Storey: Wexford win gives all counties hope

YOU often hear people hark back to hurling’s glory days, to Limerick and Kilkenny in the 30s, Cork and Tipp in the 40s, Wexford in the 50s, Tipp again in the 60s, Kilkenny and Cork in the 70s, the rise of the underdogs in the 90s, Kilkenny again dominant in the 00s, but in all of those eras it was just a few teams at the top.

Could we be headed now though for a real golden age in hurling, an age when competition is cut-throat across the board, an annual free-for-all mass brawl in both Leinster and Munster as a number of teams jockey for supremacy?

The signal? Well we’ve had a few this year already. Let’s start with last night; it wasn’t a result that rocked the world but Wexford’s one-point win over Kilkenny in the Leinster U-21 hurling championship semi-final is one pointer.

At minor level, and in the other hurling province of Munster, you had the three less successful counties, Clare, Limerick and Waterford, qualifying automatically for semi-final places in this year’s championship while Tipperary and Cork – beaten by Waterford and Limerick respectively – were left to fight over the fourth spot, coming through the backdoor. At senior level, and just over a month ago, you had Dublin winning the Allianz Hurling League, its first national title since the late 30s.

All of this is hugely positive for hurling. Tipp’s win over Kilkenny in last year’s All-Ireland final didn’t just deny the Cats an unprecedented five-in-a-row, it opened up possibilities for every other county, the aura of invincibility that had surrounded Kilkenny – at every level — well and truly shattered.

Bet your last euro now that Wexford will go into this Saturday evening’s senior Leinster semi-final clash against Kilkenny – again in Wexford Park – with real intention, with real belief; bet your last euro also that Kilkenny will be more than aware of this new threat from within their own province.

“I honestly believe that the whole thing is starting to even out,” says Martin Storey, Wexford captain in their glorious year of 1996; “Last night’s win for Wexford is a huge boost, probably more important to us than the seniors winning on Saturday.

“This Kilkenny team won the minor All-Ireland three years ago, so it shows a bit of form. One swallow doesn’t make a summer, we’re well aware of that, but this win is worth a thousand times more to Wexford than it would have meant to Kilkenny. There’s a huge effort going into hurling in this county, I think the players are beginning to believe, and with that belief comes the kind of total commitment you need to be able to compete at the top level.

” We’re classified as a hurling county but you have to be doing something to justify that classification – this win does that, it’s one of those things that can really lift a county. It will give Wexford a lot of hope, but it goes beyond that, it will also give hope to every other county, at all levels. They’ll be thinking — if Wexford can do it, if Wexford can beat Kilkenny in a competitive game, why can’t we? This win will give everyone belief now.”

Limerick take on Waterford in Munster this Sunday with a plethora of young and supremely gifted players, and several more waiting just off-stage; Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald has blooded a host of youngsters from the successful college teams in that county of recent years; in Clare Ger O’Loughlin has a dozen and more outstanding players who are maybe a year or two from hitting the heights; Tipp we know about, and their already successful programme; Cork are playing catch-up but if any county is equipped to operate an accelerated programme, it’s the Rebels; Galway, well, they’re perennially there.

Why, even at the next level massive strides are being made, and Kerry just won the Christy Ring with an array of kids getting experience along the way. Offaly will be back, Laois, Antrim, Westmeath, Carlow, all are putting huge effort in at underage level.

The signs are all there, the seeds long planted; now, we await the blossoming.