O’Shaughnessy’s bright outlook

ANDREW O’SHAUGHNESSY isn’t too keen on dwelling on the latter end of 2009. And who could blame him. Twelve months ago he was one of the 12 Limerick hurlers sensationally dropped from the county panel with manager Justin McCarthy citing commitment and discipline issues as the chief reasons behind the axing.

For a player who has never drank or smoked, it came as a especially hard blow, and one that he is still waiting to be explained away.

But within weeks that bombshell was eclipsed. In November, doctors informed Shaughnessy that he was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a chronic and sometimes disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system.

For that, there is no explanation.

The cause of MS is unknown, and as with so many other of life’s misfortunes, we’re all in the firing-line. Andrew, one of the nicest guys in a sport that has many, was the unfortunate one on this occasion.

A double-whammy that would have turned the world of many upside down doesn’t seem to have knocked a stir out of the 25-year-old Irish Army Lieutenant.

Tomorrow in the Gaelic Grounds he will line out for Kilmallock against Emmets in the Limerick SHC final.

His condition? “Physically I’m feeling grand,” he said this week. “I’m training well and keeping well.

“I’m in good shape, feeling as fit as ever – definitely fitter than last year anyway!,” said with a wry smile, a reference to training under McCarthy.

Speaking of which, what does he think of the new Limerick appointment, former Cork manager Donal O’Grady?

“A good choice, he has a very good reputation.” Will those who were cut and those who pulled out subsequently this year (23 in all) be making themselves available now?

“I haven’t been talking to any of the lads, but I’m sure everyone will make themselves available. I wouldn’t be expecting a phone-call, but if I did (get one), I’d go, yes.”

Enough on that – what of this final? It’s his second bite of the cherry at this level (beaten in 2005 by Garryspillane, coached by Tony Considine, who now coaches Kilmallock), but, having won county titles at all underage grades with the club, did he think the opportunity would ever come again?

“You would. At the start of every year you’re expecting to do well and get to the latter stages of the championship, and we’ve been doing that, bar last year. The big barrier was the semi-final, and we managed to over that this year.”

It’s a huge event in Limerick, a final that has really captured the imagination and is sure to have the biggest crowd seen in the Gaelic Grounds for a club game for many a year.

The South Limerick division – Emmets – is by far the most powerful hurling area in the county. Apart from Kilmallock, you have Bruff, Bruree, Castletown-Ballyagran, Croom, Garryspillane and Knockainey operating at senior level, then you have three of the last four in this year’s intermediate championship (Dromin-Athlacca, Hospital-Herbertstown and Glenroe), along with the reigning All-Ireland junior champions (Blackrock, the Kilfinane/Ardpatrick combination), and other strong traditional clubs such as Effin, Banogue, Staker Wallace.

Traditionally, however, in that division, Kilmallock would be the team everyone else loves to hate, the big boys.

But he counters: “People think we’re a big club, but we’re not. It’s actually a small town, and a small parish – go a mile or so outside it in almost any direction and you’re in another parish. I’m nearly in Bruree and I’m only a mile and a half from the town. It’s just that we have the town, and we’ve always had a very good underage system here.”

So, the Goliath of the South Division is actually the David in this final? “Exactly. They have a much bigger pick than us. They gave us our toughest match all year, in the group stages and they were short a few that night. They had a lot of wides – should probably have beaten us, to be honest. We’re up against it, and we know it, this is a great opportunity for those lads to win a senior title. I think it’s a bit unfair, actually, on the likes of Knockainey, who they beat in the semi-final, but who aren’t any bigger than a lot of the clubs in Emmets.”

By extension then, probably unfair if Emmets should beat Kilmallock as well, even if Kilmallock are already in the Munster club championship as divisional teams are barred.

“Yeah, that’s nice to have, but it’s in the background. A few of us discussed that the night we won the semi-final, but decided not to talk about it again until this is over. It’s great to play in Munster but you don’t want to go through as losers, you want to have a bit of momentum. This is the one to win.”