O’Donoghue: Controversy is in the past for Limerick

Will O’Donoghue has plenty to talk about so best get to it.

Deeds, both obvious and misinterpreted, recorded and committed to Instagram and Snapchat involving Limerick hurlers in recent months painted an unflattering picture of the group.

Here, remember, were a panel who were deservedly praised for making the conscious effort not to bring the Liam MacCarthy Cup to pubs or fill it with alcohol following their 2018 success.

How keen are Limerick, then, to let their hurling speak for them? Like, you wouldn’t believe, suggests O’Donoghue.

100%. But I suppose we have to understand that a lot of what is said in the papers and stuff like that; they are commercial entities and if there’s a story there to be written they are going to write it and it’s going to go to print.

“But we are looking forward to 2020. As players, we are turning up and training and that’s what we are looking to do. We are looking to train and get better and represent the people of Limerick with as high a distinction as we can and give back to so many people who have supported us and helped us on our journey.

“Like I said, some of that stuff can be taken out of context or what not, but I’m sure if you were to speak to a lot of people in Limerick there’s a lot of good being done by the representatives of Limerick GAA. We are all just looking to improve and maintain that integrity that we have and give back to the people of Limerick and let our hurling do the talking.”

Over the last three years, the Na Piarsaigh man has raised over €22,000 in sponsorship for sleepouts for the Novas homeless charity, He insists setting good examples is still high among players’ priorities — “we want to be as humble and as good a people as we can be; and I think we do quite a good job at that, for the most part.”

Almost as admirable is O’Donoghue’s assessment of last year’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Kilkenny. The controversial decision not to award Limerick a last-gasp 65 drew a lot of attention but for the team and management there was no sense of feeling cheated.

“People talk about that semi-final as if we were robbed. We were beaten in that semi-final by a Kilkenny team who are incredibly talented, and have one of the best managers of all time and had a fantastic workrate.

“Kilkenny probably don’t get enough credit for their performance that day. People are acting as if we just didn’t turn up or didn’t want it. And Kilkenny happened to take it. But look at those (first) 15 minutes, look at their tackle count their work rate, they were 1-8 to 0-2 up because they deserved to be.

“It wasn’t through lack of respect for an All-Ireland final (that Limerick lost) — we have only won one All-Ireland in 45 years. We certainly weren’t tuning out or not paying it as much respect.”

Instead of that late call, the midfielder highlights the 16 wides Limerick registered - “if we score four of them no one really cares if that line ball goes wide or not.”

That being said, as much as O’Donoghue is leaving the video technology motion in the hands of the Limerick officers he supports its introduction on foot of the semi-final.

I don’t think Limerick would have just introduced that as you know just trying to blame it on that. But I think video technology would be no harm. You see how fast everything moves. You have a linesman looking at a sideline being taken and then glancing. How is he to know if the trajectory has changed.

“So I think video technology could be brought in to assist refs because of the pace the game is going at.

"But then people were screaming for it for years in soccer and now they are screaming for it to get out. So sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for but sometimes I do think refs could be helped for their own benefit.

"Not because they are not capable but because there is so much to see.”