Rattle the goalie, that was the idea

Long before there was Noel Hickey, Pa Dillon was the benchmark for defenders. Full-back on the Kilkenny team-of-the-century, the farmer from Freshford left an indelible mark in the county where hurling is all. Tipperary’s Seán McLoughlin, himself no shrinking violet, was a powerful attacker with the magnificent Tipp team of the early 60s. Diarmuid O’Flynn met the duo in calmer waters this week, the square in Pa’s picturesque home village of Freshford, in advance of tomorrow’s All-Ireland final between the counties.

SEÁN McLOUGHLIN: “There was no such thing as the big pep-talk, just bits of advice.”

PA DILLON: “There was none of the hype you see now, no television, very little radio, just the paper.”