I’D PLAYED WITH Denis (Walsh) at the very end of his career. But I couldn’t say I knew him.
Denis’s training drills were good – he was definitely more drills-orientated than Gerald (McCarthy) – but the flip side was that training would go on for well over two hours.
Sometimes in training Denis would tog out himself. I thought it was a way of showing off that he still had it. I wasn’t buying that, anyway. Another thing I wasn’t buying was the couple of times he said to me, ‘You know I was finished with Cork when I was your age.’
I took it that he was implying that he had been wronged by the selectors and he should have stayed longer. Or maybe he was dropping me a hint!
One comment from Denis at the start of 2010 certainly didn’t go down well – not with me in any case. While giving a long speech before training, he said: ‘This new squad is a creation of two different teams. One team that went on strike. It mustn’t have been easy taking on the establishment. I have good time for ye.
‘Then you have the other team who played when the strike was on. I have more time for ye. It was harder for ye.’
Still to this day I don’t know what he was trying to achieve by coming out with that. I knew there and then that it was going to be a rough year ahead.
2010 league final v Galway
On the morning of the league final, I woke up at 5 a.m. Setanta was playing for Carlton against Collingwood that morning, and I wanted to watch the game. Setanta scored five goals, and I was delighted I got to see it. But the league final we played later that day is a game I’d want to forget in a hurry. I had a stinker. I was on a very good player, Damien Hayes, who was red hot. I was rightly hauled ashore in the second half.
At the next session Denis pulled me aside and said, ‘You didn’t have a good game and we pulled you off last weekend.’ I said, ‘Look, that’s your call, I didn’t do myself any favours and gave ye no choice.’ Five weeks out from championship, he told me at that training session to get my focus right because I’d be playing against Tipperary no matter what.
My relationship with Denis was never great during the two seasons I played under him. But it would be wrong of me to forget the support he gave me after my League final disaster. It meant a lot at a time when people were writing my obituary as a hurler.
Seán Óg Ó hAilpín in action against Damien Hayes in 2010
Pic: INPHO/Cathal Noonan
2010 All-Ireland semi-final v Kilkenny
We went up to Dublin the day before and stayed in the Burlington, and Denis said that he had organized a guest speaker to come to talk to us that evening. We looked forward to hearing from guest speakers – it definitely beat listening to Denis rambling on.
Denis said, ‘This man needs no introduction. He coached me and ye all know who he is.’ Billy Morgan walked in. And proceeded to give the greatest speech I’ve ever heard. Without exception. Started off quietly, but he was unbelievably passionate by the finish.
‘They’re writing ye off tomorrow,’ he said. ‘They’re writing off the Rebels. Let me tell you something, lads: no one writes off the Rebels.’
Jimmy Barry-Murphy had spoken excellently in dressing-rooms and before games over the years, but Billy was on a different level altogether that night in the Burlington. We gave him a standing ovation that lasted for thirty seconds if not more. What a man.
After fourteen years playing senior hurling, you develop a pretty good sense of what a particular manager or coach might say before a big match. That was never the case with Denis. He was capable of saying anything, and his speech before the 2010 semi-final was an example.
He started off by talking about a person he knew that had played for Cork. This same player had become very frustrated with being asked to play here, there and everywhere. This frustrated player found himself in an All- Ireland final against Kilkenny.
He had reached the stage where he was so fed up that in an act of frustration he gave away a penalty just before half-time. Kilkenny scored a goal and the rest is history. The frustrated player was taken off in the second half.
A few of us in the room knew which All-Ireland he was referring to. It was the 1992 final. I remember it vividly because I was at the game as a spectator. Denis continued, saying that that same frustrated player who gave away the penalty had waited for a chance to redeem himself.
Unfortunately the chance never came for that player – until today. He’d been waiting nearly twenty years. Wait for it. That frustrated player ‘was me, lads. It was me.’ I don’t know if the hurling gods were punishing us for past sins, but to listen to that was pure punishment. I was thinking, ‘Is this the best you got, mate?’
After Denis’s inspiring entrée, we did cover some technical stuff on Kilkenny, but it was nowhere near enough. It seemed more important to Denis to address what he felt went wrong in his own career.
