Jason Ryan hails 'selfless' Pauric Mahony after latest Gunners success

FINE WINE: Ballygunner's Conor Sheahan is challenged by Luke O'Brien of Mount Sion. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher

Ballygunner manager Jason Ryan hailed the commitment levels of Pauric Mahony as the 33-year-old marked his first start of the season with a man-of-the-match display in this final.

Mahony captured his 13th senior medal but has spent the build-up working abroad in his role as regional manager of Banner Industries.

“He was in Germany all this week," said Ryan. "He trained in Germany and he had online meetings and he organised himself and he's just incredibly dedicated, incredibly focused and just does everything to get himself right. Whatever has to be done, he just gets on with it and does it. Selfless. He does everything to help Ballygunner.” 

Mahony’s intervention off the bench was vital in Ballygunner seeing off De La Salle in the semi-final and there was no hesitation on Ryan’s part in starting him. “Jeanie Mac, he was pretty damn good the last day, oh mother of God. He's so clever, so intelligent, gets to the right places, so calm. His frees were outstanding, yes, his contribution was huge.” 

This is Ryan’s first year in charge of Ballygunner after Darragh O’Sullivan stepped down following the Munster final loss to Sarsfields last December. It is a season when also won the premier intermediate, minor and the national Féile.

“There’s huge competition; competition for places on the starting 15, in the squad, competition for getting on four adult teams, so you're trying to get on groups. You've a really talented minor group coming through so I'm sure lads are looking over their shoulder thinking ‘I need to perform’ and they motivate each other.

“There's a culture that's been developed by Darragh O’Sullivan, Shay Fitzpatrick, David Franks, Fergal Hartley, all of these people and the underage, the culture in the club is every day you play, go out and do your utmost and that's engrained in them, so it's really a strong culture in the club.” 

Ballygunner have eight weeks until they face the Limerick champions in a Munster quarter-final. The condensed championship timeframe in Waterford is up for debate but Ryan wasn’t getting into it.

Instead, he will soon turn his attention to the club regaining the provincial title. “They've won three out of the last four, so it's not a new piece for them. So they'll be working hard and again, they're driven and motivated, so they'll do everything they can to be in the best shape we can for travelling to Limerick in a number of weeks' time.”