A POWER-FUL VISIT!
Former Kilkenny star delivers hurling treat in Kiltegan
“HOW often did you hurl?” Asked a Kiltegan man of former Kilkenny star Richie Power who conducted a training session for numerous teams in the Carlow border club last week. The question related to how often Power hurled as a youngster on the road to becoming a black and amber legend whose inter-county career was cut short by injury.
“Every day,” answered the Carrickshock man and it was these two words that Kiltegan GAA Club Chairman Damien Byrne found both influential in one sense but telling when it comes to hurling in Wicklow in this day and age.
“He told us he hurled every day when he was growing up. Anything else is not hurling, he said,” said Damien Byrne.
Power’s visit to Kiltegan came about thanks to the connections and lifelong interest in the Kiltegan GAA Club of the Doogue family from Baltinglass.
Brendan Doogue trained Kiltegan and his sons Niall and Brendan are continuing the love affair between the prominent business family and the thriving west Wicklow club and were keen to bring up a Kilkenny hurler to take a training session in the club.
The plan didn’t materialise last year but this year there was no stopping the Doogue brothers and at 5.45pm on a beautiful summer’s evening Richie Power arrived in Kiltegan to be met with droves of young hurling and camogie players from under-7s all the way up to adult level.
“It was fantastic,” said Damien Byrne when asked how the session went. “He spent 20 minutes or thereabouts with each group. He took the under-7s, 9s, and 11s together, he had the Féile team for a session, the camogie Féile team, the Intermediate camogie team, the under-16s and Minors and then the adults. He arrived at 5.45 and he pulled out of the club at 9.40pm that night and we only stopped for some food at 8pm for about 20 minutes.
“He signed at least two items, be that a helmet and a hurl of whatever, belonging to every child in the place. He was very well received, and he told us he will see us later in the year so hopefully he’ll come back to us,” said Damien Byrne.
Power first played competitive hurling during his schooling at St. Kieran’s College. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of fifteen when he first linked up with the Kilkenny Minor team, before later joining the under-21 side. He made his Senior debut during the 2005 league. Power immediately became a regular member of the starting 15, and has won eight All-Ireland medals, five Leinster medals and three National League medals.
He has also won two Railway Cup medals.