2012 Leinster Club Championships

[kingscounty]

Great to see another Offaly club reach the leinster final . With coolderry last year winning leinster, k/k in final this year . rynaghs making a return to the county final this year, tullamore winning few years back, shinrone reaching semi final ,etc, it seems to me like we have a competitive club championship . I would love to see Baker fresh things up for the league and give new lads a chance , we should be more competitive when it comes to Offaly .

[fifitrixiebelle]

Yet, John Leahy’s line of interviewing some of the K-K lads on the radio afterwards made me uncomfortable as I drove into Cloghan on the way home. He asked one of the Geraghtys something like (I’m paraphrasing) was he looking forward to lining out on the same pitch as Henry Shefflin.

he didnt ask if they were looking forward to lining out against rory jacob as well?

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

With regard to the line of questioning re Shefflin why get the cacks in a twist their POTH? Fair question to ask of a young fella just coming out of minor, playing in his first adult Leinster final. He may never get a chance to play against Shefflin again, as he may retire in the next 2 years (Shefflin that is!), plus young Geraghty has to make the Offaly panel. Its not the end of the world if the young lads answer was, "IFBallyhale make it through the semi, yes it would be a great occasion to get a chance to line up against a legend like Shefflin", politically correct, Shefflin is the greatest player in the history of the game. Does not mean young Geraghty is not going to go out and do his best to try and make his own bit of history!

Lighten up a bit lads, these interviews are rarely going to be a mine of information. Its the first time KK have reached a Leinster final, the monkey is off their backs now, after winning Offaly they would have been expected to get this far. But I would not expect them to beat Ballyhale, (whom I expect to beat Oulart).
POTH, in this case I take it you will be piling onto KK for the final? €100, €200 , €500?
Can just see you in the pub these days, Barman, "Pint is it POTH?", POTH scrunches up his forehead, "No way Bartender!!, Water please, The AGM is next week and have to keep a clear head!"

As for Fifi, bugger off lad. We are where we are at the moment in Offaly, but days like this are there to be apprieciated. I hope KK go out and hurl from the start like they did in the last 15 yesterday. If they can do that then they have a good chance. But to me KK have hurled inconsistently during large spells of the last 4 matches, and this may cost them in the final.

[Plain of the Herbs]

I think that line of questioning is quite irregular. Did anyone ask any young Galway hurler if he was feeling privileged to stand on the same Croke Park blade of grass as Henry Shefflin prior to the All-Ireland? Not that I’m aware of. Is any chap’s career going to remain unfulfilled because he didn’t mark Henry Shefflin? Nope. Does anyone’s career have pieces missing because they never marked DJ Carey? Or Eddie Keher? I can’t think of anyone.

It's not ahuge issue, in the broader scheme of things, and was a mere side line in my thoughts on the match, but my problem is that I am disappointed in John Leahy in this regard. I don’t know the chap, have never met him, but he has a good reputation as a coach by all accounts he is a dedicated hurling man who knows his hurling. As a K-K club man it betrayed a sense of defeatism in advance of a possible Leinster Final meeting with Ballyhale. In mitigation of Leahy I accept this was in the aftermath of a semi-final win, that K-K are (rightly) taking each game as it comes and that they wouldn’t have been thinking of the Final at all up to that point in time.

I should point out that Geraghty handled the question well. And maybe K-K are approaching the Leinster Final in a more positive frame of mind. I hope they are because I give them a chance of winning, if they are positive.

Such interviews won’t be a mine of information, but they can betray how a team are thinking in advance of a match. Remember Liam Dunne inventing injuries prior to last year’s Leinster Club Final? That showed they were struggling to keep a lid on the hype. Remember the Wexford People thinking ahead to the All-Ireland prior to that Leinster Final? That betrayed complacency. In the era of unknown knowns and known unknowns, any piece of information on how the opposition are thinking could be the crucial motivational nugget. Coolderry pinned that Wexford People piece to the dressing-room door.

Why do you assume that I bet on matches? Why make the assumption that I drink, for that matter. Maybe, A, you should stop making lazy assumptions.

[boomcha]

Is the match between Ballyhale and Oulart on TG4 this weekend??

[townman]

No. i think the munster club hurling final and the connacht club football final are the games that they are showing.

[boomcha]

Cool, thanks, I'd wonder will the Leinster Final itself be on TG4?? If so, another new experience for a 2/3rd's of the K/K team...

[KillougheyGoBragh]

Plain of the Herbs wrote: -

I think that line of questioning is quite irregular.

Firstly I stand corrected it was John Leahy doing the interview.
Upon reflection I think that is John Leahy's probing technique, asking what sounds a simple question but where the answer can reveal so much more.
Peter Geraghty hurled well!
You can listen to the full interview by clicking here

[Plain of the Herbs]

Possibly not. Leinster hurling has a bad name, unfortunately, despite last year's Leinster Club Final being a minor classic while both drawn and replayed Munster Finals were 'crimes against hurling'. I'd expect the Ulster and Munster club football Finals to be screened on Sunday 2nd DEcember. The Ladies club football All-Ireland is also fixed for that Sunday.

Cool, thanks, I'd wonder will the Leinster Final itself be on TG4?? If so, another new experience for a 2/3rd's of the K/K team...

[boomcha]

Possibly not. Leinster hurling has a bad name, unfortunately, despite last year's Leinster Club Final being a minor classic while both drawn and replayed Munster Finals were 'crimes against hurling'. I'd expect the Ulster and Munster club football Finals to be screened on Sunday 2nd DEcember. The Ladies club football All-Ireland is also fixed for that Sunday.

Yeah, probably, any word on Oulart's appeal to move the Leinster Final back by a week??

[Plain of the Herbs]

Oulart are in the Leinster Final? Here we go again!

Yeah, probably, any word on Oulart's appeal to move the Leinster Final back by a week??

[KillougheyGoBragh]

Request to move match back a week fails.
Fixture stays as originally published for 2nd December 2012

[boomcha]

Oulart are in the Leinster Final? Here we go again!

Yeah, probably, any word on Oulart's appeal to move the Leinster Final back by a week??

Never said they were........What are the possible venue's for the Leinster Final??

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

"Why do you assume that I bet on matches? Why make the assumption that I drink, for that matter. Maybe, A, you should stop making lazy assumptions."

Ah lighten up would ya? Leahy trained, played and grew up with these guys. They are after coming off the back of their first county final win and are in their first Leinster final. Its new ground, why would they not look forward to it. I remember playing against Finbarr Cullen & Peter Brady for the first time and looking forward to it, and we beat them too with a focussed and disciplined display against the odds.

And you are right, I should stop making lazy assumptions, I assumed you were a bloke!

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Plus your analogy of asking a Galway player prior to the All Ireland does not stand up as they had hammered Kilkenny in the Leinster final previously.

But anyway look, twill all be irrelevant come final day! Come on KK!