Dec 16,2024
Niall Ó Ceallacháinn is happy to manage the workload of preparing Na Fianna for the All-Ireland Club Hurling Championship final as well as the start of the inter-county season with Dublin.
Ó Ceallacháinn saw his club side progress to a national decider for the first time, taking the lead late in the game to win by a single point.
The new Dubs boss is also preparing for the inter-county season in January but first he will take charge of Na Fianna as they meet Sarsfields in mid-January.
"It's about the wider set up. It's the same with the inter-county set up. The next few weeks will be busy but it's a privilege.
"It's just brilliant for the club and from where we have come from. For any club around the country, it's your dream. It's a great occasion."
Ó Ceallacháinn was not content with his side's performance in reaching the final, feeling they were far from their best.
He felt they were fortunate to be within touching distance of Loughrea going into the crunch part of the match.
"We will enjoy the next day or two. We will be knuckling down because that wasn't good enough today. We have a lot of work to do over the next couple of weeks.
"Games like that, needless to say it was a rollercoaster. It could have gone either way. I'm really proud of our lads how they stood up in the second half with the character and leadership shown. You would just be very, very proud of them.
"We didn't hurl in the first half. I thought we were fortunate to be in the game at the end of the first half. They were at the pace of it immediately and we weren't. They had a few wides that kept us in it and we got a couple of big scores to keep us in it and alive
"In the second half I thought we really stepped up. Our workrate went up, our work out of possession and our competitiveness went up. The lads had a proper crack off it. I felt for 10 or 12 minutes we were going to get level but we just didn't get it.
"There was no throwing the toys out of the pram at half-time."
"We got back to a point two or three times and I thought we were there. It felt it was coming and it eventually did. So often at the top level it comes down to the final few minutes and doing the right thing. The leadership and maturity shown makes me really proud.
"There was no throwing the toys out of the pram at half-time. The players know well. Any little fixes we did, they came up with them, they knew what was going well and what wasn't. They made a promise at half-time they would leave nothing behind. We can complicate these things but that is what competitive sport is all about."
Player of the match Colin Currie scored 0-10 of the Na Fianna 0-17 total and was thrilled to reach the final.
He explained: "I think this team probably used to be built a lot more on skill and talent, but the last two years have been built on grit and determination.
"So when things weren't going well, we didn't panic. We know we have it in us to grind out the result and just get one point closer and closer. And once it comes to the end, we have huge belief in ourselves to get over the line.
"I love hitting the frees. I love having that responsibility because you want to be playing in games like this when it means something.I really enjoy it.
"It felt like we were always chasing the game and to just sneak over the line is just an unbelievable feeling. I don't think it's really sunk in yet, but just delighted to be in another final."
