ULSTER opposition for the second time in four days for Eamonn Fitzmaurice in Abbotstown today.
After Kerry losing their final Allianz League game for the year up in Omagh against Tyrone on Sunday, Fitzmaurice guides Pobalscoil Corcha, Dhuibhne into another Hogan Cup semi-final, the school’s third in five years.
St Ronan's of Lurgan are new opposition for the two-time Hogan Cup-winning school.
The 2014 All-Ireland winning manager acknowledges the benefit major sporting success can have on a school in its early years and in one way would like to be in St Ronan's shoes.
“I know from our own football success and the success our girls have had in basketball it does go a long way at the start towards giving you an identity and an aspiration for others to want to come to the school then when they reach Post-Primary level.
“While we have had the chance to see St Ronan's in competitive action a part of me would prefer to be heading into this in their situation with having massive momentum from a win like a MacRory Cup final and be playing your All-Ireland semi-final a week and a half later,” the Pobalscoil Corcha, Dhuibhne manager said.
But one thing that has irked Fitzmaurice however is the fixing of today’s game for Abbotstown in Dublin, a venue he considers not to be halfway between the two sides.
“It’s certainly not halfway between both sides like the other semi-Final between a Mayo and Kildare School being played in Roscommon is,'' he stated.
“We have a five-hour journey while Lurgan is only 90 minutes from Abbotstown with the road network in that part of the country.
“I found it strange personally that it was fixed at Abbotstown before any of the competing sides were known as you would feel that Portlaoise or another venue in the Midlands would be of a similar distance to both.
“It will almost certainly require us to have an overnight with the distance involved especially in stopping having to have some of the players getting up at 6am in the morning from home in West Kerry.
“I have no issue with Abbotstown as a facility though as we have used it with Kerry for warming up for games when we are up that part of the country.”
One bonus for Pobalscoil however is that after missing their provincial campaign, Criostóir Ó Catháin is eligible for selection as
All-Ireland Minor-winning goalkeeper from last year with Kerry, Deividas Uosis, will be featuring outfield for his school today.
Pobalscoil contain the bulk of the team who defeated St Patrick's, Maghera in last year’s gripping Paul McGirr Cup final.
Fitzmaurice is looking for improvement if the school are to reach another major All-Ireland schools decider.
“We started very poorly in the game against Tralee CBS in the Munster final and I think the fact it was our first game in five weeks probably showed that day.
“Bottom line is we need to improve each time if we are to go further and that speaks volumes when it comes to this Hogan Cup semi-final now.”
