Christy O’Connor: Lockdown granted Tadgh de Búrca the one thing he needed most – time

The club championship also provided the perfect pathway back to inter-county fitness.

Waterford defender Tadhg de Burca Image: Jen Murphy Designs & Sketches.

THE first game Tadhg de Búrca played in 2020 was a challenge match for Clashmore/Kinsalebeg against Abbeyside Junior B team in late June.

De Búrca could win a game like that on his own but it was his first match back after tearing his cruciate knee ligament 10 months earlier. De Búrca was starting from base camp but his performance that evening underlined just how steep the climb back up the mountain would be.