Craughwell in freefall

Date Published: 21-May-2009

IT MAY be onwards and upwards for St. Thomas’ hurling, but these are dark days indeed for Craughwell.

After three consecutive SHC defeats, it would appear the 2008 county quarter-finalists are heading for a relegation battle in the autumn. One has to wonder where it has all gone wrong for Kieran Rabbitte’s charges, who by this stage of the competition last year, could boast of two excellent victories over Liam Mellows and Castlegar.

While the wheels came off the wagon, somewhat, following defeats to Ballinderreen and Gort in their remaining group games in ’08, they still had enough done to advance to the knockout stages where
they accounted for Sarsfields, 2-14 to 1-13, to progress to a quarter-final date with Loughrea.

For many years, Craughwell were looked on as the young pretenders and it seemed they were finally about to deliver on their potential when reaching the 2007 county semifinals. So what has happened?

This week, the fingers may be pointed firmly in manager Rabbitte’s direction but, in truth, he cannot be wholly blamed for the team’s current plight. Riddled with defections and a certain apathy, frustration has grown and festered among Craughwell’s senior hurlers in recent times, presumably due to their lack of success – i.e. silverware – in the senior grade. If that is their excuse, though, it is a miserable one.

Forget Portumna, Athenry and Sarsfields – all of …

For reports from all the other matches see this week’s Connacht Tribune