IT doesn’t feel like that long since Domhnall Nugent was limbering up, ready to do battle with Down – whether in the pre-season Conor McGurk Cup, or when Antrim were on their way to winning the Joe McDonagh Cup a few years back.
The St John’s clubman bagged 1-2 when the counties last met, back in April 2022, as the Saffrons laid waste to the Ardsmen; the Ballycran fortress ruthlessly penetrated as Darren Gleeson’s side showed themselves a cut above hurling’s second tier.
For Nugent, though, the time between has thrown up a fair few challenges, with injury preventing him from striking a sliothar in anger as often as he would like.
First came an ankle reconstruction, before back-to-back cruciate ligament injuries brought him back to square one – leaving him in a cumbersome Jack brace for the time being, hoping there will be good news on that front in the future.
“Ah, it’s been frustrating and it’s been hard, but what can you do?
“I’m still a player, still a hurler, I’m definitely not closing the door on that…”
Still only 27, there are plenty of years ahead.
But while some doors temporarily close, others have been kicked in – with an impressive coaching résumé seeing Nugent named as Down’s new camogie boss earlier this week, picking up the baton from fellow Antrim man Paul Donnelly.
The Mourne County, and Down chairperson Teresa Carr in particular, could see the potential. Because everywhere he has gone, a mark has been left; with Ulster University, with the St John’s camogs, before last year – alongside dad Paddy – their Liatroim side won the county crown.
Nugent was involved with Liatroim and Ballela this year, and even stepped into the breach to coach the Liatroim hurlers ahead of their county semi-final against Ballygalget. He knows the Down scene inside out.
Moving onto the inter-county stage might look a big step, but it is a challenge he feels ready for.
“I’ve always been coaching while I’ve been playing - that’s why stepping into this role when I’m out will be good for my development too.
“It was put to me a couple of months ago, and I took a good while to think about it, went through every pro and con. But I just think there’s huge potential here.
“There’s been quite a drop-off in the last number of years, and it’s up to me now to reverse that trend. The club scene in Down is very strong, and sometimes what comes off the back of that is people thinking about club before county.
“That’s only natural, we’ve had that in Antrim too, but I want to find the happy medium. You want girls chomping at the bit to win championships with their club because that’s going to feed into the county, rather than it being a hindrance.
“I’ve no doubt that if girls come and play for the county, they’re going to go back to their clubs better players and better people.”
And implementing the techniques picked up from his personal and professional life, working closely with the Gaelic Players’ Association, will be central to creating a unified group.
“Having that holistic approach is very important to me; making people a wee bit more self-aware in terms of how they can become better, whether that’s inside or outside camogie, and being there for them. Being on a journey with them.
“I’ve went away and done a lot of work on environments, teams, picking up different things in different places, even the Aussie Rules scene, and that’s something I’m stepping into.
“They talk about safe places, being vulnerable with each other and creating an environment where people can show up as themselves and bring the best out of each other.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s challenging too. Managing a women’s team is a lot different than a men’s team - the last few years with Liatroim has taught me that.
“But in terms of the work I’m putting in, there will be no stone left unturned. I’m all in.”
And he has brought a stellar crew on board too, with Noel Sands coming in as selector and coach. Although Nugent grew up playing against Sands’s son Eoghan, he wasn’t acquainted with the Down great until a few hours spent in Portaferry told them they were on the same page.
“Everything we spoke about, we were very much in alignment - he’s been there and done it in terms of hurling.
“I wanted to make sure I got as many Down people involved as possible, to try and get connected again, bringing people from different clubs across the county. If we have that connection and that identity, there’s no better person than Noel to talk about that because he’s a huge Down man.
“I remember at one of Jurgen Klopp’s first press conferences, he was asked about being the best manager in the world, and he said he wasn’t – he said he had the best people in the world around him. It’s something that always stuck with me.
“It’s so important to have good people around you, and the values I’ve set out, the management and the backroom team need to reflect that, which they definitely do.”
Another selector will come on board soon, but alongside Nugent and Sands at the minute are Ballela’s Andy McGivern, selector and liaison for the county minor squad, and Liatroim’s Jill O’Hagan, with Joe Clifford lead analyst.
Bia Performance will look after athletic development, as they do for the Down hurlers, with physios Conán Brogan and Niamh Fitzpatrick, while Grainne O’Higgins – part of Team Ireland at last summer’s Olympics in Paris – is nutritionist.
“I’m just out of this, in terms of inter-county,” says Nugent, “I know what it’s like, what the players are feeling like.
“I know what it’s like to maybe not want to fully commit because you have other things going on – I know what they’re going through, and that’s why it’s important for me to meet the players and have that empathy, because I get it.
“I also get what’s on the other side of it, in terms of the opportunities, the development, being a better player and a better person. I think it’s a really good fit, and hopefully we can all work together and get the best out of the girls.”
