Limerick can rely on Murray - and so can the ref
And, if there’s one player he can hope to rely on, it’s Limerick goalkeeper Brian Murray.
That’s because he has a deeper understanding than any other single player of the pressure that Kirwan will be under.
“It’s all about making split decisions, it’s not as if he can look at the television before he decides. He has a hard job and just like it is for players, sometimes things go right for him, other times they don’t. Everyone tries to do their best,’’ he said.
If you ask why he should be so considerate, the answer is simple. His own father Terence has been through it all — handling two finals, both between Kilkenny and Galway — and Brian experienced the joy of seeing him perform in Croke Park for the second one in 1993.
Interestingly, his first final was in 1987 and the referee who took charge of the following year’s final was Kirwan’s father Gerry.
“I had some great times in Dublin watching my father. It’s a brilliant experience for a referee to take charge of an All-Ireland final. I never thought back then we would see the day when he would be up in the stand watching me. He’s so proud.’’
Brian, who works with DHL, came on the scene too late to be part of the U-21 success story (Timmy Houlihan being the goalkeeper for all three finals). He only made the team the year after the last of the victories and while he had played in goal from U-15 up to minors, he played outfield for a spell before being selected between the posts for Limerick in his last year in the grade.
Remarkably, considering the reputation he has built up in a short period, he only made his senior championship debut last year against Tipperary. And, for that, he’s grateful to former manager Joe McKenna for having the faith to bring him into the squad (after Houlihan went abroad).
“I got the call to come training around October (2005) and they held a few trials. He picked me for a couple of league matches and they went right for me,’’ he explained.
Appreciating his good fortune in playing in a final in only his second season, he has a simple approach to Sunday. It will, he says, all be about ‘being relaxed, focused and staying concentrated throughout 70 minutes’.
“I know it’s a big occasion, but hopefully it will not get to us’’
And, while accepting that there will be pressure on the team to repeat their semi-final performance against Waterford, he says that they will need to play even better.
“Maybe we did not realise we could perform as well as we did. We got the five goals, which a lot of people thought Waterford would get. It came out right for us on the day. And we did perform for the 70 minutes, which was the main thing.
“I didn’t get many shots from Dan Shanahan. Stephen Lucey he was fantastic and when Dan went out to the wing, Mark Foley was very tight on him. I have great faith in all my backs and that means a lot to a goalkeeper.
“Some people might be surprised to see Limerick in the final, but for the last few years there has been only a point or two between many of the teams in the Munster championship. We set out at the start of the year to beat Tipperary and achieving that was a big breakthrough.’’
He recognises that many of the pundits give Limerick no more than a fighting chance of victory. But that doesn’t concern him. His view is that it’s no more than a 50/50 game — except that it will require them to reach their full potential.
“As well as we played against Waterford, we know we have to ‘up’ our performance. But, we know there’s more in us. We have prepared well. And it’s all on the day.’’
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