Keys Hoping To Unlock #EnergiaAIL Status For Enniskillen

There are certain moments in a club’s history that feel bigger than the game itself. Moments that stretch far beyond the white lines of a pitch, beyond the result on a scoreboard, and into something deeper, identity, legacy, and belonging.

For Enniskillen, this weekend’s Energia All-Ireland League Provincial League Championship Final is one of those moments. Eighty minutes stand between them and something the club has never achieved before, promotion to the Energia All-Ireland League.

It is a milestone that has hovered just out of reach in recent seasons, a target they have circled, chased, and come agonisingly close to grasping. Now, under the guidance of head coach Alastair Keys, they have an opportunity to turn years of progress into history.

But like many great sporting stories, this is not just about the destination. It is about the journey, the people, and the generations that have shaped the club into what it is today.

“It’s been a long number of years really” Keys reflects, his tone measured but reflective.

“Especially in the last couple of years we’ve come runners-up in the league, sort of close to it. We’ve got a step further this year, but there’s still a massive hurdle to go.”

That hurdle comes in the form of Boyne RFC this Saturday at 2:30pm in the Palace Grounds, a side that has mirrored Enniskillen’s rise in many ways, ambitious, well-coached, and battle-hardened by big occasions. Despite Enniskillen’s impressive 33-8 semi-final victory over Creggs, there is no sense of complacency within the camp.

“I know the game against Creggs went okay but I think it’ll be very different” Keys admits.

“I just think going up there, Boyne they’re a good side. A physical side as well has been able to move the ball wide well and have good continuity play. We just caught a bit of their game against Kilfeacle & District at the start of the second half and they scored a great team try, so yeah, I know they’re a good side and we certainly won’t underestimate them at all.”

It is a recognition that finals are different beasts altogether. Form, momentum, and previous results often fade into the background when everything is on the line. What matters is execution, composure, and the ability to handle pressure.

That respect for the opposition is balanced by a quiet confidence in his own group, a squad that, while still relatively young, has accumulated a wealth of experience in recent years.

“I think we’ve been pretty consistent over the last three years” he says.

“We’ve kept the league going until the last Saturday in the two previous seasons. Again, this year obviously we managed to get across the line.”

Consistency has been Enniskillen’s defining trait. Not a flash in the pan success, not a single-season surge, but a steady build. Year after year, they have remained in contention, learning from both victories and setbacks.

They have gotten to Energia Men’s Junior Cup Finals, and this year went out in the quarter final stage. They have dealt with heartbreak, but they know how to get to finals, and they also know how to win them.

“The guys have been to quite a few finals and things as well in terms of the Towns Cup, Junior Cup and the All-Ireland Junior Cup.

I suppose as a very young team they’ve had to get quite a lot of experience of those big occasions and being on both sides of the wins as well. There’s quite a bit of experience within the team despite the fact that they’re pretty young at the same time.”

That experience could prove invaluable this weekend. Knowing how to manage the emotional highs and lows of a final, understanding the ebb and flow of knockout rugby, and having already felt both sides of the result, these are lessons that cannot be taught overnight. While they would get another chance against Malahide if they fail to secure a result, they are out to deliver a result this weekend.

For Skins a paradox that defines many successful teams has blended into their own, youth combined with maturity, energy balanced by composure. And for Enniskillen, it has been a formula that has brought them to the brink of something special.

Yet, beyond tactics and team selection, there is another layer to this story, one that makes it uniquely compelling.

For Alastair Keys, coaching this team is not just any normal role. It is deeply personal.

“Three of my sons are playing (Angus, Henry and Eddie) and my other son Conor who had to stop playing because of concussions was helping coach the backs for the first two seasons. He’s headed off to Australia this year.”

It is rare in modern sport to see such a direct family involvement at this level, but for Enniskillen, it feels entirely natural. The club is woven into the fabric of the community, and for the Keys family, it is part of their identity.

Conor’s departure to Australia may have changed the dynamic slightly, but his influence remains part of the group’s journey.

“I suppose I knew a lot of the guys from coaching them way back in my days and different years through the school as well” Keys adds.

There is a sense of continuity in that statement, a coach who has seen these players grow from young prospects into senior leaders, guiding them not just tactically, but personally as well.

