My Club: John O'Dwyer - Killenaule
My Club: John O'Dwyer - Killenaule
By Arthur Sullivan
In this week's My Club feature, the first of 2016, we talk to Tipperary All Star hurler John O'Dwyer about his club Killenaule in Tipperary.
Killenaule is a large civil parish in south Tipperary, and situated within its environs is a small town of the same name plus the three small villages of Moyglass, Ballinure and Ballynonty. Although the parish's physical size is considerable, their pick is relatively small, with just over 1,000 people living in the parish.
Killenaule is located just south of mid Tipperary, around 18km south of Thurles and 25km north of Clonmel. Killenaule GAA is a strong dual club, and while they are one of the few clubs in Tipperary to have senior status in both football and hurling, hurling is undeniably seen as the club's main focus.
The club has yet to win a senior Tipperary title in either football or hurling, but they have been successful at the south divisional level in both codes. The club have won 18 South Tipperary Hurling Championship titles, most recently in 2015, while they won South Tipperary football titles in 2012 and 2014, beating current Munster senior football club champions Clonmel Commercials in both those finals.
All but one of the club's players play both senior football and hurling for the club but according to O'Dwyer, football generally plays second fiddle to hurling once the hurling starts each season. However, Killenaule's football tradition is strong, particularly when one considers their impressive recent record against Clonmel Commercials.
Founded in 1885, the club are officially known as the Killenaule Robins and they play in red and yellow. O'Dywer and Kieran Bergin are the two current Tipperary senior players on the Killenaule panel, while the club have produced a number of senior All-Ireland winners in the past. Tom Ryan won All-Irelands with Tipperary in 1961 and 1962, while Donie O'Connell won All-Irelands in 1989 and 1991.
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John O'Dwyer's cousins Declan Fanning and Paul Shelly both played for Tipperary in the past. Fanning won an All-Ireland with Tipperary in 2010 while Shelly, an All Star in 1997, played on the Tipperary team that lost to Clare in the 1997 All-Ireland final. Other Killenaule men to have played for Tipperary in recent years include Gerry Kennedy, Pat Kerwick and John's cousin Joe O'Dwyer.
For more about Killenaule, visit the local community website
Killenaule's location in Co Tipperary
Q: Where exactly is Killenaule located?
A: We're in south Tipperary but we're kind of in the middle of everywhere. We're 15 minutes from Thurles, 20 minutes from Clonmel, half an hour from Kilkenny - a small little town that's bang in the middle of everything. We don't have that big of a pick so we just play with what we have. The parish is called Killenaule, and Moyglass, Ballynure and Ballynunty are there as well. It's those four places but it's mainly made up of Killenaule. Killenaule is a town, Moyglass is a village and Ballynure and Ballynunty are villages as well.
Q: That sounds quite big, having a town and three villages...
A: It's big enough. I think it's the sixth biggest parish in Tipperary. But even though the area is big, we don't have that big of a pick for hurling and football.
Q: Are you based in the South Tipperary division?
A: Yeah, we're in south for both football and hurling. South Tipperary is more of a football division but we mainly concentrate on hurling. We are right on the border with Mid Tipperary. We have ourselves and we're right on the border with Gortnahoe and then we have Thurles only 15 minutes up the road. We're on the border with the west as well so we really are in the middle of everything.
Q: Do you play both football and hurling?
A: I play both senior football and hurling with Killenaule. I think there are only four clubs in Tipperary that have senior status in both codes and we're one of them. It's a fair achievement but our main concentration is hurling. Then again, in the last four years we have won two South Tipperary football titles at senior level so that's been a big achievement for our club.
Q: In order to win those south titles, did you have to beat Clonmel Commercials, the current Munster senior football champions?
A: We did yeah. We beat them in two of the last three finals. Clonmel haven't beaten us in something like eight years at senior football level.
Charlie McGeever's Clonmel Commercials, whom Killenaule have beaten in two of the last three South Tipperary football finals
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Q: How is it that you have such a record against Clonmel and yet you haven't won a senior Tipperary football title?
A: I don't know. We can beat the likes of Clonmel but then we struggle with other teams. This year we didn't actually play Clonmel but Kilsheelan beat Clonmel in the semi-final and then we beat Kilsheelan to qualify for the last 12 of the county. Then Clonmel went on and won the county, the Munster and now have a right good shot of winning the All-Ireland. So we could consider ourselves to be up there as one of the top football teams in the county.
Q: Is it possible that the superior status of hurling at the club has blunted the football at key moments?
