'You always want more' - Cian Lynch says Treaty won't rest on their laurels
It’s just over a year ago that Cian Lynch complained about the pressures on inter-county hurlers and the impact the game has on their lives.
The rising Limerick star noted how “serious” it had all become, how he was training “six days a week” and how “there’s a lot more to life than the actual hurling”.
Almost a year to the day later, Lynch was a key figure in the Limerick senior team that beat Galway to win the All-Ireland, ending a 45-year drought.
He’s one of the lucky ones whose hard work and sacrifices have paid off, in double quick time, though for the majority it’s a different story.
Lynch wasn’t overly surprised to learn recently that inter-county players devote as much as 31 hours a week to playing and preparing for games.
“Jeez, that would probably be the minimum now for most lads,” said Lynch yesterday. “Sure if you’re not doing a group session you’re doing your own gym session or your own ball wall session.
Any day you have off you’re nearly going to the gym or going to the pool or doing some sort of session.
Lynch finished college earlier this year and is out of the U21 grade though life hasn’t necessarily slowed down for him.
The nephew of Limerick great Ciarán Carey was busy all summer on the county’s All-Ireland crusade and has since gone deep into the local championship with Patrickswell.
They’ll face Doon in Sunday’s semi-final and next month there’ll be a trip to Boston with Limerick for the Super 11s tournament.
It’s not far off a 12-month schedule which only adds weight to his claims of last year that many talented young players are dicing with burnout.
“There’s questions about all that stuff, especially with the new Championship format and more games but I don’t know, I think at times lads look forward to coming back (to their clubs) too,” he said.
You look forward to going back with your club, you look forward to going back in with your college. I loved going back playing with Mary I and playing a bit of Fitzgibbon there.
“We went out and had the craic, enjoyed it and it’s only a six to eight-week period there and in fairness to John Kiely, he was sound as a bell and we weren’t in too much demand to play with Limerick.”
Lynch’s stance has perhaps softened after realising all his dreams by winning a senior All-Ireland medal.
The question now is whether Limerick players like he will be prepared to dig as deep again in 2019 as they defend their title.
“I don’t know, there’s always that question mark,” the 22-year-old shrugged. “But you always want more. For us especially, we’d never experienced winning a senior All-Ireland, our generation, so we want to come back and bounce back and drive things on.
“There’s no point getting carried away either or thinking we’re going to win the All-Ireland again next year. We’re here in the now and we’re with the clubs so that’s kind of our main focus.”
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