be dulled by the passage of time, nevertheless it’s going to take a while for Kilmoyley to fully process what happened. For now the pain is too raw.

“It was a disappointing result,” Meyler continued.

“But there was probably ten minutes in the first half where they got three, four, five points ahead of us, which gave them the gap then. And, while we brought it back then, they were still capable of going up the field.

“Their support play was good, their physicality was good, you know. They’re a good side and we were there right at the bitter end, but we just needed something there right at the end and it was just choc ‘a bloc down at the bottom [Canal] end. That was it.

“The game was in the melting pot, but we just needed that and we probably ran out of a bit of steam in the few minutes there at the end. They had probably thirteen behind the ball and they broke a few times and they didn’t capitalise. They got one free there towards the end and he put it over.”

At half-time it wasn’t looking especially encouraging for Kilmoyley, down by four with the breeze in Naas’ favour for the second half, albeit that a late Daniel Collins free in the half gave a glimmer of hope again. 

“We were just calm at half-time and nice and steady,” Meyler said.

“Just get back into the game and we got back into the game bit-by-bit. The work rate went up and we got a few scores, but we just couldn’t make that extra [step].

“Ronan [Walsh] and Dáire [Nolan] then made a massive difference when they came in, they injected a bit of pace and Dáire got a good goal and got it back to one or two, but we just couldn’t get that levelling point.

“I think [Daniel] Collins had a free at point point down. I think Collins had a free and it was probably out too far and that’s it then.”

Had they pulled level at that stage, with all the momentum behind them, it really did feel like Kilmoyley would have gone on and won the game, which must be incredibly frustrating in its own right. 

“We would have won it. I know we would have won it,” Meyler maintained.

“But credit it due to Naas for blocking us out which they did and they broke a few times and they could have got a score down the top end, but that’s the way it is.”

A final word for the Kilmoyley supporters. It really was a parish on tour on Saturday, with Dublin painted almost literally green and gold for the club and its players. 

“The support in Kilmoyley has been fantastic,” Meyler enthused.

“Every house, there’s a flag on every house, every family are up there today so they deserve great credit for all that. They wanted us to win and we didn’t and that’s it.”

The scoreboard doesn’t lie as they say and it’s true Kilmoyley didn’t win the All Ireland, but Meyler and his players won plenty more along the way. Heroes all.