New generation starting to come through for Eslin says Tomas Beirne

A new generation of players coming through has breathed new life into Eslin according to long serving midfielder Tomas Beirne after his team got the better of Glenfarne Kiltyclogher in a thoroughly entertaining Fresh Today Junior A Quarter-Final in Dromod last Sunday.

Eslin won the latest instalment of their traditional battle with Glenfarne Kiltyclogher 2-13 to 2-9 to qualify for the semi-finals  and Tomas is delighted to see some young players coming through the ranks: “We have young lads starting to come through and they’ve stuck with it. The young fellas are driving on the older lads and that is what it is all about.”

Sunday’s game was more of a traditional encounter with no talk of structures or systems but Tomas felt that the quality was there in both teams: “It is only Junior but, look, there are still very good players in Junior football. I know we have lots of players who played underage county, a few played Senior for the county. Same there with Glenfarne, they’ve Diarmuid Clancy, Niall Clancy so that’s a lot of county players for Junior football. It is very open football, not much defensive stuff, very open, good, tough football and enjoyable.”

For a tough game, it was also a very tight game with Glenfarne closing to within a point in the final quarter only for Eslin to pull away, a facet of the game that didn’t surprise Tomas: “It was always going to go that way, whichever team weathers the storm the best and we seemed to be able to weather it that bit better today.”

Eslin’s journey to the semi-final has been remarkable after suffering a heavy 4-15 to 0-11 loss at the hands of the Cloone before a more encouraging 1-16 to 3-8 defeat to Bornacoola but Tomas believes that Sean Pierson’s side have timed their effort to perfection: “When we played the Cloone game, we had lots of fellas to come back, I was only back myself.

PICTURES: GORTLETTERAGH GAA LAUNCH QUID GAME EVENT

“I didn’t have a lot of training done but we had fellas starting to come back and it took us a few games to get going but we’re starting to go in the right direction and that is what it is all about and the management there are pushing us on.”

Incredibly, Tomas played in the Junior A Final in 2008, some 16 years ago and despite the pressure of work and a young family, it is for days like last Sunday that keep him coming back: “In fairness the wife is very good when it comes to training but it is days like today why you keep going and keep coming back.

“There were a few years there where there were no young fellas but they’re starting to come through now. There are bucks there older than me still at it and it is days like today that make it worthwhile. It is all about getting the young lads coming on and coming on and they’re pushing us on now, it makes it more enjoyable coming training.”

A meeting with Glencar Manorhamilton evokes memories of the famed 2013 Intermediate Final where Eslin came within two points of achieving Senior status and Tomas’ brother Conor won the man of the match despite being on the losing side. 

The years have flown by since then but Tomas expects another tough battle with the north Leitrim men: “We could have won the Intermediate that year, we could have been Senior but that’s just the way it goes but they won’t be easy bet, they’re a strong second team with lots of players who won several Senior championships. We’re under no illusions that it is going to be a tough, tough game but it is one we look forward to. We’ll have a rattle at it and see how the thing goes.”