At corner-back Darren Hickey snuffed out every opportunity that came his way as Kilmurry Ibrickane claimed their fourteenth Clare SFC title on Sunday.
Hickey may not have been the man starting moves for his side directly but by making vital interceptions and getting a touch in here and there he firstly stopped Cratloe’s attacks and by turning over possession the twenty seven year old was winning back the ball for the Bricks and indirectly beginning their assaults.
Speaking to The Clare Herald Darren revealed he and his fellow members of the full-back line were not too happy with their performances in the drawn game and they wanted to set the record straight this time round.
“We felt we didn’t do ourselves justice in the first game, our full-back line we thought we were in awful trouble after the first game and that was one thing we wanted to set straight today and thankfully we did we upped it big time”.
On the field Kilmurry Ibrickane were lifted by their supporters situated all over Cusack Park, after the final whistle those same followers who drove them on. “You can see what it means to us, they say four years isn’t a long time by god it is a long time, you could see out there today the supporters every score it was like a goal”.
Winning titles is always a treat but for Hickey few can compare with club championships. He lined out alongside his brothers Shane and Niall, it was family he congregated with in the moments after Pat Cosgrave’s final whistle but in reality there is a bond between the whole panel that is hard to match.
“Every player on this team they’re all like brothers to me every single one of them, you can see what it means at the end of the game there’s nothing like winning with your best friends, nothing like it”.
Up next they face Dr Crokes at 1pm on Sunday in Quilty, for now they will enjoy their success as over the years they have realised that days like this are worth savouring. “We’re going to celebrate this one, we didn’t celebrate them when we did win them they came around to us a bit easy but not this one it didn’t come too easy and I tell you one thing we’re going to celebrate this one but yet we’ll keep Crokes in mind for down the road”.