By Cian O’Connell

Bringing positivity and a sense of purpose is Olcan Conway’s approach. So that is why reaching the Allianz Hurling League Division 3B decider against Sligo matters to Leitrim.

It is another encouraging sign maintaining an upward trajectory. Carrick’s AIB Connacht Junior Club triumph in 2018 brought satisfaction with Conway in charge of that team.

Then last year Leitrim earned Lory Meagher Cup glory at Croke Park. Conway was appointed as Leitrim senior manager and is delighted with the response so far.

“Leitrim always had very good hurlers,” Conway remarks. “In my time when I came here you could see that there was always a bit of talent there.

“Obviously in terms of the club base we would love to have more clubs hurling in Leitrim. Unfortunately we just don't have it there at the minute.

“It is something going forward that if there is enough interest built by county teams and club teams other people will want to start up their own club too. You might get a club to rejuvenate or restart again.

“Definitely the interest in hurling is picking up in Leitrim. When people see you winning matches and winning Connacht titles, winning Lory Meaghers, and competing in League Finals, parents start to take notice and think they must bring the young fella out to that.

“It definitely tweaks the interest. It is about trying to keep that curve going up the way, to keep building upon past successes and moving forward. That is the overall hurling plan in Leitrim. We really are all trying very hard to keep it going and keep progressing.”

Conway knows what is required, but one thing he isn’t into is excuses. Two adult clubs hurl in Leitrim presently, but that won’t be tolerated as a reason for defeat. In fact Conway stresses the desire that exists for the game in pockets of Leitrim.

“Everyone who is a hurler in Leitrim wants to play for Leitrim,” Conway states. “I've said this on numerous occasions, even though the Championship for the last few years has only been Carrick versus Manorhamilton.

“I would defy any county or any county final to have as much intensity and passion on a county final day as those two teams going at each other. The intensity, skill, and passion that goes into one match in a county final, it is a joy to behold sometimes. They really are fantastic matches to watch.

“After that they all have to club together with the county. Differences are all put to the side for six or eight months, whatever it is. They all come together to try to do their best for the county.

“When that is over I'd be saying to both sets of players off you go and go at each other for a couple of months, to see who comes out on top in the county final. After that we are all hopefully back together - if I'm still there - to start working towards next year.”

Many valuable lessons were learned by Conway when he was over Carrick, who completed a three in a row in 2019. Carrick travelled the region getting games. “We entered the Sligo League, we run a cross county league of our own,” Conway explains.

“For example we had the Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, and Longford champions all in it with six or seven managers organising their own league. I think we played more competitive matches than the football clubs last year. The onus is on the club to go to get the matches, I've always said that. There is no point in crying just because we are in Leitrim.

“If you want matches you go out to organise leagues and enter leagues, enter competitions, to get the matches you want. When you have three in Longford, a couple from Cavan, Sligo, and Leitrim you get a very competitive league.

“Every match is very competitive, there is very little in any of them. It is a great league. Carrick hurling won it two years in a row, we were fit to use it to build and to get our Connacht success at the time.

“That was the catalyst, the league at the time helped us go forward for the Connacht Championship. I would never complain about the two clubs or anything, the two clubs know the score. You go out organise your own matches, simple as that.”

Such a pragmatic attitude is helpful, but challenges exist. Leitrim were under duress at the outset of the League, but two victories and a gutsy display against Sligo in the group stages augurs well.

“We are very happy to get to the final because we had a very slow start,” Conway reflects. “We started way behind the rest of the counties, we didn't really get going until the start of January. The rest of the counties around our level were all getting together in November and December.

“All we really had was a few trials in December to see if we had any new players we could bring into the panel, to look at a few different options. We didn't really get going until the first or second week of January. Then we had our first game against Fermanagh, we didn't play particularly well that day.

“Since then we have knuckled down, we had a bit of a break between the Fermanagh and the Cavan game which actually was a huge advantage to us. We got a couple of weeks tough training in between the games, we beat Cavan and sort of built from there.

“Sligo are a slick outfit, they are very well coached and managed. They are working with a base of six or seven clubs in Sligo, while we are working with a base of two clubs in Leitrim.

“They are a very good, shrewd hurling outfit and probably shouldn't be down at this level. They are in the Christy Ring this year so they are trying very hard to get out of this Division, no more than ourselves. We want to get out, to keep building on our Lory Meagher success.”

Only two designated players from outside the county are currently in the Leitrim panel, but the reaction has been great from those ready, willing, and able to answer Conway’s call.

“We had 50 lads at our trials before Christmas which for Leitrim is huge numbers,” Conway admits. “We had to whittle the panel down, to go with what we thought at the time was best. We had a few big retirements last year, some of the best hurlers in the county retired after the Lory Meagher success.

“We have a group of young lads coming through, they are very hungry to be successful and to replicate what other lads have done before. So we have just kept our heads down working very hard for the last six or eight weeks, to focus solely on our hurling and to develop ourselves, we want to get better.”

Conway isn’t getting carried away, but there is a growing belief that Leitrim are moving in the right direction.

“It is early days, the first few weeks were chaotic,” Conway says honestly. “There is no point in saying otherwise. My appointment wasn't until mid December so I had to organise trial matches, pitches, physios. Everything that went into the first month or so was just mental.

“Once all of that was done everything did settle down and we got into a routine. It has been very difficult to train with the weather, everybody is looking for pitches. We have worked around it and worked as best we can. It is paying dividends. The lads are buying into what we are trying to do, they really are training hard."