Lar leaves door open to return

Former Hurler of the Year Lar Corbett admitted his not “ruling anything out or in with regard to the future”.

Corbett, 31, stunned the hurling world earlier this year by withdrawing from the Tipperary panel, citing business commitments as the reason for his decision.

Corbett admitted it’s been difficult spending time away from the game but has few regrets about his move.

He said: “I have had the best days of my life hurling for Tipperary and it has been strange not being in there with the lads these past couple of months. “I got so much out of hurling and I would like to think that I gave my best back to it.

“But I had no choice, for business reasons, but to take time away from the game and I am giving my all to the business end of my life.

“It’s difficult to balance participation in sport at a high level and work, more so nowadays because both are so much more competitive.

“You just have to work so hard at both to succeed. If I hadn’t done this (taken time out), I would not be here, looking forward to Friday night.

“It’s not that I don’t miss the hurling; I definitely do and I am not ruling anything out or in with regard to the future.

“But whatever happens with the hurling, there’s a great bunch of lads in there with Tipp.

“And with or without me, they will be giving it a massive effort this year.”

Corbett, who has been working on promoting his pub business, Lar Corbett’s bar at Coppinger’s bar in Thurles in recent months, is now working on bringing one of Ireland’s leading music stars to the town onFriday night.

And Corbett aims to get his career as a concert promoter off to the best possible start when Niall Breslin, better known as Bressie, entertains fans at the Premier Hall in Thurles this week.

Bressie is in the middle of a sellout tour of Ireland and his popularity has been strengthened as a celebrity judge on the hit TV show ‘The Voice of Ireland.’

Corbett said: “Whether it’s in hurling or business, you’ll only get out of it what you put in. For the minute, my concentration is on my bar and, more immediately, on Friday night’s concert with Bressie.”