SEAMUS HICKEY AND his Limerick team-mates will make their return to the Munster SHC final on Sunday when they take on Cork at the Gaelic Grounds.
The last time they contested the provincial decider was 2007 after an epic-three game semi-final series with Tipperary before losing to Waterford in the finale. Limerick, of course, went on to catch up with the Déise down the road, knocking them out of the All-Ireland last four before losing to two-in-a-row-chasing Kilkenny in the September match-up.
They’ve been through a lot since then as a panel.
In 2010, the county’s summer was written off when Justin McCarthy jettisoned a large portion of his panel with whispers amongst the GAA community of ill-discipline in the Treaty camp. McCarthy was replaced by Donal O’Grady — an All-Ireland winner with Cork — who drew a line in the sand and the exiled players returned. Now under John Allen — another championship winner with the Rebels — Limerick are again in the ascendency.
“I can see the resemblances in isolated incidents being touted as the norm,” said Hickey when asked if he sees parallels between the portrayal of Limerick and Donegal, pre-Jim McGuinness.
“It was this kind of thing, especially the drinking culture in Limerick – that I took massive umbrage with. I don’t drink,” Hickey told the media at the Limerick hurlers’ press night ahead of the Munster final. “I don’t mind people knowing it. I am very happy and comfortable with myself with that.
“But to be out on a Friday night and to be told after that Seamus was out langers. To be told that, that sort of stuff annoys me. People saw you and it’s a lazy attachment that people make between you and someone else. My frustration is borne by many other people who literally only wanted to go out and enjoy being young and enjoy being as sociable person – especially some of the Limerick lads back then really suffered just from being fun people, some of my best friends they suffered from lazy stereotypes people were willing to give to them
“All they were doing was enjoying themselves. I don’t think it was ever inappropriate they were out they were young and unfortunately they suffered like that from the outside looking in.
“Did we do everything right? No I fully put up my hand and say that as Limerick fellas and Limerick hurlers there was times when we, and I say we because I was part of it and you have to take the collective, was there times when we could have kept our head down better? Yeah definitely.
“But it’s just one of those things that definitely annoyed me the attention that we got the tone of the attention that we got. What drove me on and what didn’t swallow me up was the knowledge that we weren’t ….the knowledge that there was something good in Limerick the whole time and I fully believe that all the way through and I still believe before 2007 because I followed teams in Thurles and Pairc Uí Chaoimh,” added the Murroe-Boher clubman.
Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
Limerick are now further on down the road and gunning for a Munster title. And it’s it’ll be St Finbarr’s man versus St Finbarr’s man on the line John Allen pits his wits against JBM.
“We just happened to have two of the best coaches in the game,” the centre back says in reference to Corkmen, Allen and O’Grady.
“Would I credit them solely with it? No. Could we have done it without them as fast? No, I don’t think so. Our house was put in order rapidly in 2011 and we were given a structure and an awareness of the work involved and the attitude and commitment expected of us by a top class intercounty manager. There was no catch up. It was now or never and ‘you’re not going to be around long enough to impress me if you don’t impress me.’
“So, it was the progression of the team in 2011 that was staggering because we had a number of young lads. We had a bit of a mixture with a few lads that were experienced but it was the blend of the two and how it was managed so well in 2011. I feel that we were dreadfully unlucky against Waterford in that Munster championship but that happens. Waterford were a bit unlucky as well in a number of games and you need luck to win games.
“Donal was perfect for us at the time. We needed direction, I felt. We needed structure and we needed discipline. Without it coming across like it being a dictatorship or an oppression. A foundation of behaviour, workrate and intelligent hurling. That’s what he encouraged, intelligent hurling. Ball in your hand, look up as opposed to ball in your hand, take your steps immediately. John has completely taken what Donal has done and ran with it, 100 per cent.
“He obviously knows from previous experience what we’ve been coached and what we’ve been trained to think and to approach. He took that and gave us more of a say in the way it went. Because we were a bit more knowledgeable. I don’t believe for a second that we wouldn’t have got more of a say if Donal had gone on a second year because he said you know what I’ve given ye in the previous year, ye can elaborate a bit better knowing the foundations that ye already know.
“John gave us the reins and I thought last year, it’s ironic, I’ve never been more excited at the end of a year than I was last year. Disappointed at the two moral victories that we’re already harping on about that we don’t want. And we don’t – they’re useless. We’ve only got one championship win in the last six years. But talking to a number of lads after the Kilkenny game last year, I just wanted to train, I just wanted to get back into the saddle for this year. I was nothing but positive and I could see nothing but good things on the horizon for us.”
