2013 Press Releases
Tribal tradition key to success
Both the Cork and Clare panels for the All-Ireland hurling final boast a healthy contingent of past and present UCC students. Just what has been the driving force?
Ahead of the clash this Sunday 8 September, John Grainger, UCC GAA Development Officer, Dr Paddy Crowley, President UCC Hurling Club and Seamus Coffey, Dept. of Economics UCC speak to Tom McCarthy as they reflect on hurling, the all-important grassroots tradition which feeds it and what has motivated the players to reach this point.
“The two All-Ireland semi-finals showed what a unique game hurling is”, says John Grainger.
"You could show that to kids all day long and say ‘that’s the game I want you to play’. It was a magnificent occasion with all the skills of hurling on show. No matter what happens on Sunday, you can’t take that away from any of those players.”
Yet such talent is not just formed overnight, and Grainger is conscious of the great debt owed to the clubs that players of this calibre originate from.
“We are not starting from scratch here in UCC. It’s essential to recognise that clubs and under-age coaches have looked after these guys since they were four or five years of age. They’ve instilled their own fine tradition in them, which UCC further builds upon. We give our players the opportunity that they might not otherwise get to play against other third-level institutions that have their own inter-county underage players.”
Paddy Crowley is matter of fact when it comes to UCC’s track record in third-level hurling.
“People often ask me why UCC remains so dominant. I think a lot of it is down to getting a good coaching structure in place. Ger Cunningham, coach of the Cork senior hurling team is also the coach of our Freshers team, along with my brother Tim, who holds four All Ireland senior hurling medals. Current Fitzgibbon coach Eddie Enright, part of the three in a row Fitzgibbon team of the 90s, has carried on the legacy of Paul O’Connor and Canon Michael O’Brien.
I think students - whether male or female - now realise that when they come to UCC and get involved in the GAA club, they're well looked after.”
Being a Limerick man, Seamus Coffey tends to look outside the box. He has first hand knowledge of the Clare players and speaks very highly of Shane O’Donnell, Darrack Honan and Killian Ryan in particular.
“All of these guys have worn the Skull and Crossbones, winning either Fitzgibbon or Freshers. They have progressed on to the Clare Senior hurling panel and will be formidable opponents. We’ve had a lot of former Fitzgibbon Cup winners – 41 winning teams in all - and we’re very proud of our tradition in that respect. We ask all players coming in to carry on this tradition of relentlessly pushing for success.
It yields us a steady stream of very capable players. We've won the last four Freshers All-Ireland finals and we’re going for five in a row this year.”
‘Tradition’ is somewhat of a mantra for Grainger, Coffey and Crowley, lying at the heart of the UCC hurling club’s outlook on breeding success.
Crowley cites Seamus Harnedy as the perfect example.
“Seamus, who is back doing a Masters in UCC, did not make any Cork underage teams. He comes from a club down near Youghal called St. Ita’s. It’s been well documented that this guy seemed to have come out of nowhere - but we knew about him all along. He came on against Clareon his first day and was man of the match. He has progressively played well.
Conor O’Sullivan of Sarsfield, a strong traditional club, is another one. He played with us in 2009, a Fitzgibbon Cup winning year, and is a consistent cornerback. Conor learnt all of his hurling with Sars, but we gave him a vehicle then to kick on.”
The fans must be savouring the prospect of a similar display on Sunday to that seen in both semi-finals. No matter who wins however, Grainger is confident that much of the country will welcome the respite the final will bring from doom and gloom economics.
“Look at the frenzy around Rob Heffernan - it gave the country a real morale boost. The same can be said about an All-Ireland. Cork sub-goalie and Fitzgibbon Cup winning captain of 2013 Darren McCarthy for instance is also representing Ballymartle. The people of that parish are proud to see one of their own involved on one of the biggest days in Irish sport. Likewise, in Ruan Co Clare, home of the legendary Clare hurler, the late Jimmy Smyth, Killian Ryan, a sports studies graduate and Fitzgibbon Cup winner, steps up to represent his community.”
Many of the players on Sunday will also have a name synonymous with the Fitzgibbon Cup in mind – Paul O’Connor. O’Connor won five Fitzgibbons with UCC as a player. He also coached five winning Fitzgibbon teams and was named on the Fitzgibbon Cup team of the century.
“It was a tough year personally for us all in UCC given the circumstances”, says Grainger.
“All of these guys would have come across Paul during their time in UCC. Ask any one of them and they will tell you that he was a huge influence on their sporting and personal lives. In many respects, his legacy has shaped them.”
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Full list (27) of Cork & Clare hurling players/staff on extended panel with UCC GAA connections:
Current Students: William Egan (Kilbrin), Seamus Harnedy (St Itas), Brian Hartnett (Midleton), Conor Lehane (Midleton), Darren McCarthy (Ballymartle), Killian Murphy (Erins Own), Rob O’Shea (Carrigaline), Alan Cadogan (Douglas), Colm Spillane (Castlelyons), Pat O’Mahony (Midleton), Shane O’Donnell (Eire Og Ennis), Killian Ryan (Ruan Clare).
Past Players & Graduates: Pa Cronin (Bishopstown), Jamie Coughlan (Newtownshandrum), Dan Kearney (Sarsfields), Tom Kenny (Grenagh), Stephen Moylan (Douglas), Anthony Nash (Kanturk), Luke O’Farrell (Midleton), Shane O’Neill (Bishopstown), Conor 0’Sullivan (Sarsfields), Darach Honan (Clonlara Clare), Michael Cussen (Sarsfields).
Management: Ger Cunningham (St Finbarrs/Coach), Sean McGrath (Glen Rovers/Selector), Declan O’Sullivan (Blackrock/Physio) and Dr Con Murphy.