I’m after putting in a long St Patrick’s weekend. As a friend used to say, ‘I’m fecked with a capital L.’ I think that was the joke.
And that’s without revelling in the St Patrick’s Day celebrations or having a drink.
No, I spent a busy few days in the calving shed. And it’s still ongoing. We’re after having a flood of them.
The only company I had was Raidió na Gaeltachta and TG4 – a bit of tradition and traditional Irish music.
They weren’t talking about Academy awards but melodeons – long may they keep going in their service to the nation.
As for some traditional hurling, I’m expecting more than a bit of that at the Gaelic Grounds this evening.
We’re hale and hearty and ready to see whether Galway can give Limerick a beating to go with their big win over Kilkenny.
Limerick are going places. They have their sights set on a league final.
Galway, after a slow start, have found a few very good new young players.
But after the cakewalk against Kilkenny, nothing surer than they’ll be really tested in this one. It will be a great indication for Galway to see if they have what it takes.
After Henry Shefflin’s time in charge, it has taken Micheál Donoghue a while to reshape things.
He has the support of the county board and has decided to give youth its fling. There’s always plenty of hurling in Galway. And plenty of hurlers.
The Nilands are top of the range and Aaron looks a real find. And they’re not coming in green either.
As a target man, Jason Rabbitte is out of a textbook – his physicality and ability are really something. He has a great hand too.
Jason Rabbitte is out of a textbook – his physicality and ability are really something
It’s the one area where Limerick are short of height – in the full-back line. So that will be a test for John Kiely’s side.
Cillian Trayers looks to be a very good defender as well. It’s a fresh Galway team and they have brought a bit of physicality to their play, which they were never short of.
But Limerick are the test for any team. Whoever will beat them will win the All-Ireland.
I know there’s plenty of talk about Cork and Tipperary but that’s how I see it.
It’s just a pity Tipperary have thrown in the towel for this year’s league. We’ll see how that plays out for them as the year progresses.
Galway have a right chance. If I was in Micheál Donoghue’s shoes, I’d go all out.
Because you’re not going to meet them in championship. Certainly not until late summer anyway. Galway have a whole campaign in Leinster to come first. So why not?
It is a big step up. No matter what team Limerick put out, it will be with championship in mind. Their experimenting is over. The clock is ticking.
I’d be blaming Tipp that there isn’t much to look forward to in the other games. When they put the brakes on, it took the bite out of the competition. It was left to Cork to soldier on.
The fact that Offaly and Waterford are relegated to Division 1B is tough on both counties. Waterford, I’m very sympathetic to.
They were without the Ballygunner players for the early rounds. When you look at them relegated, you might think ‘that’s them gone’.
But it’s tough not to have some of the best players in the country available.
It’s not easy, not when you’re trying to stay in the upper echelons of the league. It’s hard to bed in other new players when you don’t have a full hand to mix them in with.
I hope there will be a bounce. I expect them to make a stand in Munster, rather than being caught up in the psychology of going down to Division 1B.
Dessie Hutchinson was talking about how it might suit Waterford to go back to a knockout Munster format. My feelings on this are well known.
But there’s no going back to where it was before. If I was in charge, I’d be saying: ‘Let’s do our talking on the field. Don’t be getting caught up in talk of systems and formats.’
The panel mightn’t be laden down with All-Ireland medals but they have plenty of talent and experience.
It’s also tough on Offaly with injuries not helping a tight squad cope. They don’t have a huge base of numbers to pick from but they’re a young, very talented team who are still developing. I’ve no fear about them.
As for who’ll make the final? Cork will be there and I think we can expect another Cork-Limerick game.
The first of how many this year, that just remains to be seen.
Like many others, our little club is a big family affair
Colin Coughlan captained UL to the Fitzgibbon Cup
TALKING about new players, in Limerick, we have two brothers – Colin Coughlan and his younger sibling James. Both panellists and cousins of mine.
Colin captained UL to the Fitzgibbon Cup while James captained the Freshers’ team to All-Ireland success.
Two young players then from my own Ballybrown, a small club in the corner of Patrickswell. Who also have Aidan O’Connor, who takes the odd free and the like for Limerick.
To tell you the full story of a small club, I didn’t just coach their fathers but played and coached with their grandfathers as well! That’s fair going, if I do say so myself.
I was player and coach and captain of the 1967 team that won the county junior championship and can remember a time where we had no field and struggled to buy a set of jerseys.
Things were at such a low ebb, we changed the colour of the jerseys.
Ballybrown then is a lesson in how a club can come through hard times.
To see Colin and James captaining both teams to trophies and for me to have coached their fathers and hurled with their grandfathers, well, it gives me such satisfaction.