A: Yeah. Hurling is our number one and it always will be. But if we concentrated on football, we could give it a right good go. But our main concentration is hurling - we're a hurling club and we always have been. Just because we're in the south division doesn't mean that we're in a football club. If you look at Mullinahone, Mullinahone are in the south division but they are a hurling club. Ballingarry as well. So we consider ourselves a hurling club, but we give the football a right good go as well.
Q: Has the increased success of football in Tipperary - county underage success and the success of Clonmel - created any sense in Killenaule that the club should give more prominence to football?
A: I don't think so. The last four years, a clubmate of mine, Paddy Codd, has been captain of the senior football team so the football is strong. We always want to play football but hurling just happens to be the number one sport. I don't think that will change any time soon. But having said that, football is always preached as well. Early on in the year, it's all football as well. But when the hurling comes later on in the year, the football tends to be packed away.
Q: When did you first play senior hurling for Killenaule?
A: I first played senior hurling in 2008. I was only 16, in my second last year minor. We actually won the south final that year. My first match was a championship game against Ballingarry and I think I scored 1-2. Then we ended up playing them again in the final and I scored 1-6 in the final. That was a good start to the senior career, but there were a lot of experienced lads there when I first started out. When I first came on to the senior team at 16, I came on straight as freetaker and stuff like that, and there was a lot expected of me. But with so many senior players around me I had no other choice but to do it.
Kieran Bergin, O'Dywer's club and county teammate, in the Killenaule colours
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Q: Did you play senior football for the club at the same age?
A: I did play senior football for the club when I was 16 but then I didn't play it for two years before going back to it then. So I made my debut at 16 as well but football wasn't as prominent back then. We weren't winning as much and the teams in South Tipperary were stronger back then. Now we're older and a bit wiser so we're able to mix it with the big football teams in the county now.
Q: How do you manage your commitment to both codes during the season?
A: During the year, we don't train for football. If we had a championship match, we might train on the Tuesday or Friday in advance of it but that's all. We don't train for football really. Every footballer in the club playings hurling basically, except for one. His name is Eddie O'Brien. He trains with the hurlers and does his own football training - he just doesn't play hurling.
Q: How have you done in the Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship since you came on the senior panel?
A: We haven't gotten past the county quarter-final in the last few years. I think the last time we got to a county semi-final was in 2005, Drom and Inch beat us by two points after a great game. Since I came on the panel, we have won four south senior hurling titles but we haven't progressed past the county quarter-final stage. It's been tough because we would always set our sights at the start of the year on winning a south title and then propelling ourselves from there.
But in the last two years, the championship structure has changed. It's more based on the county series now so if you win your group you qualify for the last 16 and if you win your division, it's a bonus. But we've let ourselves down in the last couple of years, we haven't progressed past the quarter-final stage. The last time, Loughmore went on and won the county title, having beaten us in the quarter-final by two points. So we feel that's one we left behind.
Q: Have Killenaule had many Tipperary players over the years?
A: Well at the moment there's myself and Kieran Bergin. Then there's Declan Fanning, he's a cousin of mine, and he won an All-Ireland with Tipperary in 2010. He played for Tipp for years and he actually played football again. He's probably the best man to ever come out of our club and he was my hero when I was growing up. He was a fair leader and he eventually got to captain Killenaule to a south Tipperary title there two years ago. So he's a real inspiration to us all.
Years ago, Donie O'Connell won two All-Irelands with Tipp, Paul Shelly as well. Paul Shelly is another cousin of mine. That was a small bit before my time so I don't remember him playing really. He has been involved with the club recently enough but he's living away now so he isn't involved as much anymore.
Paul Shelly, John O'Dwyer's cousin, and an All Star for Tipperary in 1997
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I remember back in 2005, we had a south final against Ballingarry. We were losing and Paul came on and buried two goals for us and we won the game. He came on at full forward and completely changed the game for us. I remember that one clearly. Kieran Bergin was playing that same day, he was only 17 or 18, but he had a stormer that day - he was probably the best player on the field.
Q: Aside from your cousins Declan Fanning and Paul Shelly, what other family members of yours are associated with Killenaule?
A: My uncle Joe O'Dwyer played with Tipp minors and U21s and apparently he was a top class hurler. He was a bit injury-prone so he didn't last that long. Then my brother Niall hurled underage for Tipperary as well and he was called into the Tipperary senior panel when he was 19 or 20, but he went off to America in the end instead.
