Conor Gleeson: Colin O’Riordan could play for Tipperary hurlers if he focuses

Kerry hurling coach and former Tipperary player Conor Gleeson says Tipp’s U21 football captain Colin O’Riordan is good enough to line out for the senior hurlers but only if he concentrates solely on the smaller ball game.

O’Riordan, along with fellow midfielder and dual player Steven O’Brien, has been an integral part of the county reaching their first U21 All-Ireland final, which takes place in Navan on Saturday week.

Gleeson took a lot of pleasure watching the pair star in the semi-final victory over the much-fancied Dublin in Tullamore last weekend. However, he feels he would be a major addition to Eamon O’Shea’s side.

“If we didn’t have any football in the county, looking at it from a selfish point of view of hurling, you’d have the likes of Colin O’Riordan who I’m sure if he spent all of his time playing hurling could make it at the very highest level of hurling in Tipperary. But he is a very good and keen footballer and is playing both. He’d have to spent all his time playing hurling to make the county team. For Tipperary hurling, it’s a bit of a disadvantage. It’s a pity he can’t do both.”

Speaking to Radio Kerry, Gleeson added: “Aidan Walsh was a fantastic dual player but I think it proved too much last year trying to do both. It is a very difficult thing to do.”

Meanwhile, Tipperary U21 manager Tommy Toomey revealed their final against Tyrone might have been played in Croke Park had the senior hurlers and Dublin been victorious in their Division 1 semi-finals last Sunday.

“We got the nod if Tipperary hurlers had won and Dublin won, it might’ve been a double-header in Croke Park,” he told Tipp FM. “It would have been fantastic for the boys. It wasn’t to be.”