Heady days for Carlow hurling after Meath defeat
Maybe it was due to the fact that the Royals had problems of their own or weren’t a recognised hurling county. However, if Carlow manage to upend Laois tomorrow, people will definitely sit up and take notice.
Laois, after all, spent their spring surprising Galway and running the likes of Waterford and Limerick fairly close in the NHL. Carlow found the going tough among the elite of the second division, but put in good accounts of themselves against the likes of Antrim, Kerry and Derry.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t disguise the chasm that exists between the
neighbours when it comes to hurling.
“We know this is another step-up again,” accepts Carlow manager Micheál Walsh. “Laois have made great strides this year under Paudie Butler. Last year, I know they did well in the league, but Laois hurling looked to be in the doldrums after they lost to Meath in the championship. But some of the performances they put in, against some of the best teams in the country in the league have shown the job Paudie has done with them.”
The magnitude of Carlow’s achievement last weekend shouldn’t be under-estimated. They took to the field with six of last year’s minors who were tasting their first championship action at senior level.
As in football, there has been a concentration on under-age level in Carlow hurling recently. Last year, the minors lost by the odd point to Dublin in the championship, who in turn only failed by two points in the Leinster final to Kilkenny, the eventual All-Ireland champions.
There was a sense that this was the most talented batch of hurlers Carlow had produced in a long time, but some questions were raised about Micheál Walsh blooding them in senior stakes so soon.
“It was a decision we took at the start of the year. Last year, there was a good minor team and they also did well in the under-21s. So, with the bit of talent there, we thought we should blood them in the league,” Walsh says. “And they have performed very well. It is a big step-up from minors to seniors, the game is a lot more physical. But, they have adapted to it very well. In this regard, the league provided a good background for them, particularly the games against Antrim and Down at the end of our campaign. Although we lost both those matches, they were hard, fast games that gave the lads the experience of the speed of summer games.”
Structures put in place a few years ago are now bearing fruit. Last Sunday, many of Walsh’s team had been playing together since under-14 and it showed. Now, to add to their years of playing as a team, they have a notable scalp to feed confidence and engender belief.
“If they can’t get a confidence-booster from the result last Sunday, they never can. But I think they have. After the game, everyone was very excited about beating Meath. In a county like Carlow, confidence and self-belief are half the battle and I think that came not only from the result, but the fashion of the victory. They had to battle very hard to cling on and that gives a young team invaluable experience.”
With the footballers out in Croke Park on Sunday, Walsh has had to prepare without two of his most experienced and talented hurlers, Johnny Nevin and Thomas Walsh. Both would have slotted into the team seamlessly at centre-back and centre-forward, respectively. However, Walsh respects the decision of the two men and feels the day of the dual player is over at inter-county level, even in the smaller counties like Carlow.
Even if Laois defeat Carlow, Walsh’s side will get an extra chance in the qualifiers. That they will be playing into the middle of June anyway has meant they are not able to defend their All-Ireland B Crown. They entered that competition at the start of the year, never expecting to beat Laois. Now, they will have another day, at least, out with the big boys.
Heady times for Carlow hurling, indeed.
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