Leamy’s Croker dream close to becoming a reality

CROKE PARK is a very special place for all Irish people but more so if you come from a Tipperary hurling hotbed.

Munster and Ireland back-row forward Denis Leamy has often been there supporting his native county but had given up on displaying his skills on the sacred sod - until the GAA’s relaxation on Rule 42.

“When I was growing up, Tipperary were doing especially well in the late 80s and early 90s, they were a fantastic team,” the Cashel native recalled. “My dad brought me everywhere and I was in Croke Park for the finals of 1989 and ‘91 and that holds very special memories for me. We all had our heroes, Nicky English, Pat Fox and then there were the Bonnars from Cashel. I knew them to pass in the street and obviously I was in awe of all of them. These days, I often drink a pint in Fox’s pub and examine all the memorabilia.”

Hurling was his first sporting love and he played for Boherlahan/Dualla. He maintains that he “could hurl a bit and hold my own although I don’t think I could have made it to the highest level. It was always an ambition to hurl for Tipperary but after going to Rockwell, my size and physical attributes (he is now 6 ft 2 inches and 17 stone) probably pointed more towards rugby.”

Nevertheless, he never stopped going to Croke Park and his last visit was for the last year’s All-Ireland SHC quarter-final between the Premier County and Galway.

“I remember being there as a kid and there was barbed wire fencing around the ground and a lot of it was uncovered at the time,” he says. “It’s an awesome stadium now. It’s probably one of the best in Europe if not in the world. Obviously, I want to play there. If it’s not going to be hurling for Tipperary, it’s going to be a great honour if I get the chance to play rugby for Ireland there.

“It was a little hard to see it happening up to a few years ago but with Rule 42 going out the window, everything changed. Certainly, a lot of people around my area in Tipperary definitely support the playing of rugby and soccer in Croke Park. It would be a terrible shame if Irish teams had to travel outside of Ireland to play their so-called home internationals.”

Anthony Foley, the Munster captain and Ireland number eight, lives on the Clare side of the River Shannon at Killaloe. Like everybody else in the area - including his neighbour and good friend Keith Wood - he played hurling as a youngster without ever dreaming that he might be good enough to play in Croke Park.

While he will be 33 next year, he is playing so well at present that it could well come to pass. “Every Irish lad would love to run out on Croke Park,” he says. “I was brought up in a GAA background as well as a rugby background so playing at Croke Park has always been a dream and even going there has always been a highlight for me. It’s a magnificent stadium and a place for any Irishman to be proud of and it will be a hell of a day when France come calling in a year or so.”