Youngster Séan gets audience with classy Austin Gleeson
The echoes of James Owens’s final whistle which confirmed their five point Munster final loss to Tipperary had barely faded when an eager young supporter asked a crestfallen Austin Gleeson for his autograph.
The conversation which followed for the next 30 seconds will be etched in young Seán Walsh’s memory for the rest of his life.
“Seán is nearly 11 and he plays hurling and football for The Nire/Fourmilewater. He has become a big fan of collecting Cúl cards and getting them signed by players,” his father Muiris, a Tipperary native, explained.
“So he brought his Waterford and Tipperary cards with him to Thurles on Sunday. At the full time whistle he went out on the field and saw Austin Gleeson down on his honkers.”
His father recounts the conversation between the pair.
‘Could you sign my Cúl Hero card please’ “
‘No bother. What’s your name?’
‘Sean Walsh. Hard luck today.’
‘Don’t be too disappointed we are still in the Championship. How old are you?’
‘Nearly 11.’
‘You’d never know, we might win an All-Ireland together.’
It was a productive afternoon for young Walsh as he also secured autographs from the Tipperary stars who also signed his hurley. But the act of kindness from Gleeson within seconds of losing a Munster final is something that Muiris believes should get the credit it deserves.
“It was such a classy gesture by Austin. It was one of the nicest things I have ever seen in gaelic games,” said the former Tipp FM analyst.
“You hear about all the negativity in the GAA at the moment, about disciplinary issues, about blanket defences or the fact that you can’t get near players any more outside of press-nights.
“But GAA players are accessible, they are real and perhaps we need to realise that a bit more.
“We divert our kids to other sports and have then dreaming of the likes of Wayne Rooney or Brian O’Driscoll.
“But in GAA you don’t have to go very far to meet your heroes - they are all around us.”
