Captain from the Con quiet achiever

Lions captain came of age when tragedy struck Munster last year, his old allies tell Kate Rowan

At Cork Constitution FC, they are looking forward to adding another British and Irish Lions jersey to the framed collection proudly displayed on the clubhouse wall.

Lions test captain Peter O’Mahony’s red shirt will join those worn by such famous names as Noel Murphy, Tom Kiernan, Donal Lenihan, Ronan O’Gara, Donncha O’Callaghan and Simon Zebo.

Red is the colour in Cork — not only is it in the county colour for Gaelic games but it is synonymous with Munster, the province the blindside flanker captains.

They say the All Blacks have developed their tradition of excellence because Kiwi kids everywhere are born virtually with a ball in hand. It was the same story for O’Mahony, 27. He has been larking about with a ball at the Con, as the club are known, since he was three, thanks to his father John’s long association with them.

Brian Hickey, Munster forwards coach from 2002 to 2008 and coach of Con since 2009, remembers O’Mahony as a toddler through to him becoming a senior player for the club’s first team when he was in the early stages of his Munster career. Hickey, a dentist, recalls how the young back rower was always ready to take on extra responsibilities and to challenge older players.

Former Munster teammate and veteran halfback Peter Stringer describes O’Mahony as a reserved character who chooses his moments to speak, and makes all the more impact for it.

Stringer says: “He was initially just a quiet guy. But when he puts his mind to it, he just gets down to the hard work. at an early age, he was a guy who if he saw something wasn’t right, he would speak his mind. He doesn’t have to say much but everyone takes note of the work that he does. It makes him a natural leader.”

Hickey believes the tragic death of Munster coach Anthony Foley last October prepared O’Mahony for captaining the Lions.