Nice guys can finish first, too

JOHN ALLEN has had to face a new challenge these last few days, being back at school in Togher, in Cork city, where he teaches fourth class.

As manager of the All-Ireland hurling champions and mindful of the supreme test he and his team face in Sunday’s All-Ireland final, he has had to balance the duties of his day job with the more onerous demands of overseeing preparations for the game against Galway.

Of course, it’s no different for Conor Hayes, an engineer, except that Allen was able to devote his full attention to the team during the summer recess. Now he has to juggle the two commitments and it hasn’t been easy. There isn’t an hour that goes by without him “thinking” about hurling.