And while Keys is quick to deflect praise, highlighting the contributions of his coaching staff, it is clear that the environment they have created is one built on trust and collaboration.

“I have to say as well, at the moment most of the coaching has been done by others. Raymond Savage coaching the forwards and when Conor left to go to Australia, Rob, a good friend of his, Robert Baloucoune came in to help as a coach this year which has been fantastic.

More latterly, Adam Chester who played at Barnhall last year and has been playing with us this season. He’s helped a lot with coaching the backs and whatever. Ryan Cathcart then is the strength and conditioning so genuinely I have to give most of the credit for the coaching to those guys to be honest.”

It is a collective effort, modern rugby, particularly at this level, is rarely about one individual. It is about a network of people working towards a shared goal. Among that coaching group, the presence of Robert Baloucoune adds another dimension.

A player of international calibre, who began his journey at the club, Baloucoune’s involvement brings both technical insight and inspiration to the squad.

For young players, having someone of Baloucoune’s pedigree around the squad offers a glimpse into the professional game, the standards, the preparation, the mindset required at the highest level.

“Rob’s been fantastic” Keys says.

“Obviously the time he can give us is limited enough but he comes down when he can. He was down last night and it’s his experience. Again he was at school with quite a few of the guys and played with them at the club and at the school so hopefully he enjoys it too and is getting a kick out of it as well.”

And while Baloucoune has been busy with his rugby, playing for Ireland in a starring role in the recent Six Nations, along with his involvement with Ulster and an appearance with Ballynahinch in 1A of the Energia All-Ireland League, Keys jests that he would love to have him available for Saturday’s game.

“I wish to get him dual status” he laughs.

“He will still be there and he’s a good presence to have around the place. He’s having to get used to all the fame and the kids coming up and all the rest of it.”

It is a reminder that, despite the pressures of modern rugby, the game remains rooted in relationships and shared experiences. But perhaps the most powerful image of all comes not from the pitch or the training ground, but from the stands and sidelines, with his own family experience within the team.

“It does (make it special). There’s no doubt about it. It’s been a great kick to have the boys there. My father has come to all the games. He’s the former president and captain of the club and he’s 89 now but he still comes along to all the matches so we have a way we can do all of that. It’s obviously something that we really appreciate being able to do.”

Three generations. A grandfather who once led the club, a son now coaching it, and three grandsons playing on the field. Eddie the fly-half who crossed for a try and landed four conversions in the win over Creggs, Henry who bagged the opening try lining out in the back row at number 8 with Angus on the flank, who can also deliver a try.

It is a narrative that encapsulates everything community rugby represents. That appreciation extends beyond the family to the wider club, which has become a focal point for the local community.

“We’re the only club in Fermanagh so we cover a fair hinterland. Everybody at the club is a volunteer including all the coaches. Everybody’s doing it for the love of the club. Things are going well at the moment obviously for the girls. The academy team, 21’s team, won the Ulster Academy cup.”

And right now, that heartbeat is stronger than ever in Enniskillen. Success breeds momentum, and momentum breeds belief. Across all levels of the club, there is a sense that something special is happening.

As Enniskillen prepares to step onto the field at the Palace Grounds in Armagh, they do so carrying more than just their own ambitions. They carry the hopes of a community, the pride of a club, and the legacy of those who came before them.

Eighty minutes to make history. Eighty minutes to complete a journey that has been years in the making. And regardless of the outcome, one thing is certain, Enniskillen will walk onto that pitch as a team defined not just by their rugby, but by their story.

A couple of weeks ago their women’s side wrote a new chapter to get promoted to Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division.

Now, the men’s team has the opportunity to add another chapter.

“Obviously it’s the goal and that would be fantastic but again, I know it’s a cliche but we’ve really got to just try and take this as any other game and we know that we’re going to be a really tough team to beat so we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves.

I’m sure Boyne would be approaching it exactly the same. It should be a good day. Everybody wants to be involved in big games coming up at the end of the season so the guys have put a huge amount of work in, not just this season but over the last few seasons too.

There’s a few knocks and a few sore bodies after that game against Creggs but like any other week we’ll be putting out the best team we have available for sure.”

Keep up to date with all the latest news in our dedicated website hub at www.irishrugby.ie/energiaail, and follow #EnergiaAIL on social media channels.