Clare boost as Griffin plans hurling switch after bike spell

TONY GRIFFIN has not ruled out playing some part in the hurling championship for Clare this summer.

The 2006 All-Star has spent the last two months cycling 7,000km across Canada in his ‘Ride for the Cure’ and he embarks on the last leg of the trip this weekend when he makes his way from Dublin to Ennis alongside 125 other fundraisers.

Griffin dislocated his shoulder in a crash 28 days into the 51-day Canadian adventure and will visit a consultant on Tuesday morning to establish the extent of his recovery.

“If it was a case of trying to be ready for Antrim on Saturday there would be no way I could play because I can’t strike off my left side,” said a lean and tanned Griffin in Dublin yesterday.

“I’ll just play it by ear and see what the doctor says.”

The Ballyea man estimates that he lost between half to three-quarters of a stone during the journey, with his body morphing from that of an elite hurler into that of a long-distance cyclist.

“I was playing a two-on-two soccer match one evening and felt I was winded the whole time. I wouldn’t know much about it but it is a very different type of fitness. It is all about long-distance whereas hurling is about spurts and sprints.

“I would probably have no problem playing club hurling at the moment but that’s it. A lot will depend on the shoulder as well. I don’t want to do anything that could make that worse.”

With Clare occupying a qualifier group that includes Laois and Antrim, it would be a major shock if they did not qualify for the All-Ireland quarter-finals which will be played over two weekends on July 22 and 29. That would give him almost a month to prepare for any return to the squad.

For now though, his focus is fixed firmly on the weekend’s homecoming in Ennis and reaching the magical €1 million mark that he identified back in February when he committed to the project.

“It was very difficult not to play hurling this season but, in hindsight, it was definitely the best thing for me. This has been hugely rewarding. I have got a real sense of purpose out of doing it.

“To be completely honest I don’t think I have the same hunger (for hurling) that I did. Then again, my focus has changed with this. I know that one more phone call could make a difference, one more email.

“I’m always trying to find new ways of moving this on. At the moment, I have nothing other than this weekend on my mind.”

Griffin and Martin Donnelly, one of the key sponsors of the event, made it clear yesterday that this weekend was merely the start and not the end for the Tony Griffin Foundation.

Donnelly was adamant that a similar cycling charity event would be held every year from now on as they attempt to combat cancer, a disease which is expected to strike almost 23,000 people in Ireland this year.

A TV documentary is already planned and Griffin is also mulling over the possibility on writing a book about his experiences during the journey from Vancouver on the Pacific Ocean to Halifax on the Atlantic.

Griffin described the last few months as a life-changing experience but has admitted that the transition back to ‘normal’ life has been tough since his return to Ireland.

“The biggest thing right now is this weekend. What lies ahead? I’m going to enjoy this weekend but I would love to start getting out to schools and talking to kids, showing them what’s possible,” he said.

The Foundation has also organised a ‘Legends’ night at St Peregrine’s GAA Club in Clonee tonight which will be attended by among others EBU super- bantamweight champions Bernard Dunne, Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, GPA chairman Dessie Farrell and former Wexford hurling manager Liam Griffin.