They completely rocked the Leinster championship, and now Mount Leinster Rangers are just one more performance away from the main stage. Such a meteoric rise from complete unknowns to headline act is not easily explained
but Edward Coady tries to make sense of it all.
He’s one of four Coady brothers on the team – along with John, Richard, and Paul – and at age 35 the natural front man. Still, the first thing Coady does is pay tribute to the small band of supporters who stuck by them long before they become the first Carlow club to win a Leinster club hurling title, last December, beating some major names game along the way.
"I remember with 10 minutes to go, there was a serious momentum behind us, and the crowd in Nowlan Park that day was unbelievable," says Coady, recalling their shock final victory over Wexford champions Oulart-the-Ballagh. "Nowlan Park is quite a little cauldron in itself, and we had a massive support, and they were unbelievable.
Neutral support
"We had a lot of neutral support I think as well on the day, and the atmosphere from the stand and that vibe came definitely in the last ten minutes – it was like we were standing six inches taller."
Not men now but giants – although in Saturday’s All-Ireland semi-final at Newry they face the giants of Antrim club hurling, Loughgiel Shamrocks, who won this title outright on St Patrick’s Day 2012.
What drives Mount Leinster Rangers is the thought this chance won’t easily come again, even if they have quickly established themselves as one of the most impressive club hurling teams in Leinster, just a year after winning an All-Ireland intermediate title – the club itself only established in 1987.
“It’s another new venture for us,” says Coady. “Loughgiel will be very aware of what they need to do, and when they needed to train to peak for semi-final day. But our management team are shrewd enough. We’ve had a couple of good challenge games, but when you’re in the last four, you’re really in uncharted territory. So I suppose no matter who we were playing, we’d have prepared the same way.
“We’re kind of the poor relation coming in, but we won’t worry about that. Sixty minutes is all it takes, and if we can perform like we did in the Leinster semi-final or final, for those 60 minutes, who knows.
“Maybe the pressure will be on Loughgiel but we’ll put pressure on ourselves too. You have to back yourself in any game, whether it’s first round of Carlow championship or the Leinster final. You have to be in the right mindset going on to the field. So we’ll back each other to the hilt, definitely.”
That team spirit and morale they possess is not easily broken – especially as they came from lowly beginnings.
"The other thing is that we're learning from defeats," says Coady, "and I guess that's a testament to teams that actually are successful, that they do learn from hardship in previous years. We've a very good balance in our team at the moment, a lot of young lads coming in who just know nothing but success, and a lot of older guys who know a lot of heartache. You try to marry the two of them, and maybe you get that hardness you need to win these types of hard games."
The memory
Whatever happens this weekend it's safe to say their Leinster championship exploits will live long in the memory.
“The outpouring of emotion that day is difficult to explain. We were the underdog, the bridesmaid, whatever. It has sunk it to some degree, but the competition is still live, not over yet. So you enjoy it for the club, the family, but as players we have something else to play for still. I think guys realise that these opportunities don’t come around every day.”
What their opponents have quickly realised too is Mount Leinster Rangers don’t just play off passion, but tactical awareness too – their short puck outs worked a treat against Oulart-the-Ballagh.
“Yeah, but that can only come to fruition with ability. If we don’t have a goalkeeper that can’t puck out short there is no point. It would break down, and make you look like an eejit. So we have that ability, good half backs. And if that doesn’t work you need plan B. But even tactically you can’t win games without fierce intensity. That is key.
“And maybe teams probably do half-underestimate us, but look that’s not our fault. We just know this is our chance to make Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day, where every club hurler wants to be, and growing up aspires to be.”
The main stage awaits with great interest.
