Breaking the mould

He bounced out onto the grass in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, a twinkle in his eye: “God I always loved this pitch!” he says to Liam Fennelly, “but it also holds some bad memories, 1968 in particular. We should have had ye that year.”

Liam wasn’t playing with Kilkenny then. He had another 14 years to his senior debut, but he knew what Johnny meant.

Poor old Offaly, under the thumb, under the boot of the hurling aristocrats of Kilkenny. Dublin, in the days when they were culchie-backed, Wexford, even neighbours Laois, were allowed break the surface in Leinster occasionally, but Offaly?