We got what was coming to us. We were pummelled by Kilkenny and the white flag was up long before the end. Denis took off Aisake at half-time, which I couldn’t believe. Aisake was our only goal-scoring threat.
I could see Aisake fuming over the decision, so I went over to him to calm him down. We were heading out for the second half and when most of the players had exited the dressing room Aisake asked politely, ‘Denis, what’s that about?’ ‘Not the time, Aisake,’ Denis said.
Aisake Ó hAilpín in action for Cork against Kilkenny in 2010
Pic: INPHO/Morgan Treacy
The second half was a hammering. The dressing-room was like a morgue, as you might expect. I was wondering how we were going to bridge the gap – to what was admittedly an exceptional Kilkenny team – when Denis spoke.
He told us the management team was baffled, as they’d done everything they could think of andthey’d left no stone unturned. You can imagine how well that went down with the players. That was 2010 over and done with.
The week after the All-Ireland final, the management called an end-of-year debrief meeting for the entire panel. After the meeting Denis said he’d be conducting one-to-one meetings with us after the conclusion of the local county championship. I started back doing pre-season work in early October, with focus on my troublesome hamstrings. Deccie O’Sullivan was eager to get me started before the panel resumed training in early December.
Showdown
My one-to-one appointment with Denis was on a Saturday morning in mid-October at the Rochestown Park Hotel.
I got to the hotel as Anthony Nash was coming out of his one-on-one and he seemed like someone who hadn’t received good news. I learned later that he’d been told that his position wasn’t secure for the next season.
When I went in, Denis Walsh and Jerry Ryan, one of the selectors, were sitting down. There was a bit of small talk and then Denis got to it: ‘Coming to your position, Seán Óg, management have sat down and looked at your performances over the past year. We feel your performances have slipped downwards. Do we see you having the ability to turn it around for next year? We don’t.
‘We have other people in mind – we’re looking at William Egan, or maybe bringing Shane O’Neill out from the full-back line. We have options. We don’t see you in our plans.
‘This is probably hard for you to hear. You’ve been a great servant, you’ve had a decorated career, your commitment to training has been second to none and you’re still in great condition. I’ll leave you talk now.’
When he’d said I wouldn’t be part of their plans I decided that I wasn’t going to cause an ugly scene or let it develop into a heated argument.
‘Look, Denis, I’ve had a good innings,’ I said. ‘I’d love to stay involved, but if I’m not part of your plans there’s no point in discussing this further.’
He agreed with that. He went on to say that, apart from the Tipperary match, I hadn’t had a good game. I knew that was bullshit, but I said, ‘Grand, is this over so?’ I said to myself that I’d keep my dignity, though in all honesty I was stunned by the decision.
Former Cork manager Denis Walsh
Pic: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
(At least I didn’t get the ‘hurling graph’ – I learned later from Tom Kenny that Denis asked him was his hurling graph going upwards or was it going downwards, because Denis wasn’t sure where it was at. He told Tom that he had been extremely lucky to make the cut and if there wasn’t an improvement on his graph for next year, he wouldn’t be around. Denis will be glad to know that Tom’s hurling graph skyrocketed when he moved on as manager.)
As I was leaving the room, Denis said: ‘By the way, this is going to be big news, you retiring’ – retiring? – ‘and how best we deal with it. Have a think about it and get on to me and we might discuss about issuing a joint statement. I won’t say a word till you get back to me.’ I just said, ‘Yeah, let me think about that one.’
Cathal Naughton was the next man in. I wished him the best as I left, headed out, and to this day I don’t know how I got home. I just remember pulling up in the car outside my house: no memory of how I got there.
Reaction
Despite Denis’s assurances, by the Sunday night I was getting texts and calls from journalists. The news was filtering out. I spoke to Eddie O’Donnell and we decided not to wait for a statement to come from the Board or the team management.
We got the GPA to release a brief statement on my behalf on the Monday: I wished the players all the best but I wanted to make my point, too – that I wanted to continue playing, but I’d been dropped.
