‘People who talk about burnout are just lazy’
Ben has been going now for years expending a phenomenal amount of energy every time he takes to the field, be it for club or county, match or training. There has been an All-Ireland title with Cork this year and last, county, Munster and an All-Ireland Club title in 2003/04, and a second county crown this year. Tomorrow he faces into a Munster final against Ballygunner of Waterford. But burnout? “Nah” he snorts, derisively; “I think a lot of those who talk about burnout are just getting lazy, don’t want to put in the work. Newtown are going as long as anyone else, and thankfully, we still seem to keep it going. Anyway, it’s games; there’s nothing worse than starting training in January, with your first championship match in May, that can turn fellas off. At least this way, you’re going from week to week, game to game, with championship matches coming regularly. I don’t agree with this burnout theory. It’s all upstairs. A fella should be able to keep himself motivated all year, then it doesn’t matter.”
It’s not as if Ben is a fresh-faced teenager, just breaking into the scene, all youthful vim and vigour. He’s 26 and established as one of the best-known hurlers in the country. And yet, the appetite remains, for the game, for the honours still to be won. A couple of weeks ago, along with team-mate Pat Mulcahy, he flew to Boston to play for Munster in the Martin Donnelly Interprovincial Championship; starred at midfield in a second half move. Munster won, they both flew out of Boston that evening, while the rest of the tour stayed around for a couple of days of R&R and were back training with Newtown within 36 hours.
