Hurling blood just courses through Kevin Campbell’s veins, but then it was never going to be any other way.
His father, Eamonn, hails from Loughgiel in county Antrim: Hurling country.
Eamonn Campbell has managed Setanta and managed Donegal. In 2006, he steered a Donegal ship that sailed to Croke Park for the first time, reaching the Nicky Rackard Cup final.
These days, he patrols the sidelines for Setanta again. Son Paul is manager and another son, Kevin, is the captain, hoping to drive the Crossroads men to an Ulster Junior Hurling Championship title on Sunday.
“There is a very strong tradition of hurling around the family and it’s great that they’re all part of it,” Kevin Campbell, Setanta’s ace free taker, says.
“It’s great to have them there.
“After the county final I fell to my knees and started crying. Paul was there. Dad was there. It was very emotional.”
Campbell played on the Setanta teams of 2007 and 2008 which lost Ulster finals.
He said: “These days don’t come around too often. A lot of men play all their lives and never get this chance. It’ll be a great day for us as a club and it’s great to get a chance to lead them out.
“We had our first meeting and we talked about what we wanted to achieve. An Ulster title was put forward as one of the goals. But the county title was the main one. It was in the back of our minds.
“We’ve been performing well, but we know from past experiences that you don’t just turn up and win finals.”
Listen to the full interview below…
