Big day finally arrives: It’s the alternative hurling awards 2014
And the All-Ireland winners being decided. Two things, then, don’t get hung up on details...
Liam Rushe introduced John Allen as Dublin’s new ‘bainisteoir’ a few days ago. The literal-minded among us didn’t take it too well.
Wexford had two great games with Clare before putting the All-Ireland champions out, and then put Waterford to the sword in another thriller. Ran out of legs against Limerick but future looks bright in the south-east.
You can snigger all you like at the idiot who invaded the Kerry-Mayo All-Ireland SFC replay in Limerick, but what about Sunday in Kerry, when Paul Galvin was allegedly struck by a club official with a hurley? Seriously, the tolerance for this within the GAA needs to be taken down a whole series of pegs.
Waterford’s Brian O’Sullivan was suspended retrospectively after the Déise lost to Cork in the Munster championship — the Central Competitions Control Committee contacted the Waterford County Board to notify them of the proposed ban.
However, the player was only informed of the proposed suspension when it was already too late to seek a meeting with the Central Hearings Committee, so he wasn’t eligible to play against Laois in the qualifiers.
Brian Gavin was chatty enough before handling the All-Ireland replay, telling local radio: “It’s disappointing the way they scrutinise the All-Ireland final, just because they had no banquet for the teams, they decide to fill the programme scrutinising Barry Kelly’s performance and they done the same with my last year after the drawn game with Clare and Cork. I just think they’re overdoing it, we’re under enough pressure.” Given comments in yesterday’s paper, would Barry Kelly agree?
Podge Collins got the line — correctly — in Clare v Wexford Part One in Ennis when pulling an opponent’s facemask. More than one player escaped punishment for doing the same later in the Championship, though.
After the utter nonsense of the 20-metre free/penalty controversy was finally put to bed, Patrick Horgan of Cork buried two dead balls in the net against Clare. However, the bottom fell out of the goal-scoring-from-frees market immediately afterwards.
“You can’t stop a Championship halfway through and change the rules.” — GAA President Liam O’Neill, June 9.
“Arising from concerns in relation to implementation of the Playing Rules of Hurling in respect of the taking of penalty pucks and free pucks from the 20 metres line, the Management Committee of the GAA will recommend Interpretation of Rules to Central Council to address these concerns. It is envisaged that this process will be completed as quickly as possible and in advance of this weekend’s games.” — GAA statement, June 11.
Waterford teenager Austin Gleeson danced his way through the Cork defence to slam home a terrific goal in the Munster championship. But it was June, so you’ve probably forgotten it already.
GAA President Liam O’Neill said he had no wish to personalise the Anthony Nash controversy, naming the player three times in relation to free-taking during a radio interview. Can you remember one player having his performances scrutinised during a championship to the same extent?
Galway versus Kilkenny in Tullamore was going according to script until Galway, improbably, scored three goals in the final five minutes. Henry Shefflin put Kilkenny one ahead; Galway’s Joe Canning tied it up.
After the praise for the two All-Irelands played last year, draw and replay, we had another stunning game in the drawn All-Ireland final. Park the comparisons, enjoy the sensation.
When Clare drew with Wexford in Cusack Park, Banner boss Davy Fitzgerald was involved in what we must term, according to long-standing convention, a “tunnel bust-up” with a local journalist. Nobody was harmed in the making of this bust-up.
Darren Gleeson’s superb block on Richie Power in the second half last Saturday was a contender but the palm must go to JJ Delaney’s sumptuous hook in the first half of the same game. Seamus Callanan had a stride or two on Delaney and was bearing down on goal but Delaney’s patience was rewarded with one of the great cameos of defensive play. Even the ranks of Tuscany, etc. Or maybe not.
Traditionally we look to a Kerry footballer with a beard and tattoos for the lead in this regard, but respect to the lads at balls.ie for alerting us to a Kilkenny hurler’s fashionista tendencies with their post, 11 Photos That Prove Jackie Tyrrell Is Hurling’s Paul Galvin
You probably thought, oh innocent fool, the discussion about dual players was about to fade with the departure of Cork from the championship, but look to the east, where Clare boss Davy Fitzgerald can’t accommodate dual players, so Padraic (Podge) and Colm Collins throw their lot in with the Banner footballers, managed by their Dad Sean.
Kilkenny looked in trouble three weeks ago. They still got Liam MacCarthy into the boot of the car again over the weekend, though.
Henry Shefflin’s autobiography is expected soon but a book worth watching for is Anthony Daly’s autobiography, which should cover hurling, fishing and coursing: a triple threat, as Yanks would say.
There were a few suggestions that Seamus Callanan and John O’Dwyer were in the running, but surely this had to be Richie Hogan — like the two players mentioned above, he wasn’t stellar in the All-Ireland final replay, but if he hadn’t been so good in so many games, including the drawn All-Ireland, Kilkenny wouldn’t have been collecting silverware in the first place.
Because the GAA signed a deal with Sky Sports, we were treated all summer long to stunned tweets from those new to the game of hurling: “Hurling is, however, far more exciting than the football. One downside: my wife can’t / won’t stop singing ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’”, we were told by @lostmertonian in a representative message.
To Kilkenny manager Brian Cody for his comments about referee Barry Kelly and others. Just when we were all looking forward to a few weeks of the NFL.
A very poor year for enterprise in the tonsorial department. When this happens, the prize automatically reverts to the man after whom the prize is named. Well done, Paudie.
Mazel tov to everyone!
