Dan Shanahan: ‘We want to get back on track after the Munster final’

You could find the date and root out the result, laughs Dan Shanahan. The occasion was a national hurling league game between Waterford and Wexford years ago, when Shanahan spent a tricky afternoon in Liam Dunne’s company. The lessons stayed with him longer than the scoreline.

“Liam’s a good bit smaller than me but he was a tough, tough competitor. I remember that day in Wexford Park well, he let me know he was around when the first ball dropped. I learned plenty about senior hurling over the course of the afternoon, he was a good teacher.”

Different stations now for the two men, who’ll shake hands before Wexford and Waterford play in the All-Ireland quarter-final at Semple Stadium. Shanahan is a selector with the Waterford team licking their wounds after a rough Munster final against Tipperary; Dunne the Wexford manager who masterminded a first championship win over Cork in over half a century.