Hurlers get personal on TV review

WHEN Cork hurling manager Donal O’Grady was interviewed shortly after the All-Ireland final he offered a number of excuses for their defeat by holders Kilkenny.

He pointed to 11 first-half wides and missed chances in the second half when they stormed back. In the end he conceded that 'they weren't good enough to win'.

O'Grady amazed spectators when he came back on to the field after half-time and walked across the field on his own. Before he left the players in the dressing-room, he told them that they had played poorly.

According to young midfielder John Gardiner, his comments were to the effect that 'there was nothing to say, they knew they did not perform up to scratch, that words from him would be meaningless. It was time to stand up and be men.'

Gardiner is one of ten players who appear in an RTE television documentary, 'Final Words: Hurling '03,' which will be broadcast on Network 2 tomorrow night at 8.40pm

The focus is on Cork and Kilkenny team members seven in all, including Setanta Ó hAilpín. But Tipperary goalkeeper Brendan Cummins, Waterford's Paul Flynn and Wexford veteran Larry O'Gorman are among the contributors, along with Brian Cody, Cyril Farrell and journalists Sean Moran and Damien Lawlor.

Cummins talks about the string of saves he made in the semi-final against Kilkenny, admitting that after calling out to defender Tom Costello that he had a high ball covered, he actually dropped it.

"After that, all hell seemed to break loose," he comments.

Diarmuid O'Sullivan reveals that O'Grady said to them before leaving, 'to take a minute on their own,' that they had been through a lot since last December (when they went on strike). He asked them, did they want to come back into the dressing-room as winners or losers?

Setanta Ó hAilpín recalls the vital save made by James McGarry, after Joe Deane had passed the ball to him. He says that 'instinct' told him to hit it, rather than take it in his hands.

Later he talks about 'crying his eyes out,' after the final whistle and hoping he would never experience such a feeling again.