The flood of phone calls, text messages and letters from family, friends, team-mates, former managers and hurling supporters all over the country that followed was phenomenal and truly humbling.
Aisake was supposed to have his review meeting a few days after mine, but he didn’t bother going. I told him that whatever had happened to me had happened, but if he wanted to continue playing, then he had my blessing to drive on. But he went back to Australia with Setanta to resume playing Aussie Rules. Being taken off against Kilkenny, with no explanation given, had turned him off. He also said he couldn’t go back and play under Denis after what he did to me.
The lads who were retained on and off throughout 2011 weren’t long saying that 2011 was worse than 2010. That wasn’t much consolation to me, though. I was gone.
Tonight on TheScore.ie: Seán Óg’s recall by JBM and his retirement in 2012
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Seán Óg Ó hAilpín: The Autobiography is published by Penguin Ireland. More details can be found here
An extremely talented athlete but a limited hurler. There were are a lot better cork hurlers who’ve dealt with worse and said nothing. The tone of his piece is quite bitter, after all, he fared little better under JBM.
Great player. He done his county proud many times & we thank him for that. The rest is not relevant.
Give it up Sean og, your time had come to go, jimmy only brought you back to keep Donal og and yourself quiet.
Spot on Tom
So he was dropped from a panel .. a truely amazing story! Only a select few in cork would write a book over it.
Sure they have to keep their profile up some way so a book is often used to do that. I think Sean Og will be grasping at straws for the controversial bits as he was never really involved in anything controversial. That’s why he’s harping on about been dropped. That is usually what happens someone who is past it and got roasted a few times during the year previous to been dropped!!
Any more to say on the matter Steve, or have you got all of your c”ap out of you?
Tell you what. I wouldn’t have minded himself and Gardiner coming on against Clare for the last 15 min
The usual trying to make big stories out of nothing to sell a few copies. Everybody seems to release a book these days
Are you upset because nobody outside of Kilkenny would be interested in reading any of their stories? Tommy Conlon expressed it excellently in the Sunday Independent a few weeks ago about the total lack of appeal and charisma of Kilkenny . Cody’s book must have been the most boring GAA book in history.
I don’t think many people outside of the county of any person who writes a book would read it! I don’t understand why any of them write a book to be honest
At least Kilkenny are not hated like Cork for there constant striking and bending of rules. Kilkenny are hated because they dominated the sport for years and that is to be expected in any sport
Most prominent amongst your regular spams are that Cork are “hated”. To be honest, I’ve encountered very little real “hatred” from opposing fans – except from the Kilkenny crowd , who are unquestionably by far and away the most bitter shower I’ve ever encountered .in either code, in all my life. You are a perfect example of that (in)breed of Kilkenny supporter.
That’s amazing because the feeling is mutual in what Kilkenny people think of Cork people.
At least Kilkenny aren’t bitter because Cork were the better team over the past 15 years which is the main reason Cork people have that hatred towards Kilkenny.
Kilkenny people are bitter towards Cork becausd of how they aired their views in public instead of dealing with things in camp and because of Donal Og’s comments in his book which also came from pure jealousy.
It’s a wonder Sean Og didn’t add a few comments about Kilkenny in his book in order to see a few more copies. He’s obviously a bit more gracious in defeat than Donal was.
Paul you only have to read the comments under topics like the restructuring of the league to see the facts. I don’t think I have the power to turn people against Cork. Cork are responsible for that themselves. I’d say not too deep down you know that anyway.
So you are bitter towards Cork because how “they aired their views in public”. Why does that upset the Kilkenny crowd more than anybody else ? And don’t give me your usual palaver that you are speaking on behalf of all hurling counties because it’s the Kilkenny crowd who are far, far worse than any other county for sticking their beak into Cork’s business. And because of Cusack’s comments in his book? So you didn’t hate him before his book came out in 2010 but still hate Cork because of him even though he has since retired?
Read the comments? Most of them were you spamming the comment section with the same repetitive guff claiming to speak on behalf of the nation’s hurling community about “hatred” towards Cork along with your repetitive crackpot conspiracy theories.
