In terms of the big time Joe Rabbitte has been there, done that and has the T-shirt and the medals to prove it. All the medals that is with the exception of an All Ireland Hurling Championship winners gong.

But the brilliant Athenry striker won’t allow his driving ambition to become an Ireland Hurling Champion come between him and his club’s bid for glory and a hat trick of A.I.B. Club Championship titles.

“There is not a hurler in the country who does not want a Championship winners medal and that applies not matter how many he already has” grinned the affable thirty year old “and I am no exception.”

“But for the moment we are all focused on the outcome of the semi final replay between Graigue Ballycallan and Sixmilebridge but no matter when or where its played the Athenry squad won’t be going en masse to watch it, we will leave that to the back room boys.”

And the back room boys will come home from that replay with a video of Athenry’s opponents on the afternoon of St.Patrick’s Day in Croke Park. “We don’t need to watch them, we will get enough information from the video and the comments of our scouts” Pat added.

“Even before we played Dunloy we had thirty training sessions under our belts and that gives an idea of just how important winning the A.I.B. Club title for a third time if for all of us. It’s a wonderful competition, to have won it twice is very satisfying but if we can pull off the treble, it will be unique.”

And the manner in which Athenry saw off the challenge of brave Dunloy from County Antrim in their semi final, must have shortened the odds on them winning out. But Rabbitte refuses to beat a triumphalist drum just yet.

“The game against Dunloy went perfectly for us and we could not have timed the goals better with one coming just before and after half time, the one before half time really put them out of the game “Pat reckoned.

“But we will be playing a very good side in the final no matter which of them wins that semi final replay, so while we will be easing off on the really tough training, we will be staying sharp “Pat added.

It did not bother the 30 year old bachelor that he was the only Athenry forward not to score in the semi final on February 25, he didn't have to the young lions around him did the business in magnificent style. And nobody was more deadly than target man Eugene Cloonan who led the rout with a goal and twelve points.

That’s impressive scoring by any standards and Rabbitte reckons that Athenry have more stars to be unveiled on St.Patrick’s Day.

“Shane Donoghue and Michael J.Quinn are only two of the up and coming players who were on the subs bench in the Parnell Park game” Pat explained, Diarmud Burns came on as a sub and they are all itching to be part of the action of the big day.”

Not knowing when the final will be staged because of the foot and mouth epidemic is a problem both for Athenry and the two clubs waiting to replay their semi final. But already the Galway champions have an edge.

They fielded their championship winning side against Dunloy and a pretty lethal bunch they looked against a side which were not lacking in guts but which was outclassed in terms of guile, stick work and speed of thought.

“No matter when we manage to play the final, that semi final win will have done the squad a great deal of good not just in terms of the victory itself but in the question of self esteem, so no matter which sides come out of the other semi, I feel we will be ready” Rabbitte insisted.

And team manager Pat Nally reckoned they had done all the hard work back in January when they slogged their way through their infamous hill training. "We got all the hard work out of the way early, now we can enjoy our hurling and are really looking forward to the final.”

“I think our lads steadied themselves during the early stages and showed a lot of maturity as they eased themselves into the game “Nally added ”our senior players were very good at settling the game down and helping the younger lads, so we had to be happy with the outcome and the performance.”

And Nally refuses to be upset by not knowing which of the other semi finalists they will be playing.
“They are two fine teams and while I know a lot about Sixmilebridge, I’m not so well up on Graigue Ballycallan but you only have to look at Kilkenny’s success to know that they will be tough nuts to crack if they make it to the final.”
Factors beyond the control of the clubs have wrecked plans for the semi final replay and thrown up the possibility of the Final itself being postponed.

But whatever the outcome, Athenry are in my book, favourites to become the first club in the country to make it a hat trick of victories, having already won in l997 and 2000.I’m not a betting man but I rather fancy that crack Skoda – Mazda car salesman Rabbitte will be holding the trophy over his head in triumph before very long

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And the winning of a third club title might just put Galway in the mood to bring the McCarthy Cup west of the Shannon come September.

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© Tom Keogh 2001

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