Pullough native Spain fulfilling his dreams with Kilcormac-Killoughey

HIS switch from his home club Erin Rovers to Kilcormac-Killoughey three years ago did not win the approval of everyone but Tom Spain had no qualms about making the big move.

Corner back on the Offaly senior hurling team in 2018 and 2019, Spain's emergence caught attention as he grew up in football territory in Pullough, playing with the local Erin Rovers club for several years – he played football with them, hurling with Brosna Gaels before transferring h to K-K in 2019.

While players from Pullough do not have a tradition of playing hurling for Offaly, Spain's emergence is not surprising once you examine his family DNA. His father Ger is a Kilcormac man, a fine hurler who transferred to Erin Rovers when he moved to the Pullough area – he was the star player in the days when Erin Rovers fielded their own hurling team back in the 1990s, a prophet for the small ball game in land where football is and has to be king.

The Spain's have been one of the great Kilcormac and then Kilcormac-Killoughey hurling families. Tom's grandfather, Ger's father, Tommy Spain was a cherished Kilcormac and Drumcullen hurler in the 1950s and '60s. Tommy's brother Mick Spain was a legendary GAA administrator – the late Mick was a long serving Offaly GAA Central Council delegate, an All-Ireland hurling final referee. An affable, larger than life, gregarious individual with a powerful force of personality, Mick was loved far beyond his parish borders.

The next generation of Spain's were great servants to K-K on the fields from the 1980s through to the 2000s and later served the club well in management and adminstration roles. While his school friends and neighbours kicked footballs in the school yard and back gardens, Tom Spain grew up with a hurl by his side and a sliotar in his pocket.

His switch to K-K was a big call but he is delighted that he made it. “It's my third year here and I'm absolutely delighted. I'm really enjoying it,” he said as he prepares to captain Kilcormac-Killoughey into Sunday's Senior Hurling Championship final against new kids on the block, Shinrone.

Spain explained:

“It's something I'd love to have done, or a place I'd love to have been, maybe a bit sooner. And that's not to be unjust or unfair to the teams I was involved with previous but from the day I came in I was treated as one of the lads. I remember the first meeting, with myself and Danny (his brother, who also transferred), we were welcomed. From players, management, we were treated as one of the lads from day one. I'd like to think we've given respect to the club and showed how much it means to us. I'm delighted to be where I am now.”

He talked about the role hurling has played in his life.

“I'm all my life listening to it. It doesn't matter where we were, if Da was ever asked where he was from he would always say Kilcormac. Maybe that rubs off on you as well. We were always around the town or up with the family at any social events or days like Communions. You were always with that group of people. I wouldn't say it was a move. Nothing changed, it was quite normal, for me anyway.”

His father Ger had a profound impact on him developing his hurling to the extent that he could play for Offaly.

“Probably I've an awful lot to be thankful to my father and my mother (Ann) that I was always encouraged. I don't think I ever had a football at the house when I was younger. It was always just hurls and sliotars. Even the dog would be out and the father made a goals for me out the back and I nearly killed the dog up and down the garden. I was involved in the underage squads with Offaly and that's where I'd have got most of my hurling. Any chance I got to go thankfully I was always brought.”

He enjoyed football. He was a key member of the Erin Rovers side for years from senior to intermediate level and he played for K-K in Saturday's junior football final defeat by Ballinagar.

“Since Joe came in as chairman he wanted to give everyone a fair crack of the whip. With football, definitely there's a massive effort being put in by management and the players rub off that as well and everyone wants to be involved when things are going well.”

Hurling, however, was always his game of choice.

“I don't remember looking for a football or a football game being laid out in the yard. But there was always hurls at the back door and sliotars there and I'm thankful we got that encouragement when we were younger.”

How difficult was it? Was there a row at one stage in Pullough when you weren't playing football, you were playing hurling?

“I suppose football people want to play football and maybe the hurling people would prefer to see you playing hurling. You have to make your own decision and go with what you want to do. I feel like I never went out and did anything to upset anyone along the way.”

Now 30 years of age, he has been happily living in Mountrath Street in Kilcormac for the past few years.

