Garryspillane gunning to ‘put new name on that cup’

ONE side with all the titles, proud leaders of the roll of honour, the other without a senior championship to its name.

Small wonder then that, apart from the citizens of Ahane itself, all of Limerick will be shouting for Garryspillane at the Gaelic Grounds tomorrow in the county senior hurling final.

That doesn’t faze Ollie Moran, one of three brothers who will line out for the favourites, a man with two medals already in his pocket.

“We’ve experienced that from the other side as well,” he points out. “When we won in 1998, it was our first title in 43 years, and there was fantastic goodwill for us so we know what it’s like for Garryspillane now. They will be very hungry for this, just like we were in ’98.”

Frankie Carroll is also one of three hurling brothers; before him, there was Mossie and Brian, The Bomber. Each played at the highest level (the two elders for both Limerick and Tipperary), and Frankie scored the equalising point in a fantastic second-half comeback against Tipperary in 1996, a point that eventually led to Limerick’s last Munster title. Yet there isn’t a Limerick senior championship medal between them. What big Frankie would give to rectify that.

“Ah sure, stop,” he grins. “It would be massive to a place like this, great to be the first team from the parish to do it. It’s time for a new name on that cup, isn’t it? Limerick hurling has been dominated for far too long by Ahane, Patrickswell, Kilmallock, with Adare coming into the picture recently. It’s time for a new name, for change.”

Mossie and Brian are long gone from the scene and at 34, Frankie is pushing on a bit himself. Nevertheless, he remains the linchpin of the attack and played a crucial part in the shock semi-final win over Kilmallock. Reduced to 14 men for most of the game, playing into the elements in the second-half, much of the burden in attack fell on the broad and willing shoulders of the veteran forward, and how he responded. His 1-6 from a total of 1-13 earned the admiration of coach Tony Considine.

“Tactically, we had to pull a man back, crowd the half-back/midfield area, which meant leaving Frankie almost on his own up front; he was brilliant,” said Considine.

So impressive has Frankie Carroll been this year that there is talk of him returning to the county fold. Hardly, says the man himself.

“1997 was the last time I played with Limerick; I was only 27, but (Eamonn) Cregan came in and retired a good few of us.” He laughs at that, but leaves no impression that it was funny. “I was still in good shape, playing reasonably well I thought, but new manager, new ideas, that’s the way it is. At this stage, I’ve given up any such notions anymore.

“If I’d stayed at that level it might be possible, but I’m 34, married with kids, it isn’t easy. This is all I have on my mind now. No nerves yet, though they’re bound to come.

“It’s a second chance for us; I was there in 1997, when we reached our first ever county senior final, but I don’t think we were ready then. We won the intermediate in 1996, came straight through to the senior final. No-one was paying too much attention to us, but we got on a bit of a roll, ended in the final. We lost by only five or six points, I missed a penalty; didn’t do too badly but we didn’t play to our full potential either.

“Looking back, a lot of people around here were probably happy to have reached the county final, which was a wrong way of thinking. The team wasn’t thinking that way, but I suppose it’s bound to have an affect.

It’s different this time. Tony Considine has come in and he’s in charge now, definitely in charge. Hauley Brien and Jim Dooley (selectors) would still be doing a lot of work for him, but he’s the one talking before games, and in the dressing-room. There’s no slacking with him, no tolerance for that.

“Ahane will be tough, a big physical team, they’ve been through the mill, and they can hurl too, can play you any way you want it. But I think we’re ready for this one.”