Ben and Jerry O'Connor reflect on Cork hurling careers and 'stressful time' during strikes

"I think the reason that it was done for, it has improved conditions for all Cork teams since then. And it's been onward and upward," says Jerry O'Connor

STRESSFUL STRIKES: Ben and Jerry O’Connor reflect on their Cork careers during Laochra Gael programme. Picture: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE

Without mentioning the strikes, Ben and Jerry O’Connor’s Laochra Gael wouldn’t have been a true reflection of their terrific inter-county careers.

At least now they can look back without anger.

“We moved onto 2001, that was the year of the strike, which wasn’t great. 2002 was another poor year. And then… was there another strike in 2002 as well?” asks an uncertain Jerry of Ben in the TG4 show to be screened tonight at 9.30pm.

“There was only one strike at that time there – we only had two strikes altogether so you can’t be firing in strikes here and there.” smiles back Ben.

There were actually three taking into account the 2008 show of solidarity for the footballers and the league games against Kilkenny and Waterford that were scratched.

The other was of course in 2009 when the 2008 panel opposed Gerald McCarthy continuing as manager. That was a bitter and forgettable period for the county as thousands marched through Cork city in support of them the day before other players lined out for the county against Dublin in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

“It was a stressful time,” recalls Jerry in an interview to promote the programme.

“We were still trying to train. And you had all this going on in the background. What I will say is the march that was held above in the city was unbelievable. The amount of people that came out to support us, it was just brilliant. I think that was a turning point.

“It just showed what the Cork hurling fans wanted. Getting back to the strike then, we were fierce well looked after. We trained above in Na Piarsaigh and we were so well looked after by the club. And we were taken in for breakfast after. We trained below in Mallow - we were well looked after there.

“At the end of the day, it was done for a reason. And I think the reason that it was done for, it has improved conditions for all Cork teams since then. And it's been onward and upward. And you won't hear anybody complaining about the way teams are prepared or looked after in Cork.”

Until Cork bridge the gap to 2005 when Ben scored 1-7 against Galway in the final as Cork retained the Liam MacCarthy Cup and Jerry was later crowned hurler of the year, the strikes will most likely continue to be brought up.

Although, such comment is conflated with just how excellent that group of hurlers were.

“People are still talking about those fellas,” says Ben.

“It was great to be involved, we were just so lucky. As you see in the last 20 years, Cork have produced plenty of good players, but not as a group together, good enough to win an All-Ireland.

"So, we were just so lucky to come along at the time that we did, to have all the players we did have around us as well.”

Like Jerry, Ben stands by his actions even if it was difficult.

“Look, if you only went for a pint, there were fellas inside the bar discussing it and like, you know, it would go quiet when you’d go in because they didn't want to keep their side of whose side they were on.

“And that's the way it was. You were on one side or the other. But look, at the time, I really didn't take too much notice of what people thought. I was happy in my own head of what I was doing. And once I was happy in my own head, I was just driving on with that.”

Ben credits the late Jim Forbes with breaking down the barriers. Forbes had been appointed county chairman after the first strike in 2002 for better conditions and was integral to a deal being brokered in ’09. 

“You were training there on a Saturday morning and you were saying, ‘Was there anything going to come out of this? Are we going to be back playing at all?’ So, I suppose just that little bit of a worry that things weren't going to get started.

“But look, thankfully, they did. At the time, Jim Forbes was one of the main men that kind of got sides together and got them talking and got things sorted out.”