GAA - Ben McCarron Kerrying the expectations
By Orlagh Mullan
STEELSTOWN could have an All-Ireland champion amongst their ranks come Sunday evening as Ben McCarron bids for glory with the Derry minors.
They face four-in-a-row chasing Kerry, ten years after the Oak Leaf last appeared in the showpiece – a game that saw a heart-breaking 1-10 to 1-9 defeat at the hands of Galway.
This year, McCarron and his team-mates are aiming to go one better and after a convincing Ulster campaign they are looking to overthrow the Kingdom in the last final at minor grade.
STAYING GROUNDED
Sitting in the canteen at Owenbeg, 16-year-old McCarron is completely relaxed as he speaks openly about the task ahead.
He hit 0-3 in the Croke Park semi-final win over Dublin three weeks ago – no mean feat in front of a crowd of blue support that were awaiting the senior team’s meeting with Tyrone that followed.
Nine minutes of added time saw backs to the wall defending from the Oak Leaf as Dublin tried to find an equalising goal. McCarron – who departed in the final moments of normal time – said he remembers little of it.
“It was a bit of a blur to be honest, it flew right past me,” the forward told the Derry News.
“We knew if we kept working hard we’d get there. In the first half we thought we played well, but we were still a point down. There was a ten minute spell maybe from 55 to 65 where we turned it around a good bit, and then the boys kicked on.”
He continued: “The bench really showed. I was going down with cramp with a few minutes to go then JP Devlin came on for me and kicked a point within a minute or two. Other boys as well that came off the bench – I think they won it for us. It shows the strength in depth in this team.
“Scoring the three points was nice as well. Paddy (Quigg) was hitting the frees then he came off so I just stepped up and thankfully they went over. I just try and focus on the match and not take anything in, but after it you’re realising that you hit two frees into the Hill when it was pretty packed, and it’s an unbelievable experience – something I’ll probably remember forever.”
In just four days time McCarron will step foot on the hallowed turf of GAA headquarters once more, except this time a trophy will await the eventual victor.
“It’s an amazing experience to be a part of – even just the camp and the build-up is unbelievable,” admitted the 16-year-old.
“It’s hard to describe right now but we’re looking to push on and hopefully win it. We’re not here to make up the numbers. We’re confident going into it and we’re going to give it our best shot.
“Playing in front of the big crowd of Dublin fans in the semi-final, it doesn’t get much bigger than that. It might not even be as big this time because Kerry seniors aren’t in it so nerves are out of the way. Everyone knows what its like to play there now.”
BLUE THROUGH AND THROUGH
McCarron lives and breathes club football. For as long as he can remember he has been pulling on the blue and gold for Steelstown, moving up the age grades, and he has potential future senior captain written all over him.
It is when he speaks about his club that the Brian Og man really comes to life, and in turn it is when his modesty comes to the fore. He loves to play football, and he knows that the coaches and members of Steelstown have given him a pathway to do so at the highest level.
“I started playing Gaelic when I was 4 or 5 and the coaches right through have always helped me so much – especially in the last year or two,” he explained. “Eoghan Bradley is someone I’m really close friends with. He was here last year in the exact same position and playing number 15. From the start of the year anything I didn’t know I asked him and he’s told me everything I need to know basically.”
McCarron continued: “He knows what its like to play on the big day in championship, and for me I was probably very inexperienced coming in this year – I’m the youngest in the whole squad – but having Eoghan there to help me has been good. He was very disappointed after losing Ulster to Donegal last year and he said to me himself that he knows you only get one shot at it so you have to make the best of it.”
Bradley is indeed someone who is more than familiar with the pressure of pulling on the minor jersey. He was involved twelve months ago when Derry left Croke Park on the back of a 1-24 to 2-10 quarter-final defeat to Kerry.
“We played together even at school last year and I’d be really close to him. He’s obviously played in the same position as me in this team too and that’s helped me a lot – even seeing the amount of work he put in last year to get to where he was. In his first year of minors he was dropped early on and then he came back and worked so hard in terms of going to the gym early in the mornings, and I seen the commitment that was needed to make it here,” McCarron said.
“Hopefully we’ll play senior together at Steelstown soon. This is all just building towards that – senior football at Steelstown and Derry. It’s obviously amazing to be part of but that is the main aim to get through and get playing.”
Experience of inter-county glory at a coaching level is something that the St Columb’s College student has come across at his Ballyarnett club as well.
“To be fair there’s been a lot of coaches that have helped me and they’ve all offered a lot,” admitted the forward.
“Most recently has been Brendan Hughes who was involved with Armagh minors when they won a few years back. They keep me grounded when I go back to the club and keep me working hard. Just because you’re up here doesn’t make you any different to anyone back in the club.”
As the sole representative from not only Steelstown, but the entire city area, the 16-year-old agreed that there was a big step-up in terms of competing at county level, but he pointed to his club mates and role models as part of the reason behind his success to date.
“Obviously playing here the standard is unbelievable. It’s not really the same as the club but then again seeing the boys like Eoghan Concannon as well as Bradley, and Neil Forester too, they can do it in the club and they can do it here as well. It’s not impossible but you just have to keep working hard basically then things will go right for you,” he explained.
“To be honest I think I would be lost without people to look up to because they’ve been there and they know what its like. Ten years ago it probably started for me. I was at the Derry All-Ireland minor final then and to see the three boys playing from the club – Stephen Cleary, Mickey McKinney and Neil – it was sort of all I wanted to do from then and to get the chance is class.
“Stephen in particular is definitely someone I looked up to. He’s always texting away at me before and after every match. The talent he had was second to none and from watching him play from a really young age he’s basically who I wanted to be,” added the local lad.
