THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A BIT OF CLEERE THINKING
THERE was further proof this week that nothing oils the most reticent of voice boxes like public office.
There was a reason why the best thing about Kilkenny’s pre All-Ireland press nights in the noughties was the handsome steaks served up by Langton’s Hotel. There was a coded message there in that they would also prove to be the juiciest thing on the menu as the players would poker-face us into submission. This week, Peter Cleere, a former panellist, teased us more than a little on what we missed out on when responding to the revelation that Donal O’Grady had motivated Cork prior to the 2004 final by reminding them of their county’s significant role in the War of Independence in comparison to Kilkenny’s cowering efforts.
‘It’s crazy to think that he would question generations of Kilkenny people all for an All-Ireland final. It’s a bit disingenuous to say Cork people did more for the War of Independence than Kilkenny people,’ blasted Cleere.
And that was only the half of it.
‘When we went to play Cork in 2006 when they were going for three-in-a-row, they had this swagger and this cockiness and an almost sneery kind of an attitude.
‘All we wanted to do was beat them. It was about stopping Cork because they were so arrogant and cocky,’ he added.
Where was Cody hiding Cleere in 2006 when his team-mates filled our cliché machines with such kind words about the Rebels.
We would have gladly given up our steaks for a delicious line on Cork’s ‘sneeriness and cockiness’, but no one served it up to us.
But, then , Cleere was not togging out for Fianna Fail as a councillor back then either, which might explain why he was not backwards about coming forward this week.