No solo glory for Mulcahy

PERCEPTION isn't everything, but it's close. There are those, for example, who would look at the current Newtownshandrum team.

They look at its searing pace and slick stickwork, and reckon that because he can't match his higher-profile team-mates in either department, wing-forward Donal Mulcahy is limited.

Then there are those in the know, those close to the team, who look at Donal Mulcahy and see a ball-winner, an intelligent hurling man, an utterly unselfish team player critical to the Newtown game-plan, who see, in fact, the consummate club player. More important than either of those views, however, what does Donal Mulcahy see?

First of all, a few ground rules, and even those are revealing.

"I don't want any bullshit (in this article), kept as straight as possible," he says.

"Myself, Pat, Brendan (his brothers), we're straight-up fellas, so I'd like this kept to the point, low key, nothing controversial."

Okay, Donal, apologies for the opening paragraph, but here we go anyway.

"Everyone sees Ben and Jerry (O'Connor, stars with club and county), they're at the forefront, even with Cork, and we also have the likes of Cathal (Naughton), small Jerry (O'Mahony), Alan T (O'Brien), John Paul King, a lot of speed merchants on the team; then you have the likes of myself and James Bowles. But you need that blend on every team, to have a winning combination, you have to have the big guys too, who can win the ball. It's not just about pace, it isn't just about size either, you have to have both, and in fairness, I think we have that combination. I have to say though, it's a thrill to play beside those lads, they take up great positions, come in at great angles, all you have to do is lay the ball off to them and let them go."

So, what we've got here is a guy who is conscious of his limitations. That can be a bad thing, can be destructive, in fact, if a guy measures himself solely by those limitations. That's not Donal Mulcahy. For the sake of this team, he will subdue any individual tendencies, any surge for solo glory. His knowledge and acceptance of his own lack of pace, of his lack of the kind of hurling dexterity displayed so effortlessly by the twins, by his older brother Pat, is used constructively; there will be no daft solo runs, where he might be caught, possession given away, no attempt at any trickery with the stick. Instead, he will use his strengths, his size, his intelligence, his mastery of all the basic hurling skills (enough anyway, for any hurler). All this is done with the bigger picture in mind, win.

This Sunday, he will take that attitude onto the pitch in Thurles, as Newtownshandrum face Ballygunner in the Munster senior club hurling final. There will be due respect for the opposition, sincerely expressed: "Ballygunner have a good mix, a lot of senior inter-county players, some good minors, U-21's. Big and strong, they have Andy Moloney, Fergal Hartley, Paul Flynn, Paul Foley, two good wing-backs, a good sprinkling of experienced players. We played them in a challenge game in Ardfinnan a couple of years ago, a week or so before we played the county final, and they absolutely annihilated us that day, a much superior team. We found them very physical, a team with a lot of big-game experience. If ever there was a 50-50 game, this is it."

But there will also be that attitude, an ambition, individual and team, not limited by any perceived deficiency. No bullshit, as the man said himself. Just a straight-up, honest-to-God, typical club hurler.

Many times, Newtown coach Bernie O'Connor has referred to Pat Mulcahy as the rock on which he built this Newtown team. Brothers Brendan and Donal, these are the bedrock, the guys you find underpinning every club team worth its salt.