Len Gaynor: Jimmy Doyle just wanted to be remembered as a hurler

“Hit it hard, hit it hard. I’ll get it.” That was Jimmy Doyle’s refrain in training. He never liked a soft or a lobbed pass sent his way. No matter how hard it was hit, he could control it, often stopping it dead.

His mastery of the ball was really his hallmark. Because he was able to judge it better, he could have it like that and be gone from his marker quick as a flash.

As a person, he was very humble and child-like in ways. His father Gerry, of course, was with the team all the time mending the hurleys and doing a bit of training with us.