Eddie Brennan | Joe Canning | Ollie Canning | DJ Carey | Eugene Cloonan
Martin Comerford | Lar Corbett | Brendan Cummins | Ronan Curran
Ger Farragher | James 'cha' Fitzpatrick | Damien Fitzhenry | Paul Flynn
John Gardiner | Niall Gilligan | Damian Hayes | Conal Keaney | Michael Kavanagh
Eoin Kennedy | Eoin Kelly | Eoin Kelly | Eoin Larkin | Derek Lyng
Fergus McMahon | Seanie McMahon | Johnny McIntosh | Andrew Mitchell
Stephen Molumpy | Pat Mulcahy | John Mullane | Sean Óg Ó Hailpin
Andrew O'Shaughnessy | Ben O'Connor | Seamus Prendergast
Keith Raymond | Eoin Quigley | Joe Rabbite | Keith Rossiter | Dan Shanahan
Henry Shefflin | James Skehill | Tommy Walsh | Brian Whelehan | James Young
It’s been a good year for Keith Raymond and his Sligo team-mates. The Calry-St Josephs clubman was the architect of the Yeats County’s amazing Nicky Rackard Cup win over Louth in Croker back in August. On the day, Raymond scored a whopping 1-08, all from play. The 20-year-old, who likes to spin House tunes as a DJ in his spare time, had the fans in a trance as he whipped over points from all angles and got an all-important goal.
Since Sligo won the NHL Div 3 title in 2004, hurling has been gaining in popularity in the North West and Keith, whose Mum comes from Tipperary, loves the game. Keith caught the eye in the Nicky Rackard Cup all through the year, scoring a total of 3-24, with just 1 point coming from a free.
Overall, 2008 was great for Raymond, representing Ireland in Shinty and taking home the Nicky Rackard Cup Player of the Year Award. He hopes to build on this year’s success and get a step closer to playing at the Christy Ring level next year, a cup that is named after a distant cousin of his.
It has been a momentous year for Sligo, what has been the highlight for you?
Playing in Croker was a dream come through for me. Teams dream, and it is not everyday that a Sligo hurling team makes it there. Winning was a bonus.
What is the toughest team you have come up against?
We played Warwickshire in Rd 2 of the Nicky Rackard Cup and they put it up to us. We won by 2 points in the end but it was close.
Who was the toughest opponent you ever played against?
When we played Fingal I was marked by Sean O’Sullivan - it wasn’t easy to get scores off him.
Which players do you admire the most?
Kilkenny’s Tommy Walsh, Tipp’s Shane McGrath and Galway’s Joe Canning are some of the best around.
Who were your heroes growing up?
Nicky English was my hero as I was a big Tipp fan. I was also a big Christy Ring fan and read lots of books about the Cork legend. In Gaelic football, it would have been Kerry’s Maurice Fitzgerald.
What club do you play for and who are your biggest rivals?
I play for Calry-St Josephs and our biggest rival on the club scene is definitely Tubbercurry.
What is the most important skill?>
First touch and getting the ball under control is the most important thing. You have to have the ball in your hands before you can do anything with it.
What advice would you have for young players?
Stick at it, never give up and practise, practise, practise. I spent hours practising against a wall like my hero Nicky English.
What are your hopes for the future?
It’s been a fantastic year for us and I hope we can build on it for the future. Winning another Nicky Rackard Cup title would be nice but getting promotion to Div 3 is our real aim.
Name: Keith Raymond
Age: 20
Team: Sligo
Debut: 2003 v Tyrone
Position: Full-Forward
Honours:
1 Nicky Rackard Cup title,
1 National Hurling League Div 3 title,
3 U-21 Shinty titles,
3 Sligo Senior Hurling titles,
Nicky Rackard Cup Player of the Year 2008.
Club: Calry-St Josephs
Fav Food: Steak and Spuds
Fav Music: House Music
Fav Book: Christy Ring Book
Fav TV: The Sunday Game
Fav Film: Training Day
Hobbies: Music and DJing
Occupation: Student CúlFACT:
Keith’s mother is related to the Ring family in Cork, making him a distant cousin of the great Christy Ring. No wonder he is a natural at the hurling. |
