“The lads look up to him massively”
Waterford manager Paul Shankey made a special presentation to Michael Curry on his 100th senior appearance for his county.
Waterford manager Paul Shankey presented Michael Curry with a plaque and a jersey to mark a century of senior appearances on Saturday evening.
“100 games for your county, that’s some achievement,” the Meath man told his players in the huddle. 26 championship matches, 58 league matches and 16 McGrath Cup matches for the Rathgormack stalwart between 2014 and 2024. Kildare was the 21st county team he played against.
“Today is all about Mike Curry. He should be immensely proud of himself. A brilliant fella. He’s solid; he’s dependable. The lads look up to him massively. An honest, hard-working man and a great footballer. They are all the traits you look for.” Curry got photos with family and friends on the field. “They support me every day. They’re great. Club and county, they’re always there for you.” The centurion accepted the plaudits with typical modesty. “If you weren’t keeping track of it, I wouldn’t have a clue how many I have! You only have so many years to play at a competitive level. Play as long as you can. That’s what I enjoy doing.” The championship wins over Tipperary (2024) and Wexford (2018) rank as the highlights. “It’s not just the matches you play, it’s the fellas you meet from different clubs. Going down in the car with Jason and Stevie, I’ve been playing with them all my life. It’s the bit of craic you have and the friends you make.” And he isn’t finished yet. “I think I’m going ok anyway! Hopefully, a few more good years left.”
Curry’s second half sending off and a controversial point for Luke Killian puzzled Shankey on the sideline. “Some crazy decisions. Black cards, yellow cards, red cards. You just wonder what game they were watching! Balls wide. Bonkers stuff.” After a respectable first half, Waterford lost their way in the next 37 minutes. Kildare outscored them 5-7 to 0-3. “The second half was chastening,” he admitted. “We seemed to gift wrap goals for the opposition. Just crazy stuff. Those goals sucked the life out of them but, to be fair, the lads kept going. At club level in Waterford, you don’t get punished for those mistakes. When you make those mistakes against top teams, you’re going to get punished. The biggest threat is the turnover. I’d say they scored 4-10 from turnovers.” Two goal hero against Tipperary Tom O’Connell was unavailable.
“Obviously, you want Tom around and Joe Booth. The lads have gone travelling and we wish them the best of luck. They’re young lads off for the summer and they’re right!” Longford are next up. They only lost to Paddy Christie’s men by three points back in February. “I’ve no doubt that they will put in a performance because they’re great lads. They’ll do that.”
