Adam English and Pat Ryan react to historic county title with Doon

SHARPSHOOTER Adam English described Doon's historic win in Sunday's county senior hurling final as ‘unbelievable’.
TG4 Man of the Match English scored 0-11 in the win over Na Piarsaigh to bring his championship tally for the season to a significant 2-58.

The Limerick player was delighted to finally see his side get over the line.

“It's unbelieveable, you can't put it into words. We've been waiting for this, for a 100 and something years. The past 100 years of hurt really came out today,” he said.

The prolific forward felt his side's battling qualities were crucial.

“We were bullied for the middle third of that first half, but we never gave up and that's just something different with this team. We just don't know how to give up.”

English was the standout player throughout the championship and has boosted his chances of breaking onto the starting XV with Limerick in 2025.

How does the county final success compare to everything Adam English has achieved with Limerick?

“This is my favourite medal that I will have ever won. Nothing compares to it, this is what I dreamed of. When you are a child growing up, we strive for this. This is the day we and everyone in this club wanted,” English said on Sunday evening.

Former Limerick hurler Pat Ryan was relieved to finally get his hands on a county medal.

“It's a massive sense of relief, I won't lie. The last six years, we've lost two finals and four semi-finals. It's not easy to keep coming back and you just kind of feel that you have to get the monkey off your back. It's a massive sense of happiness and pride to do it for everyone involved in the area”.

Players wanting to improve all the time is the key to Doon's success, according to Ryan.

“Even going back to 2018, we always just spoke about getting better. I remember James O'Donovan had us at U14's, he said to us that we need to go on and drive this club to a county championship. In one way, it's 15 years in the coming.In my ten plus years playing with Doon we never once ever said we should have won that one. We never said that. We always just said we need to get better and if we keep getting better and if we keep going on the way up we'll eventually bust down the door and it's after busting down on Sunday, thank God,” added Ryan.

“It's a surreal kind of feeling. You don't want to feel anything for a second. You don't know how to feel. Our club is over 130 years old. You're used to being ‘nearly there’. We were hit with two goals in the first half but there was something about this team. The teams I was involved with the last couple of years, when we conceded those goals, we just wilted and died away.”

Ryan paid tribute to Derek McGrath in his side's victory.

“Derek McGrath, our manager, said all year, ‘if not now when?’ He's an incredible man to be honest. He's probably the best man manager, I've ever had. He creates a great atmosphere around the place and he makes you want to go through the walls for him. There'll be a statue built of the man in Doon, I tell you that.”