Watergrasshill's adopted Tipperary son not surprised by their 2024 leap

“I played a few years here, not very well by the way. I was more of a hindrance than a help to Watergrasshill,” Enright recalls with a smile.

“The lads would slag me that I was linked to the downturn in Watergrasshill hurling when I joined. There is certainly merit to that conversation, I think.” 

Merit or not to that conversation, Enright is now to the front of an upturn in Watergrasshill fortunes. They stand one hour from acquiring senior status. Having previously served as manager in 2018 and 19, Enright returned for 2024. Interim results had not been at all hectic.

Across the three seasons before the current one, Watergrasshill played nine group games and failed to win a single one. In 2021 and 23, they finished bottom of their group. In the first of those campaigns, they had to overcome Aghada in a relegation play-off to preserve their third-tier status.

Quite the leap so to go, on August 3, from ending a wait of three years, 11 months, and seven days for a group stage championship win to, three months later, winding up in Premier Intermediate final.

Enright doesn’t see it so.

“In the last two years, we had five draws and one loss, so you could see they were there or thereabouts. We were probably very unfortunate not to get one or two wins during that period and that probably would have qualified them for a quarter-final last year and the year before.

“It is such a tight grade. Kilworth were in the final last year, and led that final for so much of it, and now they are in a relegation play-off. The groups are often decided by score difference, that is how tight it is.

“Potential was always there, and this year we got a few breaks. We got those early in the group stages and we kicked on nicely. The lads were really determined to get the monkey off their back and get through a group stage. Against Castlemartyr, we were one up with five to go, but they had a gale behind them. The guys battled to hold on and that was the moment you could see the real will to win.” 

Not that Enright ever believed them to be far away, but there are a couple of definite factors to their current position. Division 5 league success built momentum. Imokilly involvement built confidence.

No club had as many representatives on the Imokilly matchday 30 as Watergrasshill’s seven the afternoon of the little All-Ireland. Within that, half-back Dáire O’Leary and the inside pair of Adam Murphy and Sean Desmond were incredibly important cogs in the East Cork wheel. The latter pair contributed 1-3 from play.

“I would be very strong in encouraging the guys to play with Imokilly,” Enright continued.

“It is exposure to a higher level of hurling; you'll be better for it. I think it was really important for our guys to be part of that set-up. They played really, really well. To have seven on the panel, it was great to see a small club like Watergrasshill having such an influence on a team like Imokilly. I am glad they embraced it and I am certainly a big fan of that.” 

Now to their own county final. Tomorrow represents a first final appearance for Watergrasshill since 2007. They haven’t collected county silverware since 2004. The village’s adopted Tipp son has thoroughly enjoyed being part of the journey to try and bridge that 20-year-gap.

“It has been a fantastic few months. There's a fantastic buzz around the village of Watergrasshill and Glenville.

“We've been resident in Watergrasshill since 2002 and really love the place and the people around here. Very happy family in that it is a really nice community and they love their hurling.”