Search Results for 'Hurling'

1 Brendan Cummins (Tipperary)

The great organisation that is the GAA has traditionally had a wonderful way of resolving disputes within the confines of its ranks, more often than not away from the glaring eyes of the media. However in these past few weeks and days we have witnessed some quite bizarre happenings within the GAA world that will surely have rocked the traditionalists of our game back on their heels.

Greatness is often an over-used term in a sporting context. To some it's seen as the accumulation of titles, medals, and personal accolades over a sporting career. To others, it's the delivery of the perfect season or performance when the occasion demands it most. Whatever your defintion, Joe Canning certainly fits the bill. Even at the tender age of 20, Canning has already compiled a CV bulging with many of the game's highest honours. Yesterday was another demonstration of his extraordinary talent as his 0-10 assisted Portumna to their fourth Galway SHC title. However, it was a day when the current GAA All-Star and Young Hurler of the Year was outshone by his team-mates.

All three Kilkenny county champions negotiated their first round Leinster Championship matches last weekend, junior champion's Tullogher Rosbercon got the ball rolling in the best possible way by beating St Peregrines/Trinity Gael's of Dublin by 6 points in O'Toole Park on Saturday. Sunday saw Nowlan Park play host to a double header, intermediate champion’s Erin’s Own of Castlecomer pitted themselves against Carlow senior winners, Naomh Bríd of Old Leighlin. This game went down to the wire. The Comer men eventually came out on top by 2 points in what was described as a cracking game. The Old Leighlin men are very passionate about their hurling, they went to war last Sunday without their veteran centre back and former county and Leinster star, Johnny Nevin, who was away in Australia on over 40s duty. Nevin may be getting on, but by all accounts he still has the drive and passion to compete at the highest level. Comer's cause was helped in the first half by goals from Davy Buggy and Jimmy Byrne, they had to withstand a lot of pressure in the second half before coming out on top. Their next hurdle is Blackwater of Wexford.

The Cats dominated and cleaned up in the Vodafone GAA All-Stars last month and now it looks like the honours will also go their way in this year’s Gaelic Player Awards.

The search for a new hurling manager to succeed Ger Loughnane is coming to a close with eight candidates having been nominated. The task now for the county board chairman Gerry Larkin, hurling board chairman Miko Ryan, and secretary John Fahey, is to start the assessment and interview process before final decisions can be made.

It is a case of third time lucky for John McIntyre - the newly appointed manager of Galway hurling.

Waterford native and hurling great Kevin Ryan has been appointed as the new senior and under 21 hurling manager for Carlow. Ryan was ratified at a county board meeting in Carlow last night (Wednesday) and is expected to push the growth of Carlow’s hurling.

Have you ever wondered about the effect a manager can have on a group of footballers? Let me highlight just one example of how a single individual has transformed the fortunes and the mood of a club in the space of a week. We are witnessing an astonishing turnaround in the fortunes of Spurs in a matter of days, since the arrival of new manager, Harry Redknapp. I take a casual interest in the fortunes of this particular team as my wife Audrey is a lifelong supporter of the Spurs. In the last few months we witnessed one of the biggest clubs in England with big star players struggling in the relegation zone of the Premier League and facing relegation if the fortunes of the club didn’t improve immediately. Harry arrives on the scene and within days these underperforming stars are like men inspired. They grabbed their second thrilling comeback in five days last weekend, this time against table toppers Liverpool. I am perplexed and slightly intrigued as to how Harry has got them into a team of believers, with the mood of the club changed considerably in the space of a few days. People within the club have suggested that the fun has returned to the training ground and now everyone feels part of the team. Another suggested that they are now treated with respect. Harry apparently told them they were good players! This would suggest that previous management didn’t tell them that! Under previous manager Ramos a number of first team regulars were banished to the reserves without explanation, in the process undermining the morale and camaraderie within the whole group. There is a lesson here for all managers. If you lose the dressing room, in other words the very people you are expected to inspire and develop into a winning team, they will lose confidence in your ability to lead them. This should be the signal for you to walk.

Once upon a time the winter months or the closed season as we will call it in the GAA was a tad dull and boring.