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Hurling

hurling

Neil Cole preparing for three Meath deciders this weekend

The Trim players and management pictured with members of the juvenile section in the club recently.

The Trim players and management pictured with members of the juvenile section in the club recently.

By Cian O’Connell

A busy weekend awaits for Neil Cole, who will be involved in three Meath County Hurling Finals. Cole is a panelist for Trim’s junior decider against Ratoath on Saturday and manages the club in the minor and senior showpieces on Sunday.

Kiltale are eager to secure a fifth title on the spin in the main event, while the curtain raiser with Kilyon/Longwood also promises to be interesting. Cole, who a significant servant to the Rathmolyon club during his own playing career, has resided in Trim for 18 years and two of his sons will feature in the upcoming minor encounter.

It promises to be a hectic 24 hours for Cole. “Three County Finals, with the junior I will be on the line as a sub maybe, I probably won't start, I don't know, I will be helping them out,” Cole says.

“We all train together juniors and seniors, I train them all together, but I don't manage the junior team. That is on Saturday and then we have the minor and the senior on Sunday. It is a great place to be.

“Two of my sons are playing on Sunday. It is calm enough at home, we aren't really talking about it, you don't want to build yourself up too much. They are ready to go when needs be.”

That match, though, will be a reward for a decade of hard graft with the Trim minors for Cole, who enjoyed some special days with his native outfit Rathmolyon.

“We won three counties, I played with Rathmolyon until four or five years ago,” Cole recalls. “We won three Senior Championships and I captained the team to an Intermediate in 2012 with Rathmolyon. I'm living in Trim since 2000 so I have trained this minor group since they were Under 7s.”

Trim are the second highest winners of the Meath Senior title, but haven’t sampled glory since 2001 so they have invested heavily in youth.

Cole is in his second campaign in charge and stresses the importance of integrating promising young talent into the set-up. “I was brought in because it was never going to be a quickfire win something this year in the first year in, it was more about developing the lads we have brought through myself and two other lads,” Cole says.

“We have brought them from underage and we hope to filter them in over the next couple of years. There is a big tradition in the club, but it just hasn't happened for one reason or another. Hopefully we are going in the right direction now.

“I'm involved in three age groups from 17s, 16s, and 15s. I have brought all of them up from Under 7s so basically over the last 10 years we have won A titles at every age group.

“Within that three year group we have won the A titles at 12s, 13s, 14s, 15s, 16s. So we are probably regarded as one of the stronger teams in the county in them three age groups at least.

The Trim senior hurlers will make their first appearance in a Meath County Final since 2014 on Sunday.

The Trim senior hurlers will make their first appearance in a Meath County Final since 2014 on Sunday.

“The eldest lad with the seniors is 30, I think, Tommy Farrell. From there down you have a few at 24 or 25 and maybe five or six of them that are still Under 20 or 21 so it is a good time for them.”

Kiltale have set a decent standard in Meath according to Cole. “That is exactly it, they are going for five in a row, they are well experienced not only in the county, but in Leinster,” Cole adds.

“They have been pushing for Leinster titles every year nearly so they have everything it takes to win a Championship.

“Last year we didn't even get to a quarter-final, but we pushed on this year and we are getting lads back. It has rolled over for us into a place we are delighted to be in. Getting there is one thing, finishing it off is another.”

In 17 years Trim have only contested two senior finals so there is a sense of anticipation once more according to Cole.

“They see it, within the town this week and last week since we won the semi-final there has been a great buzz,” Cole admits.

“Everyone is talking about it. You can see all the flags and everything up around the town. People who mightn't even have been interested in hurling are seeing three county finals so they believe that something good is going on here.

“They are enquiring and are interested, saying they are going and these are people you wouldn't see at a match at all. It is great.”

The vast majority of the Trim panel are dual players which has been facilitated due to a good working relationship with former Meath goalkeeper Brendan Murphy, who is in charge of the senior footballers in the club.

“To be honest I don't think we would be here without the co-operation of both of us,” Cole explains. “We are looking after lads, we have great communication, and we would be on the phone to each other every Monday morning to see what the plan is for the week. Working it out between us is key to it.

“There is probably maybe four or five of the first 20 that play one. So you'd have three quarters playing both.

“Communication is vital to be minding the lads, not only for them being wrecked, but in case they pick up injuries if you aren't looking after them.

James Toher, an inter-county hurler with Meath, remains a key figure for Trim.

James Toher, an inter-county hurler with Meath, remains a key figure for Trim.

“Everyone wants them everywhere, but as long as you monitor it to have them only training a certain number of nights a week and then at the weekend we seem to manage it well between us. That is my take on it.”

Cole was also in charge of the Meath minor hurlers in 2018 so it has been a hectic, but enjoyable spell on the sidelines. “Yeah, for my sins, I was looking after the Meath minors as well,” Cole laughs.

“We had a good group of lads, but we got bet by Offaly in the first game and that was probably the best game we played. We got caught on the hop once or twice, we got beat by Antrim even though they had a lad sent off, we should have won it.

“Overall it wasn't a good campaign, we probably should have done a bit better, but there was a few drawn towards the football that didn't play the hurling.

“Maybe two or three lads that would be in your starting 15 or top 10 in the county and you didn't have them because of the football. But you see where the football went, they went well in the football, so you can't argue really.”

Cole, though, remains optimistic about the future of hurling in Meath and praises the County Board for making a sustained effort.

“It is hard in Meath hurling no matter what because it is predominantly football a lot of focus is on the football, but in fairness to the Meath County Board they have levelled it over the past number of years and there is more input into the hurling, especially underage with development and coaching,” Cole remarks.

“More clubs have Development Officers as well, there is a big push on. I'm an engineer working around the country and people you'd be meeting you'd end up talking about hurling which is a great thing.

“People would be saying Meath don't hurl, but they don't realise Meath has 12 senior clubs, 10 intermediate, and so many juniors as well.”

Cole believes encouraging evidence can be found on the playing pitches around Meath with the quality of underage games improving.

“I think it is because if you even go to our own pitch on Sunday mornings it is full with kids,” Cole states. “You have every age group going on from 7s, 8s, and 10s. Asbourne, Rathoath, the big towns are all getting huge numbers and with the population increasing and more investment and time put into hurling it is definitely going to improve.”

Cole will be a figure worth monitoring at Pairc Tailteann throughout the weekend with important County Finals arriving thick and fast for Trim.