Since he took to the field as a substitute in the opening Ulster game against Tyrone, McCarron has been backed to the hilt by the Pairc Brid outfit, with constant social media posts garnered hundreds of comments of support.
“To be fair Steelstown are really good and they embrace the whole county scene really well,” the Brian Ogs man said.
“I get a lot of message from everyone and then it’s up everywhere online. They’re very good in wishing me well and saying well done afterwards. Even bringing me back to the summer camps and helping out there was a big thing.”
A WHIRLWIND TEN MONTHS
It’s hard to believe that a year ago McCarron wasn’t even involved in the minor set-up. Now he is days away from an All-Ireland final. The whole experience is something he remembers fondly.
“At the start of November I got the text about it,” the 16-year-old recalls.
“There were a few trial games but basically they said they had been watching us, and they do. They had been out at the local league matches and even our school final two years ago that we were beat in, Damian was there watching. They said the trial was only the last part of the jigsaw really. They are very good and they’ve picked the squad well and I can’t really see anyone whose not in it. Boys are probably disappointed not to be in it, but being part of the squad there’s nobody saying ‘he should definitely be here’.”
A 0-18 to 1-14 win over Tyrone was followed by a 3-17 to 0-9 hammering of Antrim before a comfortable 1-22 to 2-12 Ulster final victory over Cavan.
Derry were riding on the crest of a wave, and when they faced Sligo in the All-Ireland quarter-final in Ballybofey, the result seemed little more than a formality.
A combination of the wind and the individual brilliance of Red Og Murphy meant that wasn’t the case, and McCarron agrees it was a turning point.
“We won Ulster and we went into it very confident. We were thinking that during Ulster, apart from Tyrone, we won Antrim and Cavan pretty well and then Sligo really brought us back down to the ground. We could have been dead and gone that day, but thankfully the boys stood up and really showed what they’re made of.”
While they’re awaiting the next interview, McCarron stands in the centre of the room with team mates Padraig McGrogan and Oran Hartin. Football is only a small part of the conversation and the laughter is free-flowing. It’s a bond of friendship that runs through the squad.
“There is a really close bond between everyone. Obviously, it’s a bit different for me being from the city. A lot of the boys go to school together, but from the first day I walked in everyone felt like best friends. Winning matches, especially ones like Sligo that are so close, it brings everyone closer together now and we’re a really tight bunch. No matter what happens in two weeks’ time I would say that we’ll all really stay together in terms of friendships and hopefully Gaelic as well,” McCarron smiled.
“Damian does create an environment where everyone wants to play and everyone wants to be part of it. Nobody has dropped out of the squad this year, even boys that aren’t getting on – they really want to be here and push everyone else. I think Damian himself has created that environment and it makes it amazing to play in and be part of.”
TASK AT HAND
With all the talk about Steelstown, and beating the Dubs at Croke Park, and where it all started, it’s almost easy to forget that there is an All-Ireland title to be won.
The task couldn’t come any bigger than the Kingdom. The David Clifford led side have strode with ease into the showdown – a position they are well used to.
Kerry haven’t lost a minor game since their 2013 quarter-final defeat to Tyrone – 21 matches ago.
“There’s a few boys that have played them and Eoghan Bradley has been telling me as well that they are a really class team,” McCarron admitted.
“We’ve beaten Dublin now, and Kerry will be another step. They’re obviously favourites and for a good reason too going for four-in-a-row. They’re clearly doing a lot of work there at underage and their talent is starting to show. We’re going to go in and give it our best shot. We’ve worked hard and prepared well and hopefully on the day a lot of things go right for us.”
He continued: “Obviously David Clifford – I don’t think anyone has seen anything like him before at minor, but we’re going into it confident enough. I was up at last year’s final and watched their semi-final as well, and you’re looking at him thinking ‘I’d like to be like him’. Now you get the chance to play against him so you have to try and be as good as him. As well as him they have a very good team so they aren’t just about one player – they have fourteen other quality ones. You can’t over concentrate on him, you have to watch the others as well.”
The threat of Clifford and company can’t be denied, but something else that has become more and more evident is the strength of Derry’s defensive line – something that the St Columb’s student knows all too well.
“We’ve said it all through the year, playing against the likes of Sean McKeever, Conor McCluskey and Oran McGill in training – you go into most matches not coming up against a defender as good as them so it prepares you really well. When you’re marking the likes of Conor in training, even to win a ball off him is fairly good going,” McCarron explained.
“The sessions are very intense. You want to play your best to show what you can do but marking the likes of Conor is hard. It prepares you well and it’s where you want to be, up there marking the best players in the county, and probably in Ulster as well.”
The Oak Leaf have entered practically every round since their May opener against the Red Hands as favourites, but Sunday will be a different ball game. Does McCarron think the underdogs tag means much?
“At minor it’s a bit different because anyone can be favourites, its how you do on the day. No matter how much you prepare, anything can happen on the day. We’re just going to prepare as best we can, do our homework on Kerry and see what happens.”
And so, the final countdown will now be on. Flags are being erected, banners are being prepared and the travel plans are being made. An inevitable excitement fills the voice of McCarron as he speaks about the biggest Sunday of his life, but he knows he can’t be overawed by the occasion. He and his team-mates are ready.
“You know you might never get the chance again, but you just want to focus on the match. Once you start thinking too much about the actual day and Croke Park and what’s going to happen you might become slightly nervous and you don’t focus as much when you’re playing so you just have to focus on Kerry and not really take in too much else, then after it you can do what you want!” he concluded.