Prendergast sees light and Kerry at the end of the tunnel

SÉAMAS PRENDERGAST can at last see the light at the end of a torturous tunnel, and for a change it isn’t the oncoming train of injury and hardship.

Having missed all but five minutes of Waterford’s National League campaign through a catalogue of misfortune, Prendergast has surprisingly been named at full forward for Sunday’s first defence of the Munster title against Kerry.

Sweeter still for the Ardmore man, is the fact that younger brother Declan, is named at corner back, making his senior championship debut.

“With both of us in the starting line up, the family will feel a great sense of pride,” the Munster championship winner admitted yesterday who suffered a severe does of shingles midway through their rather mixed two months of the NHL

“I was confined to bed for seven days and felt weaker than ever before, It was as if I wasn’t destined to resume playing. I am hoping that my luck has finally changed,” he admitted after last night’s training session.

“This is the first time since I began playing hurling and football that I have not had a major injury. I am really looking forward to Sunday’s game.”

As it seems is all of Ardmore. Though the parish is predominantly a footballing one, there is a great sense of pride in the fact that Prendergast is the first club man to play senior championship hurling with the county, and will now be followed by his brother.

“Yes, it’s a great honour for our family and our club,” he says. “Football has always been the number one in Ardmore but for me hurling has been and always will be my first love.” His senior inter county championship debut came against Tipperary in 2000 when he was introduced as a substitute. A game however that still holds very significant disappointment for him.

“We lost Ken McGrath through injury that day and at a time when he was threatening to take on and beat the whole Tipp defence single-handedly,” he recalls. But in the list of playing highlights, the Munster victory over Tipperary in Pairc Uí Chaoimh retains a place of pride.

“That was the biggest and the greatest day of my playing career. Days like that you just never forget.”

But such success has not clouded their respect for Sunday’s opponents Kerry, who were beaten in the NHL Division Two Final on Monday last.

“Remember 1993”, he quickly adds, “a day every Waterford fan wants to forget”. It was the day Kerry scored a sensational 3-7 to 2-7 championship victory at, of all places, our own Walsh Park.

“Training has gone exceptionally well, morale is excellent, and even with the loss of Eoin Murphy through injury and John Mullane (suspension) we must get on with the job and ensure that we book a semi-final place against Limerick at Semple Stadium on June 1st.