Cork’s Alan Connolly stays grounded after memorable performance

Alan Connolly of Cork celebrates after scoring his side's third goal against Tipperary. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

Up to now, shoulder and hamstring injuries dogged Alan Connolly’s club and inter-county career.

So far this season, he has managed to play in all four of Cork’s Munster senior hurling championship games - replaced only in their facile win over Tipperary at the weekend with a couple of minutes of normal time remaining.

In total, he has scored 4-9, his stunning hat-trick at FBD Semple Stadium his third in a short few months.

The goal-poacher's form is irresistible so when the young attacker speaks of two great Blackrock hurlers as his heroes, it doesn’t surprise.

The Rockies, based in Church Road, is one of the most successful clubs in the history of Cork GAA and Connolly helped them celebrate their 140th anniversary earlier this year.

“Growing up in the club I heard stories about Ray Cummins and Alan Browne, they would be people I’d look up to,” the 22-year-old reveals. “I like being direct, not too fancy anyway," he smiled.

You can see why he would refer to Cummins and Browne as his idols. Connolly is grounded too. Slow to take praise for his latest feats, preferring instead to pay tribute to the team as a whole.

“That’s why Pat (Ryan) brought me back. Just trying to do my job. We’ve loads of belief in this team, it was a really good team performance. What did we score? 4-30? I think we’re top scorers in the Munster championship at the moment (11-107).

“And we were unlucky against Clare. The Limerick win was very important, a really big one, the sort we will remember that for the rest of our careers.

“But winning in Thurles, with all its tradition was unbelievable. After the (Tipp) goal, we settled down and only conceded 12 points (first half) which is really good these days in hurling. We scored 1-15. We were happy at half-time, the goal before half-time definitely gave us a bit of a boost.” 

His second and third goal then, what did he make of them?

“The second goal, I think Hoggie got a flick on it. A bit of luck with the third goal, I got the pass from Luke Meade.” 

With Limerick-Waterford and Tipperary-Clare to come this weekend, the top three teams will not be known until Sunday evening. The only certainty at this stage is that Tipperary are eliminated, and for the other four counties there is so much to play for. Even All-Ireland champions and six-in-a-row provincial title seeking Limerick are not safe.

“Points difference was also in the back of our minds,” Connolly explains. “We really put the foot down. It is something we’re trying to put into our game anyway, to put our foot down. We let Clare back into it three or four weeks ago.

“It is kind of a weird situation we are in now because we must wait to see if we are out or in. Obviously I'm delighted with the win but we could be out of the championship as well. We won’t get our heads too high.”