McCaffrey encouraged by capital gains

HURLING is in a battle for recognition with the big-ball games and it’s a losing battle in most areas. Dublin is one of the most significant battlegrounds of all; it’s the capital city, home to about a fifth of the all-island population, but more significantly, home to most of the nation’s media.

At the moment football is in the ascendancy there, both gaelic and Association, and is treated accordingly. Tomorrow week, for example, Croke Park will be sold out as the Dubs take on Kildare in the Leinster SFC final, looking not just to retain their title but to complete five-in-a-row.

But Dublin are also in another Leinster final, the hurling final, and tomorrow in Croke Park they face Kilkenny in a daunting challenge, and yet, for those Dublin hurlers like midfielder John McCaffrey who sacrificed their football careers in favour of the stick-game, this is the moment.

“Days like this are what you dream about growing up. Thankfully it has come true, we’re relishing the challenge.”

That it has become a possibility at all is due to the fantastic work being done at grassroots level in Dublin. Recently, as one of the GAA’s full-time coaches, McCaffrey has become an integral part of that movement. “I can’t talk for Dublin but I can talk for my own club (Lucan Sarsfields), and there’s a massive amount of work going in — so many good coaches, so many kids looking to become involved. We have a hurling wall, but so have most clubs now, along with astroturf pitches, so you can practice your hurling all year round. Kids love to play with a stick and a ball, they love when they can master the skill of striking, even off their good side, then working on their weak side. There’s nothing better than seeing a kid picking up a hurl for the first time and striking and soloing. They get a great kick out of it, we (coaches) get a great kick out of it too. There are good structures in place from U8 to U16. There are so many young lads and young girls playing hurling and camogie now compared to even five years ago — I think it’s nearly doubled. We’re hoping that days like this (Leinster final) will improve on that again.”

Along with several of his hurling team-mates – Tomás Brady and Dotsie O’Callaghan, to name but two – McCaffrey could have taken the higher-profile football route, like Shane Ryan and Conal Keaney, both of whom are also outstanding hurlers.

“Even when I was growing up there was something in me that always wanted to see the hurlers having the same success. That’s what drove me on, seeing the hurlers not getting the same limelight, but there’s a good few of us there now willing to put the shoulder to the wheel. I was lucky enough to captain both minor teams (hurling and football) in 2005, played a bit of U21 football as well, but since minor my aim was to play senior hurling, reach a Leinster final, then win one – thankfully a lot of that has come to fruition.”

Given the power of the opposition, winning this one is a tall order, so the least Dublin must achieve is respectability.

“Any team is beatable on a given day if it isn’t prepared properly – and I’m not saying Kilkenny won’t be – but we’ll be as well prepared as a team can be going into a Leinster final; we’ll have our tactics sorted, have everyone fit and in the right frame of mind. We’re going to give it 75 minutes of savage commitment and see what we get out of it.”

He’s starting to sound like Brian Cody himself! He laughs at the thought, then reiterates – “But that’s what it will take, that and getting the breaks, maybe a few refereeing decisions, all these things come into it if we’re to win. Kilkenny have proven themselves year in, year out; this is a great chance for the Dublin public to come out and see them play, and see how we do against them. We’re hoping for big support, the 16th man could be a massive factor.”