Kelm happy to be back operating at full power

By Michael McMullan

FERMANAGH star Ultán Kelm is glad to be back to full fitness after spending last season managing injury.

He will spearhead the Erne Gaels attack when St Eunan’s roll into Brewster Park on Saturday evening.

It’s the Belleek side’s third successive taste of the Ulster scene but Kelm is happy to be in a better place.

He cemented his value to his native side by picking up his third man of the match award in as many county finals.

Looking into the next Ulster venture, Kelm is content to be back on full training.

“It was a very frustrating couple of years for me there,” he said. “I wasn’t training, I was just playing the games for the club because I made peace that I was getting surgery then in December.

“I got surgery on my hip in London in December. I had to take five months rehab and have been back since May or June.

“I’ve had a clean bit of health since that so I’m in a good place physically and mentally, it’s a nice way to be.”

Kelm made his comeback ahead of the Tailteann Cup, coming off the bench in the first two games before starting the final three games of the county season.

Rewinding the clock back 12 months and Kelm was just managing his injury as they saw off Kingscourt in a cracking Ulster win.

“It was very frustrating,” he said. “When you get an Ulster semi-final against Kilcoo, you want to be right. For myself I was nowhere near the level to be playing at that in them games.

“It was very frustrating because you know that can’t go on forever, so that was just a short term fix I suppose for a long-term problem.”