Offaly hurling star in emotional tribute to late grandfather

ADAM Screeney's All-Ireland U-20 Hurling Championship medal occupies pride of place in their Blueball home alongside a Celtic Cross won by his grandfather sixty years ago.

Kilcormac man, Paddy Screeney was a panel member as Offaly won the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship in 1964. That win was instrumental in Offaly football's success story in the 1970s 1980s. Several members of that great team won All-Ireland senior football medals in 1971 and 1972 and their achievements inspired many of the young players who won a famous All-Ireland in 1982.

The late Paddy Screeney was not there in 1971 or 1972 but was a huge positive influence on the life of a young Adam.

Outstanding in the attack as Offaly performed brilliantly to win the All-Ireland U-20 hurling title for the first time, Screeney has a treasure chest of special memories from the year and the All-Ireland final win over Tipperary. One particularly poignant one, however, is the display of his All-Ireland medal at home alongside the one won by Paddy.

“For me, at a young age, my grandfather won a minor All-Ireland medal and we have it up on the mantelpiece at home.. For my whole career I really wanted to join him with a Celtic Cross. It’s really special that I was able to do that.”

A former Bord na Mona employee, Paddy Screeney died in 2015. A much loved individual with an endearing personality, his sporting passion was football while he also loved hurling - Kilcormac was mainly football territory during Paddy Screeney's career and hurling only took full primacy in the area after their 1987 amalgamation with Killoughey.

His grandfather was one of Adam's favourite people as he grew up and the respect he held him in his obvious by the way he spoke at the launch of the Leinster GAA  2024 Beko Club Champion in Croke Park on Wednesday - The Beko Club Champion accolade rewards and celebrates local GAA club heroes who go above and beyond to help their local community and club.

“I’m really delighted that I’m able to join him. He was a huge influence. Me and my granddad were inseparable. He was a huge influence on my career, under-8s, under-10s tournaments, he was there. He was the one who brought me to training. Really, he was living in my house from about nine o’clock in the morning when you wake up, he was there; then when you went to bed he went back home.

“When he passed, we got the (1964 All-Ireland) medal home. In fact, he lost his medal. We were lucky enough to apply and get another one. And we have it at home on the mantelpiece. I am delighted to be able to stick something beside it.”

While Paddy Screeney played mainly football, hurling has brought Adam Screeney to national prominence. His performances as Offaly won the All-Ireland U20 hurling has earned a fame normally restricted for senior stars.

He grinned: “I still haven't had a whole lot of time to reflect. We finished the county season and it was straight back into the club season and all you're concentration goes on to that. I suppose the time to reflect will be around November/December maybe. 

“But, no, when you think about it it's brilliant. The first time to do it ever in Offaly and we're all delighted.”

He knew that Offaly's win over Tipperary completed a proud collection of senior U-21-20 and minor All-Ireland titles in hurling and football but this wasn't a consideration before hand.

“I suppose it wasn't really a thought until after we had won and then everyone starts realising it then. Going into the game we were just sort of taking it as another game, another final that had to be won.”

Can Offaly compete in the Leinster SHC?

“Yeah, I suppose it's hard to know this early. Get back training now later on in the year. Yeah, we're delighted to be promoted after this year. Obviously it was a big task to come to Croke Park and beat Laois after being beaten by them in the first round. 

“In fairness there was great spirit around the group and we came and did the job here and got over Laois and now all eyes lead on to Liam McCarthy in 2025 and the Leinster Championship. I feel the Leinster Championship is very tight at the minute. There's nothing really between Kilkenny, Galway, Dublin, Wexford and then obviously you have Antrim as well. 

“Hopefully we will be able to get to grasp with them early enough and maybe push on.”

Offaly showed some encouraging form in the National Hurling League this year, drawing with Wexford though Screeney felt they threw away the two points there.

“A draw against Wexford and a disappointing draw really. We were sort of well on top and Wexford had 13 men so it was disappointing to draw with them. 

“That sort of shines a light of optimism in the group. But, no, we won't fear any team going in to the Leinster Championship and we'll go full hammer and tongs.”

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How do you manage the burden of expectations around your generation?

“I suppose for me anyway and a few of the lads I've been working with, we don't really feel any expectation, to be honest. I suppose it's really only what happens in the camp that matters. There's no-one in the camp going to blow you up or knock you down. So really we just concentrate on our own game. Go out and do what's best for the team and when it goes well it's good. We don't really listen to the outside, to be honest. We just try to keep our concentration on the camp. 

“I've seven or eight best friends from my club and school who are on the team with me and then I've another 25 who I met at 14 years of age and there's always been that bond there with the group. I could go to any one of them today with anything. Just from the start there was that bond with the group, we're all really good friends who all gel well together. 

“To be able to put on the jersey and hurl with them and then to win an All-Ireland is just incredible really.”

Do you feel ye have been on a mission together?

“Yeah. It was a mission. At U-14 we got to a Forristal Final and were beaten by Tipperary after a long weekend of hurling. From then on it was nearly a mission. Every year you came in there was a task to be done and we had to get there. Thank God we got there.”

Dan Ravenhill got injured this year. Are you conscious of looking after your long term health?

“Absolutely. Dan was unlucky this year, very unlucky, he would have been one of the pivotal roles in our senior and U-20 squad. It's great to see Dan back, in full fitness and in full flow. He got five or six points at the weekend against Belmont and getting the Man of the Match performance, it was great to see really that he's back in full flow and hurling well.”

What was Nowlan Park like for the All-Ireland U-20 hurling final?

