Aaron Gillane excited for Limerick's next generation

Gillane did not doubt his ability to produce a performance in the All-Ireland hurling final against Galway

Aaron Gillane: “We are very grateful to bring Liam MacCarthy back to Limerick. The last two years just wasn’t good enough on our behalf." Pic: ©INPHO/Tom O’Hanlon

Aaron Gillane believed there was always a good performance coming. It arrived in last month's All-Ireland final. The Patrickswell clubman thought he was doing so much right in training, before delivering his best display of the championship against Galway.

Having been withdrawn by manager John Kiely against Waterford, Cork and Clare, Limerick’s record scorer arrived to the Jones’ Road on All-Ireland final day with just a brace of goals against Tipperary to his name.

Gillane, who turns 30 this Friday, chipped in with three points from play, while he created many more openings, including Cathal O’Neill’s title sealing goal.

“I hadn’t taken much notice of if (the lack of scores)," said Gillane.

"The only thing you can control is how you are going in training and how you are preparing yourself. So, once you are ticking all the right boxes, and you are happy enough with the form in training, you know there will be a good performance somewhere along the line”.

The silverware sits on Shannonside this winter and Gillane feels that it has given those in both city and county a huge lift.

“We are very grateful to bring Liam MacCarthy back to Limerick. The last two years just wasn’t good enough on our behalf. It isn’t just for the players or the management, it is for the whole city and county of Limerick so to get back to the pinnacle of hurling is huge. To see that lift it gives people is huge.

“I have probably watched it a couple of times. It’s easier watch when your team wins and performs. I was happy with the final. They were a bit better than the Clare and Cork games before it. So as long as Limerick were winning, and we were scoring it didn’t really matter who was scoring”.

Perhaps that is experience, perhaps faith in those around him. Whatever it was, Gillane and his teammates had it in spades. There were setbacks. The lost a January Munster League opener, a National Hurling League clash with Waterford and their Munster Championship start on Leeside, but each time they picked it up and won the remaining games in those competitions.

“There was no point in freaking out after losing the first League game (v Waterford), or Munster Championship game (v Cork). The majority of the panel have been together a long time, and we know what we are capable of. There was no point in freaking out or panicking, we were just straight back to training and ensuring that things were better than the week before. Once there is positivity in training, we were bound to get a kick”.

With Séamus Flanagan cut from the panel last winter, Shane O’Brien continued to be the most obvious man to spearhead the Treaty attack alongside Gillane.

“Shane (O’Brien) has it all, he has shown what he is capable of, and he is carrying that form into Kilmallock. The wider hurling public hasn’t heard of others, like Oisín O’Farrell, Paddy O’Donovan. They are not too far off it. The underage is being good to us (with these players)”.

In preparation for the All-Ireland semi-final, the entire Limerick panel were in the stands as the county’s minor side ended 42 years without the Irish Press Cup. It was an afternoon that left those in attendance thirsty for more.

“There was four lads from Patrickswell on the panel, so it is a long time since Patrickswell had four on an underage panel. It would go back to Diarmuid’s time (2012). The buzz that they gave us, we trained that morning and then went in and watched the match. We were on a high coming home after it. The hard work is up to them, but the future is exciting with those lads”.

Gillane was speaking at the launch of Legends 4 Milford, a Ryder Cup style fundraising competition between legends of Limerick hurling and Munster Rugby. The event hopes to raise vital funds for Milford Hospice in Limerick.

“I don’t play (golf) as much as I used to. I played last week, and it took a few holes to get into it," admitted the 2023 hurler of the year, while looking forward to rubbing shoulders against the likes of Paul O’Connell, Keith Earls and others of Munster Rugby fame.

The event takes place on Friday 21st August at Ballyneety Golf Course.