I used to love the rivalry. It was clean and tough with some great games and banter. Things changed a lot when Donal wrote his book. You could see Kilkenny people start to turn on Cork and the Cork bitterness towards Kilkenny become more and more evident. It has carried through on to the tv with O’Grady often having a go at Kilkenny and Shefflin in particular. That doesn’t help matters.
No there were plenty of other people commenting.
The funny thing is with your defending of Cork (which is to be expected since it’s your county) you are showing your bitterness towards Kilkenny which is proving my point!!
“Showing bitterness”? LOL, you really are a ticket, Steve, sure you have shown your heart is bursting with love for Cork with all your conspiracy theories and speaking on behalf of the nation of how much Cork is “hated”.
Paul I already admitted that there is bitterness towards Cork from Kilkenny people including myself based on comments from Donal Og so you shouldn’t have just come to that big realisation stage there surely!!
Cork people can’t admit to it and can’t see it from their side. I suppose you are going to deny it now too even though your comments on here are full of bitterness towards Kilkenny.
As I said Cork are bitter because they are jealous and ungracious in defeat and their ex players continue to show their bittneress towards Kilkenny and former manangers when they write their books
And I suppose you can see both sides, Stve, LOL. And you already said you hated Cork because of the 2010 comments of a now retired Cork hurler, Steve, although it is par for the course for you to repeat yourself over and over and over. I have never met a more charmless, ungracious- winning and sore-losing shower than the Kilkenny crowd in either hurling or football ( that is gaelic football, you may not have heard of it on Noreside) in all the 32 counties. And that predates the 2000′s by the way, and long before they became ultra successful.
So you are admitting to being bitter and hate filled towards Kilkenny all the time!! That’s what I thought so it doesn’t surprise me. It’s very funny that you are trying to defend Cork from a bitter person on here but you admit to having a massive problem with Kilkenny supporters and the team for what seems most of your life. That must a major burden on you especially considering how successful they have been over the past 15 years.
No. Steve, I said the Kilkenny crowd were charmless, ungracious-wining and sore-losing even BEFORE the 2000′s and nobody else in the 32 counties, hurling or football, were anywhere near as bad as them even back before then. Since then they have managed to surpass , if that is the right word, themselves and got even more charmless, bitter, sour and ungracious. Do try to keep up. Alas, the saddest bit is that some of them have gone full scale loony toon.
Have to say killkenny folk were very gracious to the Dubs after we beat them this year ! And cork folk were sympathetic to the Dubs after they beat us in the semi ! And i as a neutral love your rivalry but lads its gaa have a pint and kiss and drop the bull !
the most bitter shower you’ve ever encountered? explain please!
Poor Sean Og. Lovely fella great hurler. Xxx
It’s all very relevant as Sean Og’s experiences and his honest telling of them will help to guide other players in dealing with a thick and useless manager at some stage of their ‘careers’.
That’s a Cork attitude anyway.
Fair play to Sean og a cork legend played in the hurling and football final in 99 not many players can claim that (outside of cork) and then in 2005 topped of captaining the all Ireland final win by giving one of the best speeches in our native language deserved better from Denis Walsh
Nash is a goalie and goal scorer by far better
I know i am gonna get loadsa red thumbs for this but Sean Og is sooooo hot. Saw him in the flesh… Wow…
G wan Sinead ya fine thing !!
At least it beats readin about how bitter Steve is up above there!!
Never the fault of anyone but the manager…………
And when they won anything it was all about the players!!!
More bitter Kilkenny rubbish from you, He, and several others, won All Irelands under three different managers and were nothing but fulsome in their praise of all three of them for where they had taken the team.
Yes Paul and when they didn’t win anything they blamed the manager and not once took a look at themselves and their poor form or attitude
You Kilkenny crowd make it sound so simple. Whilst Kilkenny had a county board who provided every facility for their team and installed a top manager, it’s easy for you to spout bitter bullshit from afar. If Kevin Fennelly or Nicky Brennan had been kept on as managers instead of Cody , or the Kilkenny county board had completely neglected hurling development in the county completely, or players were allowed to bleed from injuries on seven hour bus journeys you’d be singing a different tune.
