'You want the hunger to be sparked again': Cian Lynch on taking a break from hurling

Cian Lynch of Limerick with his PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year award for 2021 at RTÉ Studios in Dublin. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Hurler of the year Cian Lynch believes taking a virtual complete break from hurling will serve him well in 2022.

Awarded the PwC accolade for the second time in four seasons last Friday, the Patrickswell man has only lifted a hurley twice since the club were beaten by Kilmallock in the Limerick SHC final on October 24.

“I played two Fitzgibbon league matches with NUIG so they were the only two times I took it out. Other than that, I wouldn’t pick it up. You want that appetite and that hunger to be sparked again.

“It is this time of the year you want to do other things, a bit of indoor soccer with the lads or going out to meet friends you didn’t get to meet the last while as a result of restrictions or you are trying to protect yourself, I suppose different bubbles. We are in league final after Christmas.

“When the season is over it is massively important to switch off. You can’t get too consumed by what is going on or caught up in the whole circus of things at times. It is nice to take away your thought process from the whole thing, just trust who you know and look forward to getting back to a great set-up again.”

Going into his eighth senior inter-county season in 2022, Lynch, who turns 26 next month, knows recovery and unwinding are vital in getting himself right for next year. “I still feel about 18,” he laughs. “As you get older you get more mature in regards to life and I am probably a bit wiser as well, you know what your body is able for where before when you were a young fella you were trying to train and to do the extra bit every day of the week and every spare minute you have.

“Whereas at this age after seven years coming into the eighth year you have to know there is time you might actually need to do nothing.”

On the subject of Limerick breaking the all-time record number of All-Stars for a team in one season, Lynch said: “Yeah, it is unbelievable really, it is massive. The individual award itself is huge for each player in any county or code. It is kind of special to have the 12 lads and obviously the three boys were unfortunate to lose out too but they are the bonuses at the end of the year, they are the extras. For ourselves we just want to keep driving on and enjoy the few weeks off.”