Clobbered by Hurls and History Books

[Lone Shark]

As well as being a fantastic hurler and one of the best centre backs in the game, Peter Barry is widely known as a very pleasant and down to earth gentleman, the kind of guy that could cause no offence to anyone and would be a delight to go for a drink with on a quiet night. On Sunday evening, this mild mannered guy walked into the Kilkenny dressing room very satisfied with his and his team’s work that afternoon, and pronounced of the 31 point mauling that had just been dished out – “that was for 1995”.

Peter Barry was not part of the Kilkenny panel for that wet Summer Sunday a decade ago, and in the meantime has been part of a Kilkenny team that over the five encounters previous to last weekend had beaten Offaly by an aggregate score of 17-91 to 4-75 – a total of 55 points. This gives you some indication of the sense of history that runs through Gaelic Games - and hurling in particular - and how long memories can be. Offaly people travelling up on Sunday were hoping that Kilkenny’s need for revenge had been sated by the crushings they had inflicted on Galway in last year’s championship and on Wexford in the league this year. Most were hoping and even presuming that Offaly would no longer be the focus of their ire having been beaten into submission in no uncertain terms in all recent encounters. Unfortunately that result in 1995 still sits in the history books and remains burned into the Kilkenny psyche like no other, and as such we will be reaping the harvest of what was planted that day for a long time to come.

Yet for all that, it was our own proud history and reputation that was our undoing on Sunday. For a county that has spent a relatively short amount of time among the hurling elite, we have carved a unique niche for ourselves, and gained a respect that is deeply ingrained among even the most traditional counties. However it is because of this reputation that last Sunday’s result came to pass. As the bar stool legends have often pronounced, “Offaly always play good traditional ground hurling, and never rely on brute force”.

From an aesthetic point of view, this was always true, and long may it continue – however it’s very easy to become a caricature of yourself, and so it has come to pass. For years we have been believing that we have some sort of predisposition towards stylish whipping the ball first time and that all that needless pulling, dragging and jostling is best left to the Clares, Tipperarys and Wexfords of this world. But people forget that for all Brian Whelehan’s mastery, he played alongside Hubert Rigney, a player with no lack of skill but also a man who solidly policed the backline and provided both protection and leadership. Johnny Dooley was a glorious striker of the ball, and an automaton when it came to putting the ball over the crossbar. Yet how often did he play alongside current RTE pundit Michael Duignan, who was invariably putting in the hard work in the trenches so that Johnny could exploit his skills to the degree he did? Even back in the day of such sublime and stylish players as Ger Coughlan, Danny Owens and Mark Corrigan, they lined out alongside the likes of Pat Fleury, Pat Delaney and Padraig Horan, combative players who always ensured that no side ever physically dominated us the way Brian Cody’s team did last weekend.

The Offaly team that took the field last week has no shortage of nice hurlers. Players like Colm Cassidy, Brendan Murphy, Rory Hanniffy and others could hold their own in any company. But talented though they are, as long as we continue to field teams full of “wristy hurlers” and bereft of strong athletes who thrive on the aggressive side of the game, we will always be dominated both physically and mentally.

However with the qualifiers looming, all is not as gloomy as it might be perceived to be. To recover psychologically from last Sunday’s match will take great strength, but from a strictly hurling point of view there are enough grounds for belief that even if we remain a long way adrift of Kilkenny, we still have the ability to challenge both Clare and Waterford in the upcoming round robin games.

We conceded six goals on Sunday, and certainly neither Barry Teehan nor David Franks will look back on the game fondly. However these two were among our best performers last year, and they have not suddenly become bad hurlers because they had a bad day marking Ireland’s best hurler on top form. Daniel Hoctor and Dylan Hayden can both say they made a positive impact on their championship debuts, and our forwards scored eleven points on a good Kilkenny backline over the first 35 minutes. If we can put Sunday behind us and put our best foot forward, there is enough talent in this panel to trouble good teams and to start the rebuilding now. And if any American Football linebackers are over here on holidays and feel like giving hurling a go, then contact John McIntyre. Lone Shark suspects he might have a job for you. See you on the terraces.

[the bare biffo]

You hit the nail on the head there LS,
it's ironic that pre 1980 my impression of Offaly hurling was very tough (some would have said dirty) team but without the "craft" of the real hurling counties.
Since then Kilkenny and Cork in the shape of Dermot Healy & Bro Dennis, have, with help, delivered "the craft" but now we have done a flip and have nothing to offer in the physical department.

When you think back on players like E Coughlan, P Delaney, J Kelly, B Bermingham, P Horan, K Kinahan, H Rigney, K Martin, R Mannion, M Coneely, D Regan, there dont seem to be any around now.

Can Conor Evans are even Ciaran Mac swing a hurl.

[Flatcap]

as long as rynaghs as poor offaly will struggle for hardy hurlers. offalys hard men always used to come from banagher. damien martin, hanamy, hubie, horan, duignan, these were all tough lads. you can have all the flash lads you want from birr, but without these youre at nothing.

im thinking we need a load of changes next week. brown and ohara should start anyway - and i think healion should be in as well.

[Lone Shark]

It's a fair point, but you can hardly go back and get John Ryan to make his intercounty comeback.

Declan Tanner is a hardy backsman but not really intercounty - Paudie is as game as they come and will never stop trying, but he's not going to turn a game for you. Kevin Kelly and Cathal Horan are good enough but I still wouldn't drop any of the current panellists to bring them in.

The truth is Rynagh's are really struggling, as are Kinnitty and Drumcullen. These are blue chip clubs in Offaly, the kind of pure hurling clubs with tradition that we only have a handful of. These three, along with Kilcormac, Birr and Coolderry should be providing the bulk of the team, with the likes of Shinrone, Lusmagh, Ballyskenach etc. filling the gaps. Truth is Offaly can't carry three heavyweight clubs putting in such lightweight displays.

I'll tell you who was missed in a big way, and I never thought he would be to such a degree - Neville Coughlan.