How Heffernan fell in love with hurling all over again

A little obsession isn’t always a bad thing — but by last winter, Barry Heffernan figured his own had perhaps cost him the chance of making it with Tipperary.

That was his dream and he had duly stepped up from All-Ireland minor winner in 2012 to senior starter at the beginning of the 2018 championship.

Tipp, however, lost that 2018 opener to Limerick and Heffernan didn’t feature again in the campaign, leading him to fear that he may have blown it.

With Michael Ryan departing as manager, Heffernan presumed the new man in, Liam Sheedy as it happened, would be more interested in upgrading players from the successful U21 team.

“Last year, over the winter months, I thought it was never going to happen, I thought maybe with Tipp, it was kind of over,” said defender Heffernan. “Obviously four of the backs got All Stars for Tipp (in 2019) and they’re all savage hurlers, so trying to get a jersey isn’t easy.”

Yet when All-Ireland final day arrived, Heffernan was the player entrusted with the number three jersey, starting back-to-back Championship games for the first time.

“If someone had told me last year that the year was going to pan out like it did, I would have told you you were mad, to be honest,” said the Nenagh man with the Masters degree in Psychology who realised he had to alter his own outlook to thrive with Tipp.

“I’d kind of focused too much on, you know, that I had to play for Tipperary, and I forgot maybe to enjoy hurling.

“That’s all I focused on this year, enjoying playing hurling, enjoying going over to training.

“By the end of the year, my favourite part of it was going over to train in Thurles, which was huge for me.”

It’s the ultimate mind manipulation that so many elite athletes can struggle with — caring less to perform better.

Heffernan, 24, is quick to address that misuse of words, clarifying that he didn’t care less, rather he allowed himself to forget about the outcome and enjoy the process more, a crucial distinction.

“Obviously I still cared all year, I just focused on enjoying playing hurling and on not being totally focused on the outcome,” he said.

Tipperary jet away this week for the Aer Lingus-sponsored New York Hurling Classic Super 11s tournament which takes place on Saturday at Citi Field. Far from feeling frustration at cutting into the closed season, Heffernan said it’s another reward in what has been a whirlwind few months.

“To be honest, I can’t remember much of the All-Ireland, it all seems like a bit of a blur,” he said. “I remember going up to my mother and father after the match and giving them a hug. I have a picture of that at home, it’s probably something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.

“I remember driving down home the day after and I was still kind of in disbelief. I couldn’t believe it was happening.”