Kerry's troubled times fuelling Kearney's hunger to make her mark
Against Pic: Deirdre Cork Of In O'leary Of ©inpho/natasha Kerry Kearney Barton Action Sadhbh
WHEN Kerry joint managers Declan Quill and Darragh Long sat down at the start of the year they needed to find a replacement retired centre-back Emma Costello, a position that had troubled Kerry down the years and a position that needed a lion hearted, fearless and dominant figure.
Their first thought was to move outstanding full-back Kayleigh Cronin to the pivotal position and give Deirdre Kearney from the Na Gaeil club, who had not played in 2023, a shot at the number three slot.
Kerry beat Dublin by five points in their league opener and Kearney and Cronin did well. But there was also a feeling that the switch might be a case of “robbing Peter to pay Paul”. By the time Kerry beat Cork to claim a first Munster title for seven years, Kearneywas at six and Cronin was back at the edge of the square.
Remarkably Kearney was playing in her first Munster final since lining out at right half-back in 2018 for a Kerry side pummelled by Cork, 5-13 to 2-10. That was Kerry’s annus horribilis, bringing relegation from Division 1. Manager Graham Shine stepped down in April, Eddie Sheehy of Na Gaeil took the team for the Championship and though they maintained their senior status, Kerry lost in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
Kearney was just 23, a newly qualified physiotherapist, and already fed up with football and the madness around the Kerry set up. That November she decided to travel and headed for New Zealand.
“It was great to come back in at end of last season, compared to when I was last playing we were relegated and lots of other things happened, it was not a great place to be,” said Kearney now.
“I went to New Zealand for just over two years and then on to Australia. It was a great experience that time. I got to do a lot of fun things, got to see a lot of new places, meet a lot of new friends.
“When I left we had just gotten relegated and I suppose just the whole setup... getting people in committing to it. Management had changed in the middle of season, it was just quite broken up the whole year.
“I got to play football when I was away, I got to play in different places in Australia and New Zealand.”
Seeing Kerry back in All-Ireland finals reawakened something.
“Watching them in that All-Ireland final, and you kind of realise what’s happening at home and it kind of hits a bit more when you see that.
“And then when they’re losing and you’re thinking, God, I’d love to be able to contribute to something like that. So when I had done my stint travelling, then I came back just playing club football again and was very fortunate just to get the call to come back in and I think at that stage I probably really appreciated it.
“To be lucky enough to get that call and be back in such a great set up, I knew I wasn’t going to give it any half effort. It was going to be all or nothing at that stage. Getting a bit older as well, there are not many years, so just try to make the most of everything that I got at that stage.
“I really came back with a fresh mind and just a hunger to play and be involved in it all.”
She didn’t feature in the latter stages last year, though the call to rejoin the panel came after last year’s Munster final.
“I was so happy to be on the panel and making the panel, getting a few weeks in with that group. It was very hard to get up to the pace. That time of the year, it is just great to be there in the buzz of Croker and getting that experience, something really new to me.
“The last 12 months have been great. Just trying to get my fitness up mainly and then just really committing to the process that the lads put in place. I’m just trying to learn as much as I could each week, day in and day out and I just really enjoyed it and tried to commit to what they are doing and buy into the whole setup.”
But filling the boots of Emma Costello is not possible, Deirdre insists. “Emma is a top athlete and I’ve played basketball and things with her. She’s amazing and even her personality, her energy you miss it within the team.
“She’s not one to be replaced, I just wanted to be able to try and do what I could do. I said I was happy to be put anywhere and do what you can do and just fit into any system.
“The depth in our panel, like all the backs, I could name loads of the girls that are in the panel that I feel so fortunate to be getting time over. I just hope I can help in some way to try to get us over the line.”