TJ Ryan: A privilege to watch a young boy develop into the man, player and leader Declan Hannon became
TURNING POINT: Declan Hannon, Limerick, could hvae been broken by free-taking disaster against Clare in 2013. Picture: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE
Anytime I think back to one of the most iconic moments in World Sport, Diego Maradona’s incredible goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final in Mexico, I can always hear Jimmy Magee’s epic TV commentary describing it l through just two words, his decibel levels increasing as the Argentine legend meanders his way past the English midfield, defence and goalkeeper Peter Shilton before side-footing the ball to the net. ‘Different class,' began Magee as Maradonna began the move. 'Different class. DIFFERENT CLASS.’
I often think of those words when assessing some of the greatest hurlers I have been lucky enough to see in my lifetime. There are many ways and forms to rank, grade and class a player, but when I think of Declan Hannon, I always think of Magee's two famous words. Different class.
He always was, from a very early age. I first heard of Declan when he was a standout player with Ardscoil Rís Dean Ryan and Harty Cup teams in the late 2000s and early 2010s. People had been raving about Declan long before that but the first time I saw him in action, I remember thinking, ‘They’re right.’ I watched his progress from those Ardscoil games through his minor career, but the first time I really knew that Declan was special was in 2009 when he was a young tyro on the Adare team that won that year’s county title, hammering Na Piarsaigh in the final.
He lit up the Munster Championship that year for Adare against Ballygunner before driving Ardscoil to a historic first Harty title in 2010. A year later, I saw Declan up close for the first time when I was a selector with Donal O’Grady and we brought Declan into the panel while he was still doing his Leaving Cert.
His father Joe also came into the Limerick set up around that time as the liaison officer so I got to know Joe. My wife Louise also worked with Joe’s wife Brigid in AIB Bank so we got to know the Hannon family really well, which meant us, the Ryans, always followed Declan’s career very closely. And what a journey he took us on.
It was a privilege to watch a young boy develop into the man, player and inspirational leader he became, the most successful hurling captain in history by captaining his county to the Liam MacCarthy on four occasions. That would have been five if Declan hadn’t been injured for the 2023 final against Kilkenny. Just for context, Christy Ring was the only hurler to have previously received the Liam MacCarthy Cup on three occasions. And Hannon surpassed that feat. Incredible. Absolutely incredible.
It has been an iconic era for GAA captains. Stephen Cluxton may have led Dublin to seven All-Irelands but will any hurler ever captain their county to four All-Irelands again? I seriously doubt it.
The first time Declan raised the Liam MacCarthy was even more noteworthy because of the significance of that 2018 breakthrough victory, and how well Declan played on Joe Canning on that eternal afternoon.
When Limerick really needed someone to settle them down early, Declan took on that mantle, beating Joe in a few key early exchanges before catching a ball over Joe and landing it straight over the bar. It was the stuff of a legend and a giant.
There are any amount of those stories I could outline here but one of the key ones for me was a moment that could have broken him, but which ultimately made Declan. The 2013 All-Ireland semi-final against Clare was a disaster in how his freetaking malfunctioned but his resilience in how he recovered from that low point to reach so high afterwards tells you everything you need to know about how inspirational and mentally strong he really was.
When people remember this Limerick team in time, the one name that will always jump off the page is Declan Hannon. They will recall Lynch, Quaid, Gillane, the Morrisseys, Hegarty and all these other great men but I think Hannon will always be top of the list for how well he led the group on and off the field.
When we think of some of the greatest players of the modern era we will always recall Joe, TJ, Hoggie, Tony, Cian, iconic figures we recognise through either their first name or nickname. Declan isn’t in that bracket amongst the wider hurling public, but he certainly is within the Limerick hurling community. There is no need to mention his surname to underline just how much he means to us here in the county. Declan always will.
The last few years were very difficult for him with injuries and setbacks but nothing will ever take away from the achievements of Declan Hannon. It’s down on the page. It’s actually hard to believe that a Limerick man could achieve what he actually did. The numbers and list of achievements are just staggering.
One of the reasons he was so cherished, and always will be, is because of his unassuming nature. You could go into a room with Declan in a social setting and you’d hardly even know he was there. He was quiet, softly spoken and very reserved. Yet in how he prepared and trained, in how he operated when he went onto the pitch, Declan was the complete opposite - loud and proud in every way you’d want your captain and leader to be.
Everybody looked up to him. When he spoke, everybody listened. He was that kind of a leader more so than the fella who shouted and roared all the time. Declan’s actions spoke louder than any words he ever delivered.
I’ve always found that phrase, ‘When all is said and done’ very informative and insightful when trying to describe how good a player really was. Sometimes there is a lot more said than done. And Declan Hannon did a hell of a lot more than he ever said.
Different class.
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