What’s easier, cricket or hurling?

ONLY a couple of months previous he was one of Ireland’s World Cup cricket heroes in the win over England, taking four wickets to limit the auld enemy to 327, before scoring the final runs to complete a record chase.

Now, on a sunny afternoon in his native Balrothery in north County Dublin, John Mooney was again in the crease. On this occasion a far more humble occasion, the Leinster League.

He’s a fixture here, part of the wider North County Cricket Club family, but in typical Irish fashion is also subject to the kind of banter that keeps a guy grounded. So it is that, even having hit a mighty 120 in his bat, he is slagged by Jerry, Tom and the lads as he heads for the pavilion stumped. A moment of lapsed concentration allowing an alert wicket-keeper take his scalp.

He’s also a hero, however, a fact wryly acknowledged by the two ladies making the between-innings tea and sandwiches.

“I used to be Pamela, now I’m ‘John Mooney’s sister’,” says the younger lady, having heard herself pointed out as just that, “And this is now ‘John Mooney’s mother’!”

It could be any GAA club in the country but in north County Dublin there are two sporting religions: cricket and Gaelic football. There is no divide. Mooney played hurling, a minority sport in the area. With the oft said “shure a daycent hurler would clane up in that game” he’s in a good position to judge how different they are.

“They are different,” says John, “but there are also great benefits to be had as a cricketer from having played hurling. One aspect is fielding. Catching the ball in hurling and given the speed at which the ball is travelling, your fielding skills will definitely improve. Your reflexes, your hand-eye co-ordination are all brought into play.

“Then there’s the batting and there are a few shots that players have started playing more: the sweep shots, a reverse hit where you’re actually hitting the ball from the wrong side.

“Hurling also prepares you for that, where you’re hitting the ball off both sides all the time. Definitely if you’re a good striker of the ball in hurling, that will help you in cricket. I absolutely love hurling and any opportunity I get at home I pick up the hurley and puck around.”

Another of the Irish heroes of that win over England is another hurling Dub, but this time a southsider, Niall O’Brien, son of a famous cricketing father, Brendan, and even more famous brother Kevin, who scored the fastest century in World Cup history.

Niall too picked out those two elements, fielding and batting but then, there are the differences.

“Cricket is obviously a slower-paced game,” says Kevin, a pro with Gloucestershire. “I found hurling very fast and frenetic, action-packed, where cricket tended to be more methodical in its approach and delivery. Hurling is a tough man’s game. Players show a lot of heart and desire, wear their heart on their sleeve, make a lot of sacrifices for the cause.

“It’s generally played by a very, very tough breed of people who aren’t very concerned about getting injured, where cricket tends to be very well protected. You have helmets, pads and so on. Then again it takes a certain kind of courage to play cricket also. Some bowlers would be up to 100mph.

“I’ve been knocked out a few times, hit in the head and unconscious for a few days in hospital. Both games though can be extremely exciting, very enjoyable to play and to watch.”

Would they have made it as hurlers? “I’m not sure if I can stand here as a 29-year-old cricketer and claim that I could have played for the Dubs in Croke Park in front of 84,000 people against the Cats,” says Niall, “but you can dream, can’t you?

“I’d like to think I would. I’d love to have played hurling at the top level but I gave up at 16.”

Having watched Johnny Mooney with hurley and sliothar in hand, I can say yes to Johnny, emphatically. The guy was a natural.

“I have a few regrets, yes, and I’ve been following the Dubs as they won the league final this year, a great result for them. I didn’t progress past schools level but I always really enjoyed the game.”

Could it be, however, that there is one last game of hurling left in Johnny. “Our cricket club, North County, recently challenged the local Gaelic football team to a hurling game — that will be interesting, to see how that pans out. With both Dublin teams involved in the All-Ireland finals (said tongue-in-cheek), it won’t be until the end of September, a fundraiser for both clubs with a big night afterwards at our own club.”