Laying roots to get back to the top of hurling tree - George O'Connor

[The Wedger]

http://www.enniscorthyguardian.ie/sport/hurling/laying-roots-to-get-back-to-the-top-of-hurling-tree-1762427.html

Laying roots to get back to the top of hurling tree

Wednesday June 03 2009

WHEN GEORGE O'Connor dropped to his knees with his hands clasped in prayer at the end of the 1996 All-Ireland hurling final it was an image that would have stirred emotions in the hardest of hearts.

A great warrior of the ancient game, at 37 years of age he had finally got his hands on the Liam MacCarthy Cup after 17 years of trying but George says he's more interested in the impact it had on the county as a whole rather than any personal plaudits.

'It was a great feeling for Wexford people. When you're involved in the community and people are so loyal to you over the years you want to try to make them happy as well as yourself. We hadn't won for so long it was a fabulous feeling for everybody. Everyone was behind us and it was all the sweeter for not having won for so long.'

The Piercestown man says the Liam Griffin factor had a major bearing on their success and the wonderful sense of team spirit he instilled in the camp.

'I had considered retiring in '93 but Griffin came along and small things we had neglected over the years he put in place, which took a lot of work, but it's those little things that made all the difference.

'The spirit in the camp was fantastic. Great communities and clubs have great spirit and little negativity. Criticism should be constructive. No team or organisation will be successful if they're negative. If you work hard you get the results and that's what we did', he said.

O'Connor is now trying to give back to the game which he feels was so good to him over the years in his role as Hurling Development Administrator in Wexford and says that if you get the approach right at a young age it's half the battle in moulding a successful Senior team in the future.

'It's about kids enjoying the game. If children have to listen to some fella shouting abuse from the sideline saying they're doing this wrong or that wrong they won't look on the game fondly and it will have a long-lasting negative effect. Wouldn't a "well done" do a lot more.

'There's people who are coaching to help their own ego. It's all about playing games. Kids want to play games. Some people think you should be spending you're time doing drills but name me a golfer who spends all his time on the driving range. Every child wants to play the game. That's why they're getting involved,' he said.

O'Connor thinks the wide choice of sports available to young people makes his role in promoting hurling all the more difficult, but believes children should be encouraged to take up all codes and make up their mind which path to take when the time comes.

'Kids should enjoy every game they can up until 16. Then they have to choose one because unfortunately if you want to be the best you have to concentrate on a particular sport'.

Asked whether Kilkenny enjoy such success in hurling because of their almost complete focus on one game, he says that it's a huge factor.

'In Kilkenny they have a huge preference for hurling, in Tyrone they've a huge preference for football, in New Zealand they've a huge preference for rugby. Brazil have a huge preference for soccer and it's no coincidence that these are some of the most successful teams.'

He says with all the good work that's going on at grassroots level the signs are good for a positive future for the game in the county.

'At underage we're competing with the people at the top. We won the All-Ireland at under-16 so people's expectations are high for the Minors.

'A few years ago Carlow beat us in Minor and people were saying we might as well give up playing hurling.

'We don't have to give up anything. What should we do, just lie down and die, close a chapter in our life and say that's our tradition gone?,' he said.

Speaking on the eve of the Model county's championship win over Offaly in Wexford Park, George said despite all the criticism and despondency things aren't as bleak as many people make out.

'People say Wexford hurling is going downhill, it's not. We've some fantastic young people with great energy and spirit. It's just that we neglected it for eight or nine years after '96. We sat back and ate strawberries and went to beach and enjoyed ourselves but when we rise we do rise and it's nearly time we did it again.'

O'Connor says while it might be difficult to compete with Kilkenny, if you concentrate on the right areas you always have a chance.

'We might not have the best hurlers in the country but there's nothing stopping us from being the fittest hurlers and there's nothing stopping us from being the best blockers and having the best defensive record in the country. There's two areas that are in our own hands. That allied to our ability and spirit would make us difficult to be beaten,' he said.

The two-time All Star also believes that the game is worth promoting in counties where it wouldn't be so strong.

'If you put the right structures in place with people who would nurture the game and motivate the people, it doesn't matter what game it is. It's all about community spirit so it doesn't matter if it's traditionally a hurling area or not. Offaly won an All-Ireland in '81 and they only had four Senior hurling clubs in the county. It's about the amount of effort you put into it. I admire all counties for wanting to play their traditional game and having their identity.'

O'Connor also believes the changes to the Leinster championship, while criticised in some quarters, can only be a positive thing.

'Bringing Galway and Antrim into Leinster can only be good for the game. Embrace the people don't isolate them. We should twin Kilkenny with Leitrim, Galway with Down, Cork with Sligo and send our great players up there. We should twin Wexford with Derry and send our players up there to help out,' he said.

The man famous for his bravery in the heat of battle refuses to listen to talk of the demise of hurling in his native county and firmly believes the glory days will be back before too long.

'People may get fed up hearing about '96 but it was a happy moment in people's lives and something that should be cherished. The euphoria was so great but it belonged to everyone, not just a few. We will get back there again.

'It will take time but everyone is working hard and staying positive.

'Wexford hurling will be back. If you put a gun to my head I'd say in three or four years you'll see great moves forward. If everyone keeps putting in the amount of work that's being put in we'll be back again.

'Give the game back to the people and enjoy it,' he said.

[Bud Wiser]

The Guiney twins, Rod & Dave played on that team and their father owned a pub in kilrane on the way into Rosslare and oul Jack used play rugby at International level - until one day in Cardiff he stood on his head for the playing of God Save The....(you know who) and was banned from playing rugby for life.

[orangeman]

Have your ever seen the size of this man's hands ?? I've spoken to him a few times at Croker and his hands are honestly the size of shovels.

[Two Hands FFS]

Massive hands..I have never seen bigger, there's a picture about somewhere too. I'd say he broke some bones/fingers

[orangeman]

Massive hands..I have never seen bigger, there's a picture about somewhere too. I'd say he broke some bones/fingers

That's the other thing I noticed - he hasn't a straight finger on either hand - his thumbs are as long as his fingers.

I swear they're not natural. I couldn't over them. The sliothar would have been hard to dislodge once in that crub of a hand.

[johnneycool]

A great man for sticking his hand up in a sea of hurls, glad to see the likes of him, dunne, Larry O' Micky, and the likes who'd battled away for years without much reward get their day in the sun.

[theskull1]

Has anybody got a good copy of that picture of him kneeling down just after the final whistle...one of the best images I ever seen on a hurling pitch

[Tubberman]

[theskull1]

I said a good copy 

Last time I seen a "good copy" was in the wee bar of Liam Griifins hotel down in Rosslare

[deiseach]

Massive hands..I have never seen bigger, there's a picture about somewhere too. I'd say he broke some bones/fingers

That's the other thing I noticed - he hasn't a straight finger on either hand - his thumbs are as long as his fingers.

I swear they're not natural. I couldn't over them. The sliothar would have been hard to dislodge once in that crub of a hand.

The rough hands are a symptom of all the blows he has received over the years. He's crippled with arthritis, if he dips his hands in cold water the pain is excruciating

[longrunsthefox]

He saw Peter Canavan in the stand...

[theskull1]

  class

[deiseach]

He saw Peter Canavan in the stand...

[Bord na Mona man]

Have your ever seen the size of this man's hands ?? I've spoken to him a few times at Croker and his hands are honestly the size of shovels.

Dunno about his hands, but his tan is always very impressive!

[Bud Wiser]

One day I was down in Rosslare and Liam Griffin had the whole team in the water at the harbour trying to get them to believe they could keep the tide out and I took this picture !!