Yes but unlike Cork Kilkenny do things privately and not in the full glare of the public. Many things have happened in Kilkenny over the years that only a few people in Kilkenny know about and that’s the way it should be. Yes it leads to having no charisma and a boring tag put on Cody and the players but they will only be remembered for how skillful and successful they were on the pitch not how entertaining they were off it and how many interviews they gave. That’s the way it should be.
Oh really? And you are one of “the few people” in Kilkenny who knows about these “many things” that have happened?
No I’m not as I’m not close enough to the scene. The team affairs rarely get outside of the gates of Nowlan Park. The players would say nothing and rightly so. No player would dream of disrespecting any manager by abusing him in a book. You have good times and bad times with different managers. Most players know when their time is up unlike Sean Og who was obviously bitter than Walsh retired him for the first time before JBM brought him back and then retired him for good.
So how do you know about these “many things” that have happened in Kilkenny that “few people” know about? Your backtrack is an admission that you are talking through your ass.
Paul because lads have dropped off the panel and been dropped off because they were not been played etc. but nobody ever heard anything about it. I’m sure these guys didn’t shake Cody’s hand and say thanks very much but they had the grace not to go moaning about it in public or write a book about it.
I’ll ask you a third time. How do you know about these supposed “many things” that happened in Kilkenny that “few people ” know about? No speculation, no imagining and no obfuscation, please. I suspect however that that is exactly what we will get, yet again, and you will prove ,yet again, that you are just yet another bitter, hate-filled Kilkenny bluffer.
And you are a bitter hate filled Cork person so we are the same!! I suppose you will deny that will you? Sure maybe you secretly love Kilkenny.
As I said there have been many players dropped and that left the Kilkenny panel because they were not getting a game but their issues were never made public by way of the media like Sean Og, Donal and Gardiner.
Thanks Steve. As predicted, you failed to answer the question, for the third time, about you how know the “many things” about what happened in Kilkenny that “few people” know about and confirmed that you are indeed just a bitter , hate filled bluffer. I just needed you to provide absolute confirmation and you duly obliged.
Wonderful hurler. Used his physical presence but hardly ever, if ever hit a dirty stroke. Haven’t read the book yet but had heard various stories of how poorly Cork players were treated. In college with Sean Og. Top man. Pure Gent.
Steve & Paul Walsh, how much work (or anything) did ye do today? This reads like a Fast Show sketch. “Cork are shite”"They’re not, Kilkenny are”"They’re not, Cork are”"They’re not, Kilkenny are”… Fast forward 9 hours… “I’m not, you are”"I’m not, you are”… I’m just waiting for the romantic comedy moment when you realise that you actually love each other & are meant to be together.
Some anonymous randomer on an internet sports forum calling other posters who are strangers to him gay, I wonder if that’s ever been done before.
. ive just bought it and the first 13 pages about his mother and father.. life in sydney is pure gold …cant the score put that few pages up ?
Because Brian that won’t sell copies of the book or get people talking about it.
It might just change some peoples view of the man and the dreams of his childhood ,the experiences of his growing up ..his honesty of the challenges he faced (which included his trouble striking the sliotar! Well into senior status) ..his heroes in other codes ..this man is not thinking hes a superstar far from it ..(at 11 hes sent to cork from sydney suburb ,hes in shorts his whole life on the way he spends 2 weeks on his mothers small isolated island with her grandmother ..the whole island turns out to c them off ..his mother and grandmother stand at the qauyside both crying never to be reunited understanding this is their final parting ..they arrive in cork with nowhere to stay via dublin and vancoover )
Great stuff
I see a lot of people bashing Sean for writing a book. Personally id read it, he is an interesting person and has a good story to tell taking his family etc into account. Besides that, if lar Corbett can write a book, possibly the most boring person on the planet after Stephen cluxton, then anyone can write one.
Put your feet up kid, you’re finished.
He doesn’t half love himself anyway.
The day he received the McCarthy cup and gave his acceptance speech as Gaeilge really pissed off the GAA establishment hypocrites, I’d say. He was a marked man from that day on.
Wheres donal óg’s book…
and who says that player power doesn’t exist in Cork hurling???!