O’Mahony: Full steam ahead after ‘tough’ 2010

THE wheel has turned full circle. Last year Gavin O’Mahony was a bystander in Limerick hurling, observed a season of adverse fortunes for the county.

His frustration was exacerbated by being out of work. Unemployed in his nine to five and unemployed on the training fields at night. He had grown disillusioned at the setup in place under Justin McCarthy and sensing there was no scope for his hurling to develop, opted out on New Years Eve 2009. It was a campaign freighted with awkwardness as he watched clubmates from Kilmallock and former Limerick teammates lining out for the county.

“Last year was tough on everyone, even the lads who were playing. I was often thinking about going to talk to the lads but I decided I wouldn’t. I didn’t speak to anyone about my decision to pull out, so I let the lads do the same. I just couldn’t buy into it, couldn’t see myself improving that year, so I opted out. There were wrongs on every side — the players, the management, all comers. It was hard and I wasn’t working as well. You go from being busy 24/7 to being idle the whole time. That’s not a good place to be.”

He persevered and has been rewarded as 2011 has generated more positive vibes. On the pitch he has reclaimed his status as a Limerick senior and is donning the captain’s armband as well.

“I never ever thought about not playing hurling for Limerick again. That wasn’t an option. I said I’d go 100% with Kilmallock, get myself right and hopefully get a call-up for trials the following year. People say it’s a cliche to be grateful to be able to tog out with Limerick, but that’s not an understatement. It’s fact.”

He fills his days now spreading the hurling gospel as a coach employed by the Limerick county board.

“Mentally it is easier to prepare for a game when you are occupied and don’t have money trouble. I’m lucky enough to have a good job but there are other lads on the panel not in that situation. It’s mostly schools that I work in but for the summer it will be with camps and development squads. I’m mainly in the northside of the city, and a few clubs in West Limerick as well. In the city, you’re competing with the rugby and soccer and the profile is a lot higher for them when you’ve a local guy like Keith Earls from Moyross. But I’m just happy as long as they’re playing any sport. That’s the challenge for me.”

2010 churned out disappointment, but the postscript was a joyous one. Kilmallock’s 16-year absence from the top table grated with the faithful in the South Limerick town until they delivered a county last October.

“The people of Kilmallock are passionate about hurling. We were meeting them on the streets and not having won the senior would get to you. Especially when you grow up winning at underage, I have four minor and four U21 county medals. The young lads were coming up thinking they had nothing to do but it doesn’t work like that as we saw with the Limerick U21’s. It was huge.”

O’Mahony used his spare time last year to improve his conditioning. He now feels the months he put in pumping weights with physical trainer Adrian O’Brien, a brother of Kilmallock midfielder Paudie, have reaped a dividend. That will be needed on Sunday when they face a Waterford team who O’Mahony knows, after spending four years in LIT under the tutelage of Davy Fitzgerald, will be primed for action. Still after 2010, he’s just glad to be in the frontline.