FERMANAGH hurling manager Séamus McCusker believes his team’s success in last Saturday’s Lory Meagher final should have ensured automatic promotion to the Nicky Rackard Cup.
Instead, they are facing the prospect of a winner-takes-all play-off against Louth in Breffni Park this Saturday. McCusker admits the situation isn’t ideal coming off the back of their success against Sligo at Croke Park, where they prevailed by 3-16 to 1-17.
He said: “I don’t agree that we have to play it, but that’s what the powers that be say and I’m totally against it.
“As you can imagine, with an All-Ireland title coming to Fermanagh, there were plenty of celebrations, so it’s not an ideal preparation. In the National League, we were bottom of Division 3A, we were demoted without getting a second bite of the cherry, so I think the same rules should apply in the Championship.
He added: “We also picked up a few injuries, Brian McLaughlin is injured, he’s doubtful for Saturday, but in saying that Kevin McGarry will be returning.”
However, one thing this Fermanagh team doesn’t lack is spirit – they scored the last three points against Sligo despite finishing the match with 12 men, after three were sent-off in the second half, two for second yellows.
McCusker said: “The character of the lads on Saturday was absolutely fantastic, there wasn’t a man that didn’t try his best.
“There are 30 on the panel and I was told over the five Championship games every one of them featured, so it really was a team effort.”
Fermanagh happened to lose the 2012 and '14 Lory Meagher Cup finals, and it was a case of third time’s a charm for the Erne county. Last year’s defeat in particular was fresh in their minds, according to McCusker.
“We’d all been there in 2014 in the exact same changing room – the only thing we wanted was a different result,” he said.
Another undoubted motivation was to remember their former team-mate Shane Mulholland, who tragically died in a road accident in April. A specially commissioned jersey was designed for the final – ‘uallach,’ an Irish term for proud, was added to the back of each jersey, along with a red shamrock.
“Young David McGorman, a Lisnaskea hurler, designed it and we’re very proud of that fact, he did fantastic work,” said McCusker.
“We got permission from Croke Park to retire the number two jersey that Shane had worn and it’s something we hope the family will appreciate. I’m not sure whether we’ll be wearing it this Saturday or not, we’ll leave that to the kit man to sort out – Shane will be in our hearts either way.”
Along with joint-manager Seán Duffy, McCusker played the last time Fermanagh won an All-Ireland – a victory at junior level in 1994 – so he recognises the lift Saturday’s triumph will give Fermanagh hurling.
“It’s a fantastic boost, especially to our own club Lisbellaw, there are a lot of young fellas in the background and they’re the future of Fermanagh hurling.
“It’s a huge lift to know that even though the hurling fraternity is small in the county we can reach big heights. Seán and I are delighted to be part of it – it’s not often teams win an All-Ireland, especially the weaker counties.”
