Limerick keen to keep winning while the going's good

GOLDEN AGE: Limerick selector Donal O'Grady with manager John Kiely. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Limerick hurling selector Donal O’Grady was in attendance at a recent GAA function where also present was Liam MacCarthy and the Munster championship Mick Mackey silverware.

At one point in the evening, O’Grady looked up to the top table to where the two Cups had been on proud display when the function threw-in. Liam MacCarthy had since ventured down the room, hurling’s most prized and photo-friendly possession being passed here, there, and everywhere.

Still sat at the top table was the less-in-demand Munster crown. Oh how times have changed, O’Grady thought to himself.

During his 11 seasons in green, the former Treaty captain only once clasped his hands onto the provincial trophy. The Munster crown was such an absent visitor to Limerick during the noughties and the first half of the last decade that O’Grady’s generation would never have overlooked it. At whatever functions it graced following their lone 2013 Munster final win, the provincial silverware was never left sitting idle.

But the Limerick hurling mindset has changed. There’s been a culture shift. Ambitions and expectations do not begin and end in Munster. Higher plains are chased and have been continually reached over the past five seasons.

“I was at a function and the Liam MacCarthy and Munster Cup were on the table. The Liam MacCarthy was gone one way for 20 minutes and the Munster Cup was on its own. Rewind the clock 10 years; a totally mad situation,” says O’Grady, referencing the county’s dramatically changed fortunes.

“Could we foresee what has happened since? Realistically, no. You’d always believe you could win one, but with the group of boys we have, we have kicked on and taken our chance up to now.

“The challenge is to kick on again. A lot of it is down to management to keep the lads fresh and hungry for more.” 

O’Grady has been involved as selector for three of the four All-Ireland wins on John Kiely’s watch. He tells us the playing group don’t speak about this truly special time they are in the midst of. That said, he can sense the players’ awareness of such.

“If the boys did have any thoughts of winning a handy All-Ireland, that was gone out the window (after the 2019 semi-final defeat). It's been a great learning curve for them, and they've kicked on since.

“They're a very grounded bunch, which is great and a big help for us. There's no fella putting his head above the water, thinking he's bigger than anyone else or anything. The culture in the camp as well (is good).” 

Their age-profile is another sizable plus. Of the starting 15 on the afternoon of this year’s All-Ireland final win, only Nickie Quaid and Graeme Mulcahy were north of 30. Captain Declan Hannon has since joined that club and, while fellow half-back Dan Morrissey will follow suit in April, this is a team still dominated by those in their 20s.

Sub goalkeeper Barry Hennessy did step away earlier this month, but, by and large, retirements from John Kiely’s panel have been fairly conspicuous by their absence in recent years.

“If you were to retire, you'd have to be really content with what you've done up until now to come away from a group with the potential to kick on maybe,” continues O’Grady.

“If a guy didn't enjoy it, we'd see that firsthand. You wouldn't be able to hide that in Rathkeale of a Tuesday night when you're going through a tough session. They're just enjoying it at the moment and obviously the success they're having is the cherry on the top of the cake.

“They're a great age profile at the moment. They're at an age where I don't think a lot of them are contemplating retirement and yet they're not young enough to say, 'Well, I'll go travelling'.

“They're just right in the middle and that's probably an advantage to us in terms of them asking themselves questions like, 'Is it a year for me to go travelling' or 'Is it a year for me to maybe possibly think about retiring'. So, I don't think so, I think the age profile is just right. We've come back to training fresh, which is good, so it'll be interesting.” 

They’ve also come back with a confidence that they can meet head on whatever challenge is thrown at them. It’s a confidence drawn from a challenging 2022.

“Everything was thrown at us. It is great to have the comfort of knowing that that experience is there, if asked upon, which no doubt it will be again.” 

Back on the front grid of the starting line-up, they go again.