The Big Interview: Clonakilty's new recruit from Armagh

Clonakilty have been renowned for their defensive solidity in recent years in the Cork Premier SFC.

It has been buttressed with the signing in the off-season just gone of Daniel Darragh from Armagh.

The 27-year-old, a former underage footballer with the Orchard County, has been very impressive for his new club as they close in on a place in the McCarthy Insurance Group Division 1 Football League decider.

A positive result against rivals Castlehaven in their last league fixture on Sunday week in Ballinacarriga (11.30am) will book Clon’s spot in the final. They won't need anything if Nemo Rangers lose or draw at home to St Michael’s tomorrow.

The teak-tough defender has settled in well on Leeside, both on and off the field. A big change from his hometown of Killeavy, some 408km away.

What brought him down to West Cork? A talented footballer, highly regarded in Armagh, who is a major coup for Clonakilty.

“My partner Ciara is from Clonakilty, so that’s how I’ve ended up down in the area,” he says.

Clonakilty's Daniel Darragh in action against St Finbarr's this season. Picture: Gary Moult, Cork Sports Photography

“I suppose we had been working around the country and also we were in Australia for the past number of years since leaving college and then we said we’d have to settle down, so Cork won out over Armagh. I've since taken a job in Bandon, working in Glasslyn Vets.

“We moved to Cork last September and I am still finding my feet, but the people here are very nice. West Cork is a lovely part of the world.

“Joining Clonakilty GAA then was a big step for me and they have been so welcoming. They would obviously be up there as one of the top teams in Cork. There’s probably four or five clubs that would historically be winning the championship down here on a regular basis and Clon are obviously one of them. I suppose that was obviously a factor in wanting to join them.

“It was more me wanting to join rather than Clonakilty pushing. It was just a case of living in the area and wanting to make a few friends. There’s a great age range within the panel, the younger fellas just coming out of minor to the fellas that have been here for 10 plus years. Everyone are friends with each other, everyone does stuff at the weekends together. There’s a nice mix that way.”

Results help when you move to a new club, seven wins from eight games with one to go. Clonakilty haven’t largely put a foot wrong this year. Their only loss was a one-point defeat away to Nemo Rangers two matches ago.

“We are right up there in Division 1, but we aren’t getting carried away,” the Armagh native said.

Daniel Darragh has settled well into his new surroundings. Picture: Gary Moult, Cork Sports Photography

“We haven’t really discussed the results so much. We are trying to build on our form. Moving down last year and starting with a new team was probably a good time in the sense that we’re all adapting to the new rules together. Every team has had to adapt.

"We feel as if we’re starting to get a good system of play in place. We’re starting to understand each other. I’m starting to figure out what way the lads like to play. They’re maybe trying to see what way I do things as well. We’re probably complementing each other as well.”

Darragh’s debut will always stick out for him. It came in the opening league game on home soil back in March. Clonakilty defeated Éire Óg on a scoreline of 1-18 to 1-8. He played the full match.

“It was nice to see how big football is in the community of Clonakilty,” the 27-year-old states.

“A huge crowd came along and definitely you feel the crowd getting behind the team. Obviously, a bit of pressure in terms of starting in the first game. I wanted to make a good impression and wanted to make myself known in the area and that, but it was obviously nice to start with a win that day.

Carrigaline's Ryan Delaney goes highest with Clonakilty's Daniel Darragh. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

“I would like to think I’m quite good at reading the game and maybe talking to the fellas around me and stuff. We would have traditionally been used to playing quite a structural type of football at home in Armagh where players would have dragged each other out. There would have been a nice system in place.

“I would like to think I’m maybe quite physical as well and can bring that side to the game as well. But it’s senior football, like everybody’s got the same strengths and stuff too.”

Has Darragh seen much of a difference between the club football in Armagh compared to down in Cork so far this year?

“In terms of athletic ability, everyone’s very fit down here. There’s no difference with that than above. I even think maybe that the fellas playing more than one code, hurling along with the football, brings a different sort of edge.

“People are maybe that bit more athletic than back at home where it’s just football. The lads at home are just very drilled in on football, but no, the standard is definitely very high down here.”

Clonakilty captain Timmy Anglin raises the Andy Scannell trophy after defeating St Finbarr's in the Cork SFC final in 2009. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

In the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork Premier SFC group stage this season, Clonakilty will meet St Finbarr’s, Carrigaline and Carbery Rangers.

“A very difficult group from what I am hearing. Three teams that, as of yet, I don’t know a whole pile about.

“Our match against Carbery Rangers, from what I hear, the teams have played each other a lot over the past number of years. It’s always going to be a competitive match when you’re playing the local rivals. There’s a lot of scores to settle and maybe things can boil up and people get lost in the game a bit more than they should.

"Hopefully, for me, I’ll be able to take a step back from that and just play the game that’s in front of me. St Finbarr’s, a huge name in Cork football and deserve all the respect they can get in terms of what they’ve won over the years. Carrigaline are also in the group, they won the Senior A last year, so they will have momentum.

“You’d be lying if every club didn’t sit down at the start of the year and decide what your goals were and you’re always discussing winning the county championship. That’s definitely the thing in everyone’s head.

Clonakilty's newest defender, Daniel Darragh, has added more steel to what was an already stern defence. Picture: Gary Moult, Cork Sports Photography

“For us, we’re probably trying not to get too caught up in that. I think getting a bit of form behind you means a lot coming into this championship format. There’s no point thinking that you can just peak later on in the year. You definitely have to get going as soon as the group stage starts and that’s not far away.

“It has been 16 years since Clonakilty have won the championship. There’s definitely a lot of desire there to bring success back to the club again.” Darragh concluded.

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