A title worth shouting about on a night of wonderful mayhem
IHAVE to start with last Monday night and the scenes at Portlaoise when Offaly won a first Leinster minor hurling title since 2000, beating Laois in what was a wonderful occasion. And it informed us that, sometimes, it’s worth making a stand. When the final whistle blew at the end of Offaly’s semi-final, it was announced that the decider would be at Nowlan Park last Saturday. Except that was the same day the Offaly senior hurlers were due to play Kerry in Tralee in the Joe McDonagh Cup. I immediately said, ‘this can’t happen’. We don’t have a huge support base but we have a very loyal one and we couldn’t be in Tralee and Nowlan Park and have our support split with small numbers at both games.
The Leinster Council came back and offered a switch if Laois agreed. I said: ‘Why Nowlan Park? Why a neutral venue? Let’s toss for it and give one team and local town a boost.’ Typically, I lost the toss! We came up with the initiative then of asking all of our clubs to bring a busload of kids to the match.
As a young lad, going to see the county team play was a huge thing – I still remember the days out in the 1970s. Because Offaly haven’t been going well in recent years, I was conscious that this generation hasn’t had many days out.
Laois did the same and the result was incredible. The official attendance was 12,500 – I’d say that was purely adults. Given the capacity is 22,000, there must have been almost 18,000 there. That created a brilliant atmosphere. A Monday evening which required the floodlights to come on when the match was delayed because of the crowd. There were children lost at half-time. They couldn’t start the second half on time because they couldn’t get the kids back through the gates. It was a wonderful mayhem!
I met Michael Delaney going into the stand, the former Leinster Council CEO, a lovely guy, who said: ‘We need this more than ye.’.
A first ever Laois-Offaly final – Laois hadn’t won it since 1964. But believe me, we needed it too.
The result then capped it all. It’s great to be in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Our captain Dan Ravenhill is my next-door neighbour. When I moved to Durrrow, a small townland nestled between Tullamore and Kilbeggan with a school, a church and a graveyard, I bought the house from Stephen and Dolores Ravenhill. I remember their son Ross, now on the senior team, walking around the kitchen with a hurl in his hand from about the age of two. A few other people moved out and the underage set-up of BallinamereDurrow took off.
We’ve five on the senior panel – including my own son Brian – four on the U20s, and a lot live within 200 yards of me. It’s amazing to have so many players involved from the same spot.
Minor manager Leo O’Connor invited me into the dressing room afterwards – my old team-mate Johnny Pilkington is also involved. Cillian Martin – a son of Kevin – is on the team, too.
Someone requested a song and they started with The Offaly Rover. I couldn’t get over that young lads would be so tuned in. It was a special moment. As I left the ground, I got a text from Shane Lowry who was watching it, along with his father Brendan, at Southern Hills as he prepared for the US PGA. They watched it in the clubhouse there – how I don’t know!
Big, home crowds have been a feature, too, of the round-robin senior provincial championships. Walsh Park was electric last weekend for Waterford-Cork. Cusack Park the same for Clare-Limerick.
I’ve really been impressed with Clare, there is something different about them this year – they are not far away. The draw against Limerick that secured a place in the Munster final confirmed that.
I tipped Cork here last Sunday too – I knew it was in them. Their big men really stood up – Mark Coleman, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Séamus Harnedy, Conor Lehane. For whatever reason, Waterford were flat on the day. When the pressure comes on, their decision-making can be poor.
The reality is, it’s in Cork’s hands now. If they beat Tipp they are through – I don’t think anyone with a crystal ball would have said it was going to be a Clare versus Limerick Munster final, no matter what happens today.
Clare have qualified already but inter-county players are hugely competitive – I can see them really going for it against Waterford.
Both matches are on at the same time – I’m in Thurles for TippCork – and while it’s hard to see a scenario where Tipperary progress, anything is possible.
Another thing that’s formulating strongly in my mind is how Leinster hurling is being almost completely overlooked.
It’s all about Clare and Limerick making a Munster final and who will join them. Hardly a word about whether Galway or anyone in Leinster might be an All-Ireland contender.
The Leinster round-robin has been so much more low key. I haven’t seen as many of the matches in the province – part of the problem with the television rights – so it’s hard to judge. But it’s fair to say the Leinster SHC hasn’t attracted the same interest and crowds. I definitely wouldn’t be writing all the teams off. The one League match that really stood out in my mind was Limerick versus Galway when Henry Shefflin’s side turned the All-Ireland champions over. There’s a long way to go yet.
I can’t wait for the Munster final after what Clare have brought to the party. In Rory Hayes and Paul Flanagan, they have two cornerbacks in brilliant form while, at the other end, Peter Duggan is a big threat, Ryan Taylor is a livewire and Tony Kelly’s performance against Limerick was sensational.
When he hit 16 points, I put the commentator’s curse on him by saying he could easily score 20 by the end of game. At one point, I think he was 14 points from 14 shots – and then he missed a simple point off his right. What a talent.
You’d imagine that Cork should have enough for Tipperary.
Waterford are well capable of beating a Clare team with one eye on Munster but, if they end up not qualifying out of the province, that will be a disaster for Liam Cahill and his squad.
Will there be one final twist?