Kavanagh under no illusions about threat Shinrone pose to K-K 3 in a row ambitions

CONSIDERING his youth, just out of U20 ranks, Brecon Kavanagh's experience is considerable. One of a golden generation of Kilcormac-Killoughey hurler, he will play in his third Senior Hurling Championship final against Shinrone on Sunday next.

Aiming for his third medal in a row, Kavanagh was still a minor, watching on from the stand as Shinrone staged a sensational hit and run ambush to deny them in the 2022 final.

He remembers the upset as it became evident during the second half that Shinrone had an unstoppable head of steam built up and were going to capture their first title. “We were very upset looking on and I suppose they taught us a lesson. We probably didn't go in with the right head space and they took us apart. It didn't go well for us that day.”

A handful of K-K players played in the desperately unlucky 2022 All-Ireland minor final loss to Tipperary, Kavanagh and Adam Screeney were the two parachuted straight out of that onto the K-K team.

He noticed the difference in physicality straight away, the hits that bit harder but the regulars on the K-K team looked after them. “I remember my first game against Kinnitty and Damian Kilmartin wished me the best of luck and patted me on the back. That meant so much to me.”

K-K sorted Shinrone out in the 2023 final, banishing the trauma of the 2022 loss and Kavanagh smiled: “Any day you win a county final is a special day. They don't come around too often and when they do you want to make the most of them.”

As a county panelist, the commitment is now relentless for Kavanagh, almost year round but he is taking it in his stride. “It would be hard if you didn't enjoy it but we are enjoying it at the minute so we are not going to complain too much. We don't mind the training, we just love it.”

He is doing an apprenticeship in wood manufacturing and living at home which makes the training easier, he remarked.

Kavanagh certainly shouldn't be making strange with the whole county final experience on Sunday.
“You are always going to have that bit of nerves because it is such a huge day. You try not to think about it too much but you have to think about the game a bit. It is going to be a huge battle and could go either way.”

K-K made an important step forward when reaching the Leinster club final last year, losing to Na Fianna of Dublin. He agreed it was important to make progress at this level.

"When you go out of Offaly you want to do well and represent the county as best as you can. You are playing against tough teams, no more than in Offaly, and it is really hard to progress but we had a good run last year and we were disappointed to lose the final.”

He has heard the talk about K-K's potential but ignores it.

“We take it one game at a time. The Offaly league and championship is so competitive. If you are not on you're game, you are going to be beaten. We stay away from that talk. Of course there is going to be talk but we don't let it get to us. There is so many good teams in Offaly and if you are off radar for one second, you are going to be out of the championship and feeling sorry for yourself.”

There was a lot of furore in K-K at the end of last season when local man Shane Hand was replaced as manager. Kavanagh kept his head down during it all.

“We are just here to hurl and didn't get into that. We are just here to do our best for the club.”

A natural centre back, Kavanagh has went to the wing since Cillian Kiely got back on the team. He prefers centre back and is most familiar with it but is happy to stand aside for Kiely at this stage. “I really enjoy the position but when you have a player like Cillian Kiely coming in, you are not going to push him aside. I'd like to get into centre back but I am just happy to be on the team.”

Kavanagh agreed that K-K's form has been up and down this year but pointed out:

“It is the level of opposition we were playing. Birr were never going to give us anything easy, they are a proud club and we were just happy to get the right side of the result.”

He feels the Birrr game will bring them on. “It was extremely tough, hard on the body. They were not going to lie down in any way.”

He agreed that K-K were stretched with injuries early in the year. “It is hard when you are missing those quality of hurlers. We are just lucky we have the depth we have. The other side is if you are not on you're game, someone is pushing to take you're spot. You have to be on your guard.”

He doesn't mind where the final is played. “I suppose we really like Tullamore and it is a big, wide open field and probably suits us but we liked Birr when we were there too. We don't mind.”

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K-K have a great rivalry with Shinrone now, winning and losing a county final to them, beating them in the league final and drawing in the championship this year.

“I would imagine the final won't be any different to them, it will be a very close game.”