“It was quite the experience really, it was probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Travelling down as I said, with that group of lads, with guards escorting you the whole way from Kilcormac to Kilkenny was savage and then walking in and seeing the crowds around Kilkenny. And then when you walk out on the field for a walk around before and the stadium is half packed, I don’t know would you get that anywhere else in the world at an underage event - I don’t think you would. It was really huge and it was really joyful just to be able to make the Offaly supporters who have been there for the last number of years and haven’t been successful to put a smile on their faces.”

What was the pressure like before it?

“I suppose again as I said I don’t really let the expectation get to me to be honest. And I think if I did I would be knocked down fairly quickly by the lads beside me. Yeah just concentrating again on the game and the tasks we had to get done. Another game and we had to get another win and that’s what happened thank God.”

And the scenes after it?

“No, the scenes after that game speak for themselves really, it was absolutely incredible. I suppose the build up of a lack of success in Offaly for a number of years, for a number of people and for them to be able to see success back in Offaly.. and maybe shine a light that there is something going to happen here was just huge and the emotions out on the field afterwards.”

Senior manager Johnny Kelly has said Offaly's priority next year has to be retaining status in the Leinster championship, rather than U-20. What is your opinion of that?

“ It was a difficult balance this year and both managements were well able to balance it well. We both achieved what we set out to do at the start of the under-20 year and what we set out to do with the senior year. So I don’t think there will be much of a problem. It will be as important to win underage titles as it will to stay up in the Leinster Championship next year and we will do ut utmost to do both.”

Is it tough to fit it all in?

“I don’t think it is fitting anything in with anything, it’s sort of when you are with the 20s you go flat out with the 20s and when you’re with the seniors you go flat out with the seniors.”

Two in a row would be a great achievement?

“Yeah I suppose, we won’t look that far ahead now, we will look to get through Leinster first and hopefully we might progress to the All-Ireland.“

And then it was back into the club scene with Kilcormac-Killoughey going so well and looking so good when beating St Rynagh's?

“I'm delighted to be back with the club and thank God we're going well. But as regards that game last Friday night (v St Rynagh's), I wouldn't look too much into that in the group stage. I suppose Rynagh's have won I don't know how many out of the last six titles, we've won one, last year. And we had none for six years before that. So really we're taking it match by match. Ye all know how hard it is to retain your county championship and it's going to be an absolutely huge effort from everyone in the group to try to do that this year but we'll just take it match by match.”

Why have do many come through from Kilcormac-Killoughey?

“I suppose, there’s maybe seven of us that are all best friends, grew up together, went to school together and hurled in school together so we were just lucky enough, I suppose, that that was that group’s first love and instead of going and doing different activities, going to the hurling field was what we liked to do and I’d rather be nowhere else than be on a hurling field with them lads, to be honest. In fairness, there is great underage work going on in Kilcormac/Killoughey at the minute from six the whole way up to minor. There’s as much of an emphasis on bringing through young players and it’s brilliant.”

Did Kilcormac-Killoughey's 2012 Offaly and Leinster breakthrough play a big role in your development?

“Yeah, well I suppose my idols really were that club team. I was around seven or eight when they started winning club titles and got to the All-Ireland then and you were that kid up at training, you and a few of the lads were that kid up at training, pucking out balls for them and gathering up cones for them, annoying them at every training. They were really an inspiration to everyone in the club at the time. They won the county title in 2012 and got to the All-Ireland and were unlucky here in Croke Park but then to go back it up, to win a county championship in ‘13 and ‘14 was really big for the club.

Can you see Offaly teams back out here at the back end of the championship, All-Ireland semi-finals and finals?

“Yeah, absolutely. I suppose there is a light of optimism there but I suppose with hard work and dedication and determination and the right lads around you, there’s definitely a chance. There’s no doubt that the hurlers are there. It’s really a full time commitment now to be an inter-county hurler so I have no doubt that with the emphasis on commitment we’ll be back there some time. “

Is there enough hurlers there at the moment for this to happen or do you need more underage teams emerging?

“At the minute, there is loads of hurlers in Offaly, even at senior level, and underage teams coming back will help. And also, there is always going to be a flow of hurlers in Offaly so I wouldn't worry too much about getting great teams winning the whole time. It is just a flow of hurlers we want.

You were in quicker than normal for now when you first played senior for Offaly. How did you find the step up, what was the big difference for you?

“I played my first game in the league against Wexford and then the big one, I started against Kilkenny. It was really that day that I realised it was a huge step up from under 20. Which made it easier, there were a couple of lads in the same boat as me, 19-20, and learning the same way. There is no other way to learn but experience on the field. Speed of hurling and the physicality that is in the game now, you will really only know it with experience.

“When you are watching it out on TV or live, you sort of see it but everyone is up to the pace, so you can't really see. There is no real dip in standards. Then when you go out yourself, you realise how tough it is and how hard it is to really be out there.”

You have got some wonderful points from acute angles out on the wing. Was that a feature of your game growing up?

“To be honest, it is not really something you practice. It is luck really at the time. If it goes wide, you are in a lot of bother, lads out the field are shouting why are you shooting from the corner flag. Sometimes, there was no other option, it was just nearly hit and hope and lucky enough it went over or I'd have a couple of lads shouting in at me.

Did any coaches try and knock that out of you at any point?

“They do. They wouldn't say exactly, stop shooting from the corner flag but they say, get to your shooting zone. You don't want to be making the angle that tight for yourself. It is not something you do every day and every game. It is sort of when you are stuck and nothing else to do.

“If it goes over, it is brilliant, but if it goes wide, it is a bit ridiculous.”