AIDAN WALSH WILL play for Cork’s hurlers next year.
The Kanturk man starred for the Rebels as a dual player last season, but confirmed earlier this month that he would only feature for one squad in 2015.
Walsh told says he’s now made his decision, which he has communicated to respective Leeside managers Brian Cuthbert and Jimmy Barry-Murphy in recent days.
“In fairness my head has been wrecked the last few weeks,” he told 96FM’s Finbarr McCarthy, “but I’ve come to the decision that I’ll probably have a cut off the hurling this year. I suppose being with the footballers now the last few years and last year trying to do the dual I just feel that I could prove something in the hurling in the coming year.
“And I just said to myself if I give 100 per cent to the hurling I can see what could happen. So yeah, I’ve decided to go with the hurling. We’ll see what happens now and just looking forward to it. Just can’t wait to get started really.
“It was a very, very hard decision to make but I’m kind of happy now that it’s over with,” he continued. “I’m just looking forward to getting the head down and just getting into the alley now for the winter and hitting the ball off the wall and getting as much hurling as I can in to try to improve.
“Last year, looking back at it, there’s a lot of areas that I have to improve on. And hopefully, now I can focus on it 100 per cent on it, there’ll be massive improvements. But no, it’s done with now. That’s it.”
Walsh was keen to put the issue to bed before he heads to Australia next month as part of the Irish International Rules squad, of which he is vice-captain.
He says football manager Cuthbert was supportive of the decision if disappointed.
“I was talking to Brian and in fairness to him he was fully supportive of my decision. He obviously was disappointed that I picked hurling but he’s like anyone — he’s a pure Cork GAA man. He just wished me luck and I wished him the best of luck and told him I hope they have more success and do very well this year. I told him maybe down the line I’d get the opportunity to play under him again and left it at that,” he said.
Walsh now again looks forward to working with ‘legend’ Jimmy Barry-Murphy with the hurling panel. And he’ll hope to go a couple of steps further next summer than last.
“Things went very well in the Munster championship and that game against Tipperary in the All-Ireland semi-final was one of those days went things didn’t go right,” says the 24-year-old.
“I said after that day I didn’t want to leave it like that. And hopefully if we get the chance in 2015 we’ll put up a better display. But like that I’m going to look forward to giving 100 per cent of the hurling. It’s going to be a massive challenge but one I’m really looking forward to.”