“That's probably been another aspect of it. I'm very happy to be where I am. You're in the field, you're training two or three times a week and you get great enjoyment from that. I've got a lot out of moving in other ways too. You always have your family. I suppose I have a good base, a good network there, and I feel very close to it and I'm really enjoying where I'm at, at this stage.”

Getting to captain the K-K team showed his importance to his new club.

“It's a massive honour. It wouldn't be one I was expecting to get. I suppose you try not to get too carried away with it. You're still a player the same as everyone else and you're there to do your job. Alright, maybe at times I will try to pep other lads up and rise up but it is a great honour. As a player you're there to do your job but at times you might have to push lads around you and try to get the extra bit out of everyone.”

Spain's target was a county final appearance at the start of the year.

“Yes, along with every other team. That's what everyone's training for, that's everyone's aim. I suppose you have to take each game as it comes and you have to build at the start of the year but it is everyone's hope and aim that at the end you'll be there knocking on the door and close to a final or in a final. And when you're in it you're trying to win it.”

K-K blew hot and cold early in the championship and Spain reflected?

“Championships are hard won. Everyone is out to beat the next team that's in line. We're no different to everyone else. Everyone's a target. Definitely there was days where we seemed to be not not ourselves but not going as well as where we wanted to be. We were building and thankfully we did get over the line and grind the results out. We're still going there now and we're only one step away.”

How important was the Rynagh's win?

“We knew that was a big game and it was a massive game for us. They've had the upper hand on us for the last few years so definitely we targeted that game and said this is one we don't want to let go again another year. It's just one that I suppose we really had to get off our back. We came with a good attitude that day, a good frame of mind.”

He is excited by the young talent emerging in Kilcormac-Killoughey.

“There's young lads there now and they never miss a training session. They're always there, pucking ball or else they're involved in a session feeding balls. Everyone feeds off that enthusiasm and it's exciting that there's a lot of talent there at the minute.The players who are there at the minute, we're just trying to make the best of the time we have because there is huge talent coming. They'll be there fighting for positions next year so you definitely have to make the most of your time when you have a place.”

At 30 years of age, Spain and others are crucial to the younger players.

“I think there's a real nice mix there now. And no one minds whether you're 40 or 18 and coming on the scene. The mix is good.We're in a good place. The boys are really enjoying it, they're really buying in. The effort has always been massive the whole year through, even earlier in the year in the games where you could say we didn't look like we were where we wanted to be and would we get to where we wanted to be. Everyone still kept with it. Probably the younger lads, they were the ones standing up earlier on and that rubs off on everyone and you get a good boost from it. The young lads coming in they haven't been found wanting for anything, their effort has always been brilliant and hopefully we'll still get a lot of effort out of them.”

Spain and K-K are very familiar with O'Connor Park.

“Definitely. We even had most of our group games there. I don't know if you call it an advantage. Everyone knows the place and everyone has hurled there. All the Shinrone boys have definitely hurled there. I suppose it's something for players to look forward to now and I wouldn't think of it as an advantage at this stage if you got an extra year or two there.”

Would you have a preference for O'Connor Park or Birr or does it make any difference?

“I don't know. Maybe in Birr you do get a better atmosphere. Possibly with O'Connor Park being that bit bigger for club games and definitely it seems that way for group games. Even if you do have a reasonable crowd there the place can still kind of seem empty. But I'm sure there'll be a big crowd there for the final and there'll be an atmosphere and I don't really mind where it is now.”

The talent emerging in K-K means that people are beginning to talk about them having a spell of dominance.

“Everyone can see the talent that's there. As I mentioned, a lot of those boys you wouldn't see them missing a training session. That's great to have coming. I must say, there's been teams that have been knocking on the door now for 15 or 16 years and you'd like to think there'd be an awful lot more won. That's not always the way it works out. We'll just focus on what we can do now and hopefully if it is a run of success, well and good, but it doesn't always work out like that. You just have to take the chances that do come your way and we'll be fully focussed now and hopefully getting another championship under our belts.”

Spain knows that K-K can't take anything for granted against Shinrone.

“No you couldn't. They're in the final on their own merit and they're no different to us. You have to imagine there's massive excitement for them and I'm sure they just can't wait for it to come now. We'll just worry about ourselves now and try and get ourselves set for it.”