Ryan relishes time on top

All wax and no wick, all hat no cattle, all sizzle no steak — for years it looked like that was forever going to be the story of Drom-and-Inch GAA club in mid Tipperary.

The Ragg, their base a few miles out the Nenagh road from Thurles, was gaining renown for its top-class facilities, played host to the likes of Clare and Limerick in the last two decades whenever they were on their way to Thurles for a big game, and the club also boasted another pitch in Drom, a few miles away. But the team, the hurlers?

“We were only a junior club for a long time and had an intermediate team in the ’90s,” club star Johnny Ryan explains. “We were senior for a few years in the ’70s and ’80s and won a couple of Mid Tipperary titles.

“1984 was the year people talk about when we were beaten in the county semi-final but they always said that was an opportunity lost. They went back intermediate again then for a while.”

In the mid-2000s Drom-and-Inch really started to make waves at the top level, contesting senior finals in 2005, ’07 and ’09.

On each occasion, however, they were well beaten and the fear inside what is one of the oldest clubs in the association was beginning to grow — perhaps this was to be their fate, ever the bridesmaids.

Last year, however, was when it all changed with county championship glory. And as one of those who helped to finally bring the Dan Breen Cup to the club, Johnny Ryan felt the emotion. Joy yes, but it was more — or less — than that. “I was only a sub when Drom-and-Inch were beaten in the final of 2005, only 16, and was there again in ’07 and ’09 and those were hugely disappointing days for the club. Winning it last year was more a relief than anything. It was a huge weight off the shoulders given the huge pressure on us to win it. You can feel the difference this year, we’re playing with a lot more freedom now that monkey is off our backs.”

This year Ryan is captain, and this year Drom-and-Inch have again reached the county final. As he said though, that feeling of release, of being able to look the other clubs of renown in that staunch hurling division in the eye as equals – yeah, we’re champions, we too have won a senior county title. That’s a feeling that can’t be either bought or sold.

Only one team ever in any club can experience that special feeling, the first. “That’s it, no one can ever do that again anyway so from that sense it will always be something special,” says Ryan.

One team especially they can now look in the eye — their nearest and dearest, old rivals Thurles Sars, the team they meet tomorrow.

Making things ever more special for Ryan is that their opponents are captained by the inter-county colossus, Padraic Maher — his second-cousin. And that close relationship with the opposition doesn’t end there.

“Denis Maher, their full-forward, is another second-cousin and they’re first-cousins themselves. Pa Bourke is my first cousin, as is Stephen Maher, the corner-back — they’re also second cousins of Paudie and Denis. Michael Maher is my uncle, Stephen’s father, and he’s the chairman of Thurles Sars. My mother is Maher, a sister of Michael and a sister also of Pa Bourke’s mother.”

And their relationship otherwise? “We get on well, all of us, even though they’re our biggest rivals also — on the field you wouldn’t want to be giving them too much though!”

With both of them on the Tipperary senior panel, and having played together up along from U16, they would have grown to know each other well anyway. Mind you, back then Johnny was a goalkeeper, of sorts.

“I played one year for the club as goalkeeper at minor — I was only 16. From that I became sub goalie for the Tipp minors then ended up in goals in 2006 — they didn’t really have anyone else for it. But I was never really a goalie. I didn’t like the position — make a mistake and it’s a goal. I never played there again after that All-Ireland final!”