'These days don't come around forever' says Newcastle West senior football selector Brian Fitzgerald

NEWCASTLE WEST senior football selector Brian Fitzgerald said that county finals don’t come around often, and it would be a special feeling if they could get over the line this weekend.

Mike McMahon, Iain Corbett, Michael O'Keefe, Mike Quilligan, Thomas Quilligan and Brian O'Sullivan will all aim to collect their sixth Fr Casey Cup medal this weekend.

“I think a county title would mean a huge amount to the lads, there are guys there who would be picking up their sixth county title and a few guys would be picking up their first. It's a squad with a spread of ages and experience. These days don't come around forever, you have no entitlement to be up there playing in finals every year,” Brian Fitzgerald told Leader Sport.

After losing last year's SFC semi-final to Adare, the Magpies will be keen to regain the Fr Casey Cup and win their fourth Limerick SFC title in five years.

“When you're up there, you really want to make the most of it and feel that you have achieved as much as you can and I think for our guys that sense of continuing to deliver and perform at a high level would mean an awful lot to them and for management it would mean awful lot to be able to contribute in a small way,”added Fitzgerald.

Stephen Kelly, Fitzgerald and Martin O'Sullivan took of the charge of the club when manager Liam Weir departed the club after round four of Limerick SFC.

“Myself and Martin were part of the management team from the start of the season. Stephen obviously coached the guys from 2021 until 2023, a lot of familiarity there. The lads are used of us, we have an experienced player bunch and the players have just knuckled down to the task at hand.”

Fitzgerald has described Newcastle West's campaign so far as up and down throughout the championship.

“It hasn't been perfect, it's been an up and down season. Not every match has gone as we would have liked but at the end of the season we are in a final and we are still without a defeat in the championship which is important for us.”