Profile: Joe Morrissey, Captain of Clontarf Cricket Club

Date of Birth: 22 Feb 1978

Place of Birth: Dublin

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 16st 7lb

Bat: LHB

Bowl: Right Arm Fast Medium

Senior Debut: Merrion Vs Clontarf 1993, Anglesea Road

Previous Clubs: Merrion, Dublin University, University of Queensland (Aus)

Captain of Clontarf since: 2009

 
Joe, after the 2009 Leinster Cup final victory with daughter Genevieve


CP: Congratulations on a great League and Cup double. Leinster didn’t make it easy for you on the final Sunday, did they?

JM: They certainly didn’t.  To be very honest I’d have been disappointed if they had – every game we played this season was ‘live’ with something at stake, I’m glad we can now stand tall over our league win and say we had no ‘gimmies’ and deserved it.

CP: You must have been pleased to see the way Eoghan Delaney and Richie Forrest saw you home from 162-7?

JM: Extremely so. Both are born and bred Clontarf players and both have worked tremendously hard at their game throughout the season without reaping the rewards I felt they deserved.  I was glad they got the opportunity to scoop up some of the glory.  I suspect it will not be the last time either of them features in that capacity for Clontarf.

CP: Which win gives you most satisfaction – League or Cup?

JM: The League. Granted the cup is the ‘Blue Ribbon’ event of the LCU calendar and is very difficult competition to win but it’s the best team in the province over the course of the whole season that wins the league.  We worked very hard all year and it’s great to be able to have something to show for it.

CP: Going to North County and beating them by 185 runs in the Cup Final must have been a good feeling?

JM: Beating North County is always very satisfying – they’ve got a great club and some outstanding cricketers playing for them. To be honest the planets aligned for us that day.  After about 48 overs I would have thought they were ahead in the game keeping us to 140 odd for 5 on a good track but then a couple of us came off with the bat, momentum shifted and we were able to carry that forward with the ball to get early wickets. On another day things could have very easily been very different.

CP: In the League you lost to Merrion twice – the second one by 7 wickets at the end of August. Was that the low point of the season?

JM: Very rarely do you go through a year without a collapse or two, batting first in Merrion at 11am is never easy but to be fair they outplayed us that day. Personally, having started playing cricket with Merrion, I am always keen to beat them but it’s a testament to the guys that we turned around the next day and beat a full strength Railway side in one of our best performances of the season. 

CP: What has been the strength of the Clontarf team this season?

JM: Work ethic.  We work very hard and having the likes of Rod Hokin and Alex Cusack setting the tone really helps the younger players see just what a difference it makes. I think we have a good balance of youth and experience in the side and both ends of the spectrum have made material contributions to win crucial games for us throughout the season. 

CP: Would you pick out any people who have done well?

JM: We’ve got a lot of good players, obviously our Professional, Rod Hokin, has again been outstanding both on the pitch and off the pitch also. Billy Coghlan scored 40s with almost unerring consistency. Greg Molins whilst juggling a new son, Oliver, has been as solid as a rock. The gulf in class between Alex Cusack, Andrew Poynter and us mere mortals has been evidenced on more than a few occasions.  Also 16-year-old Jordan Coghlan has emerged from nowhere to become an outstanding prospect as a genuinely fast bowler.

CP: For you personally, were you happy with your own game?

JM: As much as you ever can be, I was. I try to keep it simple and this year I worked hard on a few aspects of my game and was fortunate enough to get what I’d like to think were a few slices of ‘Gary Player-esque’ luck.

CP: What was the highlight of the season for you?

JM: I’d like to mention a few.Alex Cusack’s ball to dismiss Andre Botha in the Cup Final – even Brian Lara wouldn’t have kept that one out.  Eoghan Delany’s fielding against the Hills – total commitment coupled with exceptional athleticism.  Some of Billy Coghlan’s drives on the up through extra-cover – shots I can only dream about playing.  The single highlight for me though was the feeling after beating Leinster to win the league it was a microcosm for our season and to fight our way, man by man, to win the game and the league was massively satisfying.

CP: The one trophy that Clontarf has never won despite all the success over the years is the Irish Cup. Is that something you think Clontarf can rectify in the near future?

JM: We’ll do our very best to.  We’ll sit down over the winter and review what went wrong for us during the season and how we should go about improving things.  Suffice to say that the Bob Kerr Trophy will be on that agenda. 

CP: What are you looking forward to doing during the close season instead of playing cricket?

JM: First and foremost I’ll be spending a lot of time with my wife Veronica and daughter Genevieve – cricket is very time consuming and the sacrifices wives / girlfriends / family make cannot be overstated – I’m looking forward to spending weekends with them and perhaps going on a holiday or two.  Sports wise I’ll put my feet up for a few weeks and then try to work on a bit of strength training in the gym and get out for some long bike rides to get my cardio levels up....


Joe Morrissey in conversation with Liam Rooney


Copyright: Cover Point