Shanahan hoping club gives him a final chance to bow out in real style
FOR Dan Shanahan, the New Year started with an unexpected bang. Never averse to a gentle prompting to visit Eamonn’s Place on the main street of his home town in Lismore, he walked through the doors in early January to find a surprise 40th birthday party thrown in his honour.
Waterford manager Derek McGrath and old teammate Ken McGrath were among the familiar faces who were there to celebrate a personal milestone. He just never imagined hitting that number and still being able to dream of winning a first All-Ireland at Croke Park.
This afternoon, though, Lismore take on Galway champions AhascraghFohenagh in an intermediate semi-final and the Promised Land is just a step away. ‘Did I ever think I’d play outside of Fraher Field in Waterford with my club? I didn’t,’ he admits. ‘To get to Croke Park with your club is a dream every club player dreams of. But we’re not there yet.’
Not that any career is necessarily defined by medals. Shanahan lined out for Waterford in the 2008 AllIreland final, the county’s sole appearance in a senior decider since 1963. A day Kilkenny produced the perfect storm to romp home by 33 points.
To get a chance to walk out and lay that memory to rest is just one more motivation. ‘There’s a lot of excellent hurlers who haven’t won AllIreland medals. I look at Steven Gerrard – I’m a Liverpool fan – who has never won a Premier League medal. That doesn’t define him as a bad player.
‘It’s the same in hurling, same in golf – you could be a fantastic golfer just never win a major. When you do win the big things – the All-Irelands, the majors, the Premierships – it puts you up there. But there are plenty of people like myself who haven’t won an All-Ireland but have tried their best.
‘I’ve achieved a lot in my career. Obviously haven’t won what everyone else wants to win, gone up the steps of Croke Park. But mostly for the people of Lismore, who have done so much for you over the years, from under-8s to turning 40, it would mean so much. Sure my mother still washes my gear. I just leave it at the door and run!’
To think he was close to quitting when the club were relegated from the senior ranks the previous season. ‘It definitely crossed my mind. But there will plenty of time to look in from outside the wire.’
A quiet word in Tony Browne’s ear helped convince another one of the faces of Waterford hurling to take over as manager. County and Munster club championships have followed, the twin attacking threat of Dan and younger brother Maurice lighting the way up front.
Now a Waterford selector, the recent squad weekend trip to Liverpool was passed up because of what’s at stake. ‘It was too close to the club game. The prize is unbelievable – if we can get over the line.’
Last weekend, Derek McGrath told a story of how hurling stirs the passions in the county, how the management are deemed fair game no matter what the setting, Shanahan being accosted at a funeral by a local politician who had his say over team selection.
‘Nothing is off limits. I appreciate that. If people go to matches and watch the games they are entitled to their opinion. But as long as I’m in Waterford, I won’t have any player criticised or knocked back.
‘I know the sacrifices they are all making to try and win that All-Ireland medal.’
In a week when the Club Players’ Association called for the proposed All-Ireland football revamp to be parked on the basis it would eclipse the hurling championship, Shanahan is open to the idea of breaking with tradition and playing the hurling final after the football.
‘I would agree with bringing the All-Irelands two weeks earlier, and putting it back behind the football.’
He’d leave the Munster championship alone but suggests: ‘Maybe shorten the league. Because the club players are really suffering.
‘We played a lot of our club games under lights. We had just one game during the day. It didn’t bother us but we don’t have lights in our club to train under.’
As to whether it could be his last game at O’Connor Park today? ‘It definitely could. Please God it won’t end til February but the Galway champions will have something to say about that.
‘It’s been a privilege and honour to hurl for Waterford for 14 years, I started my career with Lismore – and I’m going to finish with Lismore.’
Steven Gerrard never won the league but that does not define him