TJ Ryan: 'We need a character like an Anthony Daly at the top of hurling tree'

On the Dalo Hurling Show, the lads discussed the GAA's newly advertised Head of Hurling role. Would Dalo do it? 

Anthony Daly before the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship final match between Clare and Limerick at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

The Dalo Hurling Show was barely back on air half an hour when TJ Ryan threatened to break up the party again by nominating the host as the GAA’s new Head of Hurling.

After a break following the inter-county season, Anthony Daly, TJ and Mark Landers reconvened on Monday for another stint on the popular Irish Examiner podcast, to track the business end of club hurling campaigns.

But first the trio analysed the task awaiting whoever is appointed to the hurling role, advertised recently having been left vacant for almost three years since Martin Fogarty stepped down in December, 2021.

Fogarty held the position, then entitled National Hurling Development Manager, for five years. He reportedly carried out 1,000 coaching sessions during that stint and clocked up 300,000 miles preaching hurling’s gospel. Paudie Butler previously occupied a similar post between 2005 and 2010, and was renowned for his tireless delivery of hurling sessions and workshops and coaching courses.

However, Dalo doesn’t expect the job to work like that this time round.

“The feeling is it won’t be a Paudie (Butler) or Martin Fogarty type role. You won’t be going off doing wall sessions in various counties. It’s more about strategically helping counties set up new clubs, trying to push hurling in areas to get coaches on the ground, help them with their coaching.” 

TJ concurs that’s the only way forward.

“I agree with it. I think the role needs to be strategic. To take on this role and be successful over a number of years, I don't think you'll have time to be on the ground doing sessions. There’s a huge amount of work there.

“It’s hard to influence change. These big ships take a bit of turning. It’s good to see hurling having a voice, to have a point of contact to defend our corner.

“It’s going to need a really strong character and for him to build maybe someone in each province, then underneath that someone in each county and it keeps dropping down. That’s the kind of a role we need here. 

"It’s a hugely important role for hurling and we need this person to be strong and their voice to be heard into the future.

“We need a character like an Anthony Daly at the top of this tree.

“I think you’d be strong enough, and you’d have the drive, whether it’s the right timing or whether you have the time is a different question. I’m not putting you on the spot today.” 

On the spot or not, Dalo was always well able to clear his lines off the back foot. 

“I interviewed for the job before Martin. Maybe they’d have given it to Martin anyway, but I ruled myself out. Because it was a John the Baptist effort. It was go off and go in there and there. Was there any vision? I didn’t do it then and I'm happy enough talking away here now… 

“But never say never. I don’t have the third level education anyway TJ so that rules me out. That’s the first line in the application. You need a third level qualification. You could be a hurling man for 20 years and you’d have to have an old Bachelor of Arts. I joined the bank.” 

Whoever gets the job, TJ doesn’t underestimate the size of the task growing hurling in places where the game plays second fiddle. 

“We have to be realistic. Even in a county like Limerick where hurling mightn’t be particularly strong in the west, to go and influence change there would be hard. Even in a hurling county, not to mind going into places not known as a hurling county.

“To grow hurling in places where hurling isn’t number one, that's not straightforward. We all know clubs where hurling isn’t number one, and it’s very hard to go in there and preach hurling because the culture isn’t there.

“It’s also very important not to forget about hurling clubs who were good and may be struggling. To keep them going is very important.” 

Liam Sheedy, who served as chairman of the National Hurling 2020 Committee which called for the restoration of a full-time Director of Hurling position,  was the first name that came to Dalo's mind.

“Liam would be savage at the job, with so much corporate experience as well. There are a lot of candidates.

“I was flattered to be linked to it at the time, because Paudie was unbelievable and Martin carried on that. But Jarlath Burns is coming straight out and saying it might be 20 years before we see the benefit of this. We’re not talking about revolution.

“I hope it’s a success for them. I do think it needs that pyramid system. There are enough full-time people in the GAA, six to eight more isn’t going to kill us.”