Drumsurn success two years in the making

By Michael McMullan

WINNING the Bridie McMenamin Shield to clinch the treble was both surreal and two years in the making insists Drumsurn captain Shauneen Mullan.

Saturday’s win over Rasharkin added to their league and championship glories in Derry and Mullan wants Drumsurn to push on at intermediate level in 2024.

“It is unreal and a great feeling,” said Mullan, who put their performance up there with the best of the season.

They never let Magherafelt into their game in Derry but learned their lessons from taking their foot off the gas against Edendork in a 3-15 to 4-10 Ulster win.

“It gave us a bit of a shake up to know we are going to have to go out and go hard and not let the opposition back into it,” Mullan said.

Bar a five-minute spell when Rasharkin hit two first-half goals, it was Drumsurn that controlled last weekend’s final in Portglenone.

“When Martina O’Connor came into the fold about two years ago, her winning attitude and mentality instilled total belief in us at the beginning,” Mullan said of the start of their glory trail.

“She was there to do a job and the job was to win titles and championships, there was no option other than to win.”

With “22 or 23” at training every night, it laid the foundation for the preparation needed to go on their unbeaten run.

Then came the crucial winning mind-set which was fuelled from a combination of having the work done and the hurt from leaving last season’s Derry final behind them.

It wasn’t going to happen again. Gym sessions, proper sleep and eating patterns, adequate recovery – Drumsurn ticked all the boxes.

“We were trying to get in the best shape we could individually and as a team,” added Mullan who disagrees with the word “sacrifice” often dished out by winning teams.

“I don’t see it as a sacrifice,” she insisted. “It is a privilege and an honour to be able to play for as long as possible, regardless of what age you are.”

The homecoming with a third piece of silverware was the surreal part of last weekend. It’s not a level of success the club have been used to but they aim to push on.

“We want to keep going forward and developing as a team, as a unit. We don’t stop here,” she said about their goals for next season in the intermediate ranks.

“We appreciate it is going to be a totally different season and that’s fine, but it is where we want to be.

“We want more of the same and everybody who is there can do a job. We have the makings of a really strong squad and we want to keep building on it.

“Success breeds success, but people who were thinking of retiring won’t want to go…they will want to give it one more year in intermediate to see how they get on with that challenge.

“Those coming up (from underage), hopefully they will be inspired to train hard and to take the club forward again,” Mullan added.