Rushe: A great year for hurling and Dublin

If distance lends perspective, then Liam Rushe has a crystal-clear view of the redemptive year that was Dublin’s hurling season.

Walking off the field at the Shanghai rugby club, the All Star centre-back is asked to review the Sky Blue’s 2013 championship.

The 23-year old points to a first Leinster crown in 52-years, and, on a personal note, a second All Star in three years.

Glorious redemption.

“It was a good year for hurling, a great year for us,” said Rushe.

“If you look back I think we achieved two or three of our main targets. Obviously the big one eluded us, but it’s been well publicised, it’s just a bit of bad luck. Maybe things will turn out good next year.

“It was great to win something finally. What was it, 1961 or something since we actually won one?

“The Cork match obviously cast a long shadow over the year, but, taking things into perspective, we are the first bunch of lads in Dublin with Leinster medals in over 50 years so you have to be happy with that.”

In a summer where the game’s pecking order was seismically realigned, Dublin moved themselves within touching distance of the summit. What then is required to finish the climb in 2014?

“We learned you’ve to play every game as it comes. We’ve a lot of younger players in, develop them in the league and stuff like that. Build belief and win every game like we did last year and the previous years – that’s the ethic.”

Dublin’s graph followed a similar trajectory back in 2011, but Rushe vowed the mistakes evident in the subsequent campaign will not be repeated next summer.

“I suppose in 2012 we got ahead of ourselves. Everyone is telling you how great you are and how great you did and stuff like that.

“We are always saying that. We thought we’d cruise back into an All-Ireland semi or something. We’d only have to turn up then and start playing.

“It was a shock (the Clare defeat), disappointing. You are dumped out in the first week of July. I think it’s always a shock for everyone.

“Everyone speaks about it. You are at a loose end when you are first knocked out of the championship because your life is structured for the previous six or seven months. You come, you go training, you eat your whatever, six meals a day, do this that and the other.

“It was a bit of a shock. Looking back, it was a bit of a blessing, we learned our lessons, got to go away for once, got to live a bit of a more normal life, got a J1 in Boston, stuff like so – got that out of the system.

“It was fun. We have learned our lessons from 2012 and are just itching to get back.”

Division 1 hurling next spring provides the perfect launch pad for their All-Ireland assault and Rushe claimed the 15-point league semi-final hammering to Tipperary last April was one of the most important results in shaping Dublin’s fortunes this year.

“It was a bit of a kick in the teeth and bit of a kick in the arse when we needed one.

“We took Division 1B in our stride and probably thought we were world beaters. It was probably good to get that shock at that time. We maybe went away and focused on our hurling and came back sharper.

“We were unsure of ourselves from 2012. We knew we had it because in 2011 we were pretty decent. It was still there but you just kind of lose your way and you question yourself.

“Everyone is questioning you so you maybe start listening to people like that and you try and keep the outside out but things start creeping in and the egos start building.”