Garryspillane captain Colin Ryan: 'It would mean everything to get back up to senior'

GARRYSPILLANE captain Colin Ryan is looking forward to Sunday's Lyons of Limerick Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship final against Effin.

“There is always a great buzz when you are in a county final, the parish will be full of colour and everyone is excited and looking forward to the game. That was the goal at the start of the year, we are absolutely delighted,” Colin Ryan explained. 

Garryspillane had goalkeeper Adam Sheehan to thank for their spot in the decider with his brave save in additional time from Croagh Kilfinny's Cian O’Carroll’s shot proving decisive.

“Adam was brillant now in fairness to him, it was a super save. We wouldn't have liked it to be that close for comfort, we played Croagh-Kilfinny earlier in the year and there was only a point in it, we knew it was going to be a tight game. That was it turned it out and there was absolutely nothing in it. Thankfully we just got over the line.”

Ryan continues to enjoy his hurling with ‘the Bouncers’ and says there’s nothing quite like lining out for his club.

“There's nothing like it really, that buzz the other day when you win a county semi-final is just unbelievable and playing with all you friends and family, it's absolutely top class.”

Ryan believes it is extra special to be playing this weekend's county final in the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

“The Gaelic Grounds is a place you want to play games, it makes the county final that bit more prestigious I suppose and with the senior final there is going to be a massive crowd in the Gaelic Grounds. There is just a huge atmosphere when you have so many teams on their big day trying to win county titles, it's just very special,” added Ryan.

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The Garryspillane captain said they’re further down the line in their development this year, with Aaron Considine now in his second season in charge.

“Last year, everything was probably a bit new, we had a new management team from Clare. We had couple of new guys in their first year on the panel where as this year we are in year two wit the management. And a couple of lads have a good bit more experience. It's very settled and I think that is a massive advantage and you can use that kind of continuity to go a little bit further.”

Newcastle West defeated Garryspillane last year in the Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship final.

“There is obviously great experience that you can take from last year. In other ways, you don't think about it too much because there is nothing you can do about it now. We definitely don't want that same feeling, fellas were gutted last year after losing the final. We want to make sure that we can draw on the good things and go a step further this year.”

Ryan said it would mean everything to lead his club to a PIHC title on Sunday when they take on Effin.

“It would mean absolutely everything, county titles don't come around too often. We won a senior in 2005 and we won a premier intermediate in 2018, it just shows that we have won two county titles in twenty years. This is a new team, it would mean everything to get back up senior.”