Cork captain Donal Óg Cusack admits he’ll be among his heroes when they launch the Allianz Hurling League on Saturday night against Waterford.
New manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy will officially return to the Rebels hot seat after over a decade away while Sean Óg Ó hAilpín could feature against the Deise after his recall to the panel.
The interest generated from either of those two events would naturally overshadow Leeside legend Cusack’s first game as captain, though he has no problem with that. In fact, he admitted it’ll be a major thrill for him to simply set foot in the same dressing-room again as his ‘hero’ Barry-Murphy.
The pair’s careers have neatly dovetailed over the years as player and manager with Cork underage and senior sides, climaxing in the 1999 All-Ireland senior triumph.
"Players want to work for him," said Cusack of Barry-Murphy.
"I remember walking into a Cork dressing-room in 1994. He was in charge of the minor team and I remember walking in and thinking ‘that’s Jimmy Barry-Murphy there’ and sitting down listening to him.
"I don’t know how many years ago that is but when he walks into a Cork dressing-room you get the exact same feeling still.
"He’s an iconic character in Cork. He was a hero to a lot of us young kids. When he’s around the place he’s still the exact same. And dealing with him in a manager/captain relationship, he’s still to me ‘Jimmy Barry-Murphy’, he still to me is a hero and I think he brings that out in players, that people just want to do it for him as well as doing it for themselves."
Cusack believes that the returning Ó hAilpín is no less a legend after more than a decade of sterling service since the late 1990s.
"He’s in great condition, really looks after himself," said Cusack at yesterday’s launch of a new mental health partnership between the Headstrong organisation and the Gaelic Players Association. "I always look up to him. He’s just a guy who sets very high standards in how he treats the game and looks after himself. I think that it’s great to have him back playing but even to have him in the dressing-room for younger lads to see that, you know, this is the standard. It’s just great to have him."
As for his own new role as captain, Cloyne man Cusack says it’s a big honour that he’s determined to respond to [it].
"When you’re made captain there’s certain things that you have to do and that has to start from day one," he said. "It’s something I treat as a great honour and I’m delighted to have it. But with it comes a great responsibility as well. It’s something I want to embrace and enjoy and do the best I can for the lads and for Jimmy."
Meanwhile, Limerick’s David Breen has backed Na Piarsaigh club colleague and new Limerick senior panellist Shane Dowling to be a big hit this season. Leaving Cert student Dowling, 18, scored 2-4 in last year’s All-Ireland U21 final and is available for Limerick against Clare this Saturday night after his club commitments with All-Ireland semi-finalists Na Piarsaigh ended last Saturday week.
"He definitely has the size and the temperament," claimed Breen. "Now underage is different to playing senior but he has a good head on his shoulders. He is an unbelievable free taker, fantastic. I think that will stand to him. He is going to have to produce it in training and the league but there is no doubt he is good enough, definitely."
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Wednesday, February 22, 2012
