Comerford urges players to celebrate with pride and dignity

HE STOOD a commanding ten feet tall on the dressing room bench and spoke of the “immense pride’’ it was for him to captain a great Kilkenny team.

Andy Comerford was in full flow and wasn’t throwing his words around loosely. The O’Loughlin Gaels man singled out one panellist for very special mention, the great John Power who was introduced in the final minutes to add to his All-Ireland medals tally: “Last January, I made a telephone call to John asking him to make himself available to the county this year, and he answered that call. Today may well have been his last occasion to pull on the Kilkenny jersey and, if it is, then I want to thank him from the very bottom of my heart’’.

He then spoke collectively to the players, exhorting them to celebrate the victory with pride and dignity: “Don’t spoil this great victory by doing rash things now or some weeks or months down the line. We have gained the respect of the entire hurling world, so let’s not blow it.’’