KIELY-RATED REIDY IS BACK AMONG FRIENDS

NO sooner had one door closed but another opened for David Reidy.

In October 2016, newlyappointed Limerick manager John Kiely was assembling his first panel and called Reidy to tell him he wasn’t part of his plans.

“Mentality-wise more than hurling,” says Reidy as to why Kiely (above) arrived at that decision. “It might have been the kick I needed to get back in with Limerick.

“It was disappointing but I had to take it on the chin and go away and work. I had to think of why he didn’t want me and to work on those things.”

He wouldn’t be taking a sabbatical from inter-county hurling though.

Former Limerick goalkeeper Joe Quaid was entering his second year as Kildare senior hurling manager and spotted an opportunity. Reidy was, and still is, teaching in Rathcoffey and living in Naas.

The rules allowed him to declare for Kildare without having to leave his home club Dromin Athlacca. Two months after Kiely cut him loose, Quaid lifted the phone.

“It appealed to me straight away,” he says. “I didn’t think it was going to happen but he rang me and asked me in for a week or two. I thoroughly enjoyed it, the set-up was great, so I continued.

“The boys were down to earth, and they’d bring you down to earth fairly quick if you weren’t pulling your weight. They didn’t build you up as something more than you were.

“John Mulhall

[ex-kilkenny] was in there as well and it was great to learn from him, he’s a fantastic hurler and a great guy.

We had good craic for the year with him.”

They progressed as far as the Christy Ring Cup quarter-final, losing to eventual winners Carlow, but Reidy’s Kildare experience would only last a single season as Kiely recalled him last winter.

“When John rang me I didn’t think twice about it.”

Reidy has had to be patient this year but was among Limerick’s impact subs in the epic All-ireland semi-final win over Cork, hitting a point (left). “Patience plays a big part, particularly with the squad we have. There are fellas who haven’t played much hurling this year who are brilliant hurlers, you have to make sure you take the chance when you get it. It was nice to come in the last day but it was only a semi-final.”