It’s been a great six years but it’s all a blur!
TIME HAS FLOWN FOR LYNCH & HE’S LOVED EVERY MINUTE
ALL of a sudden, Cian Lynch is starting out on his sixth Championship campaign for Limerick this weekend.
Like his first, it will start with a Munster quarter- final against Clare at Semple Stadium.
There won’t be summer sunshine and a dry sod this Sunday like that day in 2015, but Lynch would settle for everything else falling into place as it did back then.
At just 19, he scored 0- 3 from play from corner- forward, Limerick won by a point and he was named man of the match and, later, player of the month.
“It’s all a blur,” said Lynch. “A long time ago now. It was great. An absolute honour.
“A summer’s day in Thurles. A huge moment for myself to get to wear t he Limerick j ersey i n a Championship match . I ’m j ust blessed that things went well and we got the win.
“I suppose it is mad really when you think about it, to think it’s six years. Life f li es by. When you’re
LYNCHING FORWARD.. Lynch in action for his club Patrickswell back in August
enjoying things, it can go by fast.
“We have some great memories but you have to go and keep going and making memories. Appreciate life outside of hurling as well.”
Naturally, events of the last seven months or so have caused Lynch to take stock.
“I ’m pushing on now, I ’m getting old, I have to manage the old body,” smiled the 24- year- old.
“No, you just have to be wise.
There were three months there when we c oul d do absolut ely nothing, weren’t back with the clubs, everybody was in the same boat, i t was that moment you realised ‘ Jesus, I miss being a part of something, being a part of a routine, being a part of a group’.
“It’s very hard to go off and go on a run on your own, but if you have some lad beside you or you are in a group i t ’s a l ot easier to push yourself. I’m 24 now and it can all be taken away from you in the blink of an eye.
“I suppose it’s just appreciating the years you can play, every week you are able to get out and play. We’ll play for as long as we can.”
Lynch is at pains to stress how appreciative he is that hurling has resumed this year, even if much of the fun has been drained from it.
“There are five of us from Patrickswell, we’d normally be in the car together going to training and matches and there’d be a good old buzz.
“And the dressing- room side of things, that’s gone, but I suppose in the current climate you are just grateful that you are able to get back training and still have plenty of fun outdoors on the pitch, hit the ball over and back, have a chat.
“It’s just perspective, you realise how much you miss something and how important it is.
“We just have to li sten to the Government, li sten to the GAA, do everything right for ourselves, f or our f amilies, f or the wider community.”