TJ Ryan: ‘You can see what pressure did to poor old Jordan Spieth’

TJ Ryan has welcomed back the Na Piarsaigh players after their successful All-Ireland club campaign, but you couldn’t blame him for wishing he’d seen them a bit earlier in the season. His Limerick side didn’t get out of Division 1B, and the likes of Kevin Downes, Shane Dowling, and Ronan Lynch would surely have made a difference for them.

“We could have badly done with them, obviously they’re a very strong club and we could have done with them in the league.

“Now that they’re back, though, there’s a triple benefit — they’re back as winners, there’s a boost to the squad, and there’s so many of them, it’s bound to help. There are a lot of positives to it, to having them back. Certainly having them come back as club champions, that’s been a huge boost.” They also bring plenty of experience, particularly after collecting an All-Ireland title in Croke Park.