FRIENDS and family from Enniskillen joined Kieran McKenna in the celebrations as his Ipswich Town side won promotion to the Championship at the weekend.
His brothers James and Robbie, father Liam, and extended family joined Enniskillen friends Michael Kerr, Cathal Beacom, and Brendy Rodgers on the biggest day of Kieran’s managerial career so far.
The Fermanagh man guided his side back to the Championship after The Tractor Boys blitzed Exeter 6-0 on Saturday to end their four-season stay in League One, having previously spent 62 straight years in the top two tiers.
“From start to finish it was just a fantastic day. The atmosphere was building from early on in the day and thousands of fans were out on the streets. The whole place was buzzing,” Kerr explained.
“There were 30,000 fans in the ground and only 1,000 of them were Exeter fans, so when Ipswich went 3-0 up after only 20 minutes it was a party scene for the next 70 minutes.
“We met up with Kiernan that night for a few celebratory drinks. He really is loved over there by the fans.
“It was an unforgettable occasion and one of the most enjoyable weekends you could imagine.”
Kieran, who saw a promising playing career at Tottenham ended by a hip injury aged just 22, was part of both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s coaching set-ups at Manchester United after previously coaching youth teams at United.
One thing is for sure though, success won’t go to the 36-year-old’s head.
“Kieran is a very humble fella. There are no heirs or graces with him and he’s always kept his feet on the ground. He’s just like he was when he was about Enniskillen,” Kerr said.
“There have been different fellas that he grew up with over to see him, and he’s always looked after them.
“We went out to his house on Sunday morning for coffee and a chat, and it was just like you were sitting in [his brother] James’ house in Enniskillen. That was really nice and enjoyable as it was just us.
“We had a brilliant weekend from start to finish and we’re looking forward to going back next year.”
For more on this story see this week’s Fermanagh Herald.
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