Kilkenny SHC- O’Loughlin Gaels go into championship in confident mood

For the first time since 2017, O’Loughlin Gaels head into a championship season as senior county champions and they will be tested from the off when they meet city neighbours Dicksboro in the Park on Sunday.

O’Loughlins have been relentless thus far in 2024 with five emphatic league wins coming before they added the overall title to their mantelpiece when having 15 points to spare over Tullaroan.

They go into this weekend’s bumper clash with huge confidence according to captain Mark Bergin.

“It gives us a bit of confidence knowing we are reigning county champions but after the club All-Ireland defeat we really drew a line in the sand on the 2023 season,” he said. “We said 2024 is here now and we are after training very hard as have every other club.

“The league went well for us but we are well aware that the league is the league - the championship is a very different beast.

“We’re like every other club at this stage as we are really looking forward to getting going in knockout hurling.”

O’Loughlins were unlucky to lose out to St Thomas of Galway in last January’s All-Ireland club final and Bergin adds that they have put last season on the backburner.

The St John’s Park outfit will be hoping to capture back to back county titles for the first time in their club history but, starting on Sunday, they know what a task it will be to get there at the end of October.

“We’ve parked everything from last year as you kind of have to, but it’s still important to learn from it,” he said.

“The experience that we got in representing Kilkenny and going on to the All-Ireland series was absolutely huge but we know just how difficult it is to go and win a Kilkenny championship let alone retain it.

“Ballyhale are the club that have done it time and time again and I’m not so sure if other club has, apart from maybe James Stephens in the 2000s, in recent times.

“It’s just such a difficult championship to win and we are firmly focussed on what lays ahead of us,” the primary school teacher continued.

One big change for O’Loughlins this term has been the addition of Kerry hurler Fionan Mackessy.

Based on his six points from play last weekend, he looks primed for a big championship impact.

“First and foremost outside of the pitch, things are going well for him and that’s hugely important as it’s been a big move for him.

“From his own personal viewpoint he is now working and living in the area and got going in understanding the culture of our club which is absolutely huge.

“He’s really enjoyed his time so far here and on the pitch he has been very good.

“He’s also training extremely hard as I think he realises just how difficult it is to perform at a high level in Kilkenny and he has to earn that as well.

“He’s doing all that in training at the moment and he seems to really be enjoying the atmosphere of just how intense Kilkenny hurling can be so he’s doing very well for us and we are absolutely thrilled to have him on board as he’s fitted in really well into our group.”

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