"Losing a life is far more important when it comes down to it"- Billy Sheehan pays tribute to the late Adam Kirwan following win over Waterford

Laois recovered from the defeat to the hands of Wicklow with a comfortable win over Waterford this evening. The win cements their place at the top of the table in Division 4.

Billy Sheehan spoke to the media following the result to give his thoughts on the contest as well as poignant tribute to the late Adam Kirwan.

Sheehan remains focused on taking every game as it comes and that the talk in the camp is only about their next opponents. Laois have had a tendency in recent games to give up scores before half-time and that was the case tonight too.

"Look the objective is we go from game to game and our objective here tonight was to win the game. We got over the line in the end which is the important thing. We were 1-5 to a point up and we held them to one point for 32 minutes of the first-half. We let them back in the game, we let Wexford back in the game and we let Wicklow back in the game, just before half-time. These are the times that the games were closer but we had a good reaction in the second-half, which is good to see. It’s another game and we always go from game to game, there’s no talk about anything else. We’ve to play Leitrim next and we’ve to go down there and get prepared for them for two weeks and see how we go."

Sheehan used all five of his allocated subs as he gave minutes to the younger lads on the panel. A move in which he feels is needed in their young careers.

"That’s important I think, Ciaran Burke came on, Darragh Carrolan came on. Seamus Lacey is just back from a cruciate injury, Sean O’Neil as well as Cathal Doyle featured , it’s great to see all those lads get some game time as well but lads we want to see in training and these lads are showing up so they’ve got to get game time if they deserve it."

Eoin Lowry was by far Laois' best player on the night as the Killeshin man kicked 2-6 out of Laois' 2-13. Sheehan was full of praise for Lowry as well as the players feeding the inside forwards with the balls.

"I felt he was very good last week against Wicklow, even though we lost the game. He really upped his performance from the previous two games. Eoin is in the inside-line and he’s depending on the boys out the field. The boys out the field got him the ball the way we wanted them to and that’s important. When it came down to it, Eoin was really the shining light in the team tonight and the best player on the pitch."

Kevin Swayne featured heavily having only played for SETU Carlow less than 48 hours before tonight's game. Swayne was named player of the match in the final and Sheehan also called on the importance of the younger players playing for their colleges.

"He had an All-Ireland Freshers final on Thursday night and we encouraged him. Sean O’Flynn also played Sigerson with Galway and Kevin Swayne was playing college football. I always encourage the lads to play the games and after 50 minutes his legs were gone, he gave us all he could. Someone else came in and that was the way it is. Ciaran came on and Damon went wing-forward and we just rock on."

Sheehan closed his thoughts by mentioning the untimely passing of Adam Kirwan and offering his condolences to the Kirwan family. 

“Just before I finish, just on behalf of the team, you mentioned Kevin Swayne, he was very good friends with Adam Kirwan. He was best friends with his cousin but they were friendly, he was in the house recently there. I’ve three sons myself and my fathers anniversary was yesterday, he got to live a good life but unfortunately, Adam’s life was taken from him early. From the Laois Senior management and the Laois Senior players, I’d like to offer sincere condolences to the Kirwan family. Look you win games, you lose games, we were in the dressing room last week after we lost a game. Losing a life is far more important when it comes down to it and talking to a man as young as Kevin yesterday and to see how disappointed he was. Football only comes second-place to that and we were deeply sorry to hear the news. I didn’t know the lad myself but I have watched videos of him since playing with Thurles and I was also getting information on him from the hurling side. He was a huge hurler and had a great attitude, great kid and it’s disappointing I suppose as being a dad myself, to lose your son so young. Outside of winning matches, it’s kind of in my head all day to just really give a mention to that young lad, because it’s so disappointing."

Lowry to the fore as Laois return to winning ways in Division 4