Hurling 2022

[Milltown Row2]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/p%C3%A1draic-maher-and-the-stark-warning-that-forced-him-to-call-time-on-playing-career-1.4793047
Pádraic Maher and the stark warning that forced him to call time on playing career
Doctor asked him: 'Do you want your girlfriend lifting you off the couch to put you to bed every night?'
about 16 hours ago
Seán Moran




Pádraic Maher has known extraordinary weeks. In the space of six days in 2010 he went from winning Tipperary's first All-Ireland in nearly a decade to captaining the county's under-21s as they stamped their authority on Galway in the All-Ireland final. More than 20,000 were in Semple Stadium to watch.
"We put the champagne on ice; we can take it out of the ice now," he said afterwards.
On Thursday he held a remote media conference to outline a different sort of week: one where he had gone from nursing an ankle problem before the start of a new season, his 14th, to having to explain publicly how a neck injury had ended his career .
Maher thinks he may have picked up a knock during training with his club Thurles Sarsfields last November because the symptoms occurred around the time of that month's county final.
Although the symptoms faded away when the season was over, he decided to make sure before the new season got under way. Dr Paul Ryan, the Tipperary doctor, and his predecessor Brendan Murphy, the former Offaly hurler, mediated the news from various consultants. It was over.
"To be honest with you, they are hurling people so they know the way I am thinking as well and they were very straight up that this was the best choice to make now.
"When the lads were . . . fairly adamant in their decision, it was taken out of my hands because I was not going to go against the medics' advice. There was no point at this stage of my life."
There certainly wasn't. The alternative suite of possibilities made that clear.
"The list was very eye-opening. He only listed off what the damage could be, especially when you are working in the head and neck area. He put it to me, 'do you want your girlfriend lifting you off the couch to put you to bed every night?'
"It was that extreme so when he started talking like that, I said, this is a fairly black and white decision for me."
Pádraic Maher raises the All-Ireland under-21 trophy after Tipperary's win over Galway in the 2010. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Encouragingly he was assured that he it was still possible to get out before anything serious happened.
"That's exactly it. The doctor said to me I was walking in as a fit 32-year-old and everything working relatively all right. I asked what my health was going to be like going forward and he said I'd be fine once I took the risk out of it, and the risk is contact sport. Unfortunately that was not the news I really wanted but when he showed me the scans and what was involved."
He leaves as new manager Colm Bonnar has to come to terms with the departure of arguably the two most influential players of the whole era, as Brendan Maher had already retired after last season, but he remains confident for the future
"You see Brendan gone there now and now myself," he says. "Niall O'Meara has gone travelling for the year and there's a bit of experience gone all right but there's still loads of it there.
"You still have Séamie [Callanan] and Noel [McGrath] there and the likes of Séamus Kennedy and Ronan [his brother], Barry Heffernan, Jason Forde – they've all been there since 2014 and 2015 so they are only coming into the main part of their careers. There's a lot of experience there."

She's have to be doing some weights to lift him off the sofa

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/galway-coast-past-offaly-to-set-sights-on-limerick-next-week-1.4795273

Shane Ryan, son of former Galway star Eanna, set up Donal O'Shea, for their fourth goal with the Salthill/Knocknacarra player, whose dad Eamon managed Tipperary, becoming the first from his club to play in the league and he crowned it by blasting home in the closing stages.

[meatsy86]

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2022/02/07/news/down-hurlers-called-prods-and-brits-during-carlow-league-clash-manager-claims-2581591/?fbclid=IwAR2ik2EKrMCis0s06L91euwO0ThFx7EhRm6XQVB6QVIdZyeH1OBO-5hWir8


Down hurlers called 'Prods and Brits' during Carlow league clash, manager claims

[johnnycool]

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2022/02/07/news/down-hurlers-called-prods-and-brits-during-carlow-league-clash-manager-claims-2581591/?fbclid=IwAR2ik2EKrMCis0s06L91euwO0ThFx7EhRm6XQVB6QVIdZyeH1OBO-5hWir8


Down hurlers called 'Prods and Brits' during Carlow league clash, manager claims

Turns out there's a bit of truth in it, should never happen but the scoreboard tells its own tale..

[imtommygunn]

That junior club final looked fantastic.

Austin Gleeson's vision for the pass that led to the penalty against Dublin - phenomenal. If that guy would stick to the hurling he would be phenomenal.

[johnnycool]

Gonna go for Ballygunner to shade it this afternoon. Serious pace in their team and the Ballyhale defence was lacking that in the semi, but TJ is TJ and if he is allowed to pull the strings then the shamrocks are in with a good shout.

Hoping for a good game

[Baile an tuaigh]

I'd like to see Ballygunner win but it will be very hard earned if they do. Ballyhale were on the ropes agin O Loughlins, St Ryan's and St Thomas. They managed to pull it out of the fire each time plus the Croke Park factor makes me fancy Ballyhale.

[Wildweasel74]

Some end to the hurling, Ballygunnar done to Ballyhale  what they done to the Galway team in the semi.

[Blowitupref]

Some finish. A goal to win it by 1 with the lack play of the game in the 3rd minute of injury time.

[Baile an tuaigh]

What irony!! Ballyhale landing sucker punches all year get sucker punched..in the final puck of the series. Only 30 miles between the two parishes.

[SouthDublinBro]

RIP Kilkenny hurling.

[SHEEDY]

What a goal to win it, brillant stuff

[quit yo jibbajabba]

This speech wont last long in the memory

Edit - tho a wee swear word helps 😂

[johnnycool]

This speech wont last long in the memory

Edit - tho a wee swear word helps 😂

Ballyhale lads now know how the Thomas's lads feel..,
What an end, thought when Ballyhale had it out to 2 and the game on the blow it was in the bag.
Shamrocks had aerial dominance in their half forward line and were preventing Ballygunner from getting the runs going except for the odd time and the last shot from 20 plus metres was well placed and awkward enough for the keeper as it bounced just in front of him but he'll be disappointed..

[hoynevalley]

Backed Ballygunner and Kilcoo for the double. The omens are looking good.