No expectations for Dromahair says captain Rory Kelly ahead of Smith Monumentals IFC Final

The strange thing about the Smith Monumentals IFC Final this year is that everybody has been predicting an inevitable Allen Gaels victory in 2025 but that doesn’t bother Rory Kelly one bit as St Patrick’s Dromahair look to shock the favourites in next Sunday’s Final in Heartland Credit Union Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada.

Asked if he was confident going into the final, Rory simply asked “Why wouldn't you be? I don't think we came in with massive expectations of this year, and look where we are now. All the expectations are on Allen Gaels, a lot of people were maybe making the Allen Gaels Annaduff game the final.

“But we'd be more than happy to go in as the underdogs and take a scalp hopefully. Even if you go back to our first intermediate back in 2014, we beat Ballinamore and, credit to where they've gone after that. Most teams prefer the underdogs -  there's no expectations coming in.”

Expectations may be one thing but Rory knows there is a well of experience in this Dromahair team from winning Intermediate titles in 2014 and 2021: “There's four of us from the 2014 team, I think there's seven or eight lads there on the 2021 team so there's plenty of experience there. You see that on the field, it's the last few minutes there where the older boys settle the ship, give it to the younger lads, let them move the ball and pop it over the bar. It means a lot to see north Leitrim teams in finals and competing in finals and competing with good football.”

It leaves Rory in a good place as how to advise the exciting new players coming through Dromahair’s ranks on how to approach the big day: “Being a part of the 2014 and the 2021 teams, it's great for the older players to settle the ship but also have the boys enjoy it, because you don't realise that when you're 20, 21, 19 years of age what it means to be in a county final. 

RORY FLEW HOME FROM HONEYMOON TO LEAD DROMAHAIR TO IFC FINAL

“I think I've been playing football for 15 years, and a few of the lads are older than me, and they've only ever won two championships and been in three county finals. So I think it's up to our older lads to absolutely make our younger players, our younger teammates, enjoy the build-up but to also keep the head, keep focused and know that nothing is won in the semi-final.”

One of the features of Dromahair’s march to the final has been slow starts but Rory stresses the manner of his team’s victory inspire the players: “They're the days of the Championship that you remember and I want to say to the boys after it. I think we were down for most of the game, credit to Drumkeerin, they were up from all of the game bar one stage in the second half and they went up and got another two-pointer. 

“But that's what Championship Football is made of. You come back at the death and Adam Gettins there, clutch moment and he’s only 19 years of age, to pop over a two-pointer for the win was unbelievable. It was always going to come down to the wire and credit to Drumkeerin, they're a fantastic side, and credit to our boys and the lads that came in off the bench. It was something else to finish.

“I suppose it's happened so often, in the last couple of games that we have to dig out of it. So when you get used to it, you don't panic. It was 8-1 down in the first half, Bornacoola had three goal opportunities and they were really pegging us in. I don't think it's the first game we've won this year with the last kick or the last few minutes of the game.

“Our management have us very fit throughout the year, and credit to Allen Gaels with the field here, you've seen how well that ball moves, how well players can move on the field. It's something else this time of the year.”

As for the final, Rory simply says “We’ll leave no stone unturned and you saw what happened last year - anything can happen on the day, no matter if you're the hot favourites or the underdogs.”