2012 county hurling championships

[Croí na hÉireann]

[GalwayBayBoy]

Who would have thought Johnny Maher would go viral. The fact that he still wears the old style helmet tops it off.





From Balls.ie

[INDIANA]

32 county titles all right, but most of them were won long before the Munster Club Championship started.   Still true that they have underperformed in Munster.  Get the feeling that this could be their year to go all the way to Croke Park on St. Patrrick's Day.  They have a seriously strong panel of players, but have still to deliver on the big day.

Lar scored some goal in the first half, was a bullet of a shot. They went ahead and seemed to be well on top, but managed to let the Cork lads back in and give away some easy frees I thought.

Could have went either way until the goal, fair enough high scoring game for this time of the year. De La Salle are no mugs at this level and have the experience of being there before. If truth be told Munster clubs have been dung lately in the club championship

Hard to look beyond ballyhale. Oulart didn't impress me against Crokes. Which means they should win leinster relatively easily

Ballyhale weren't all that impressive yesterday, albeit without ever elaving second gear and Shefflin missed a couple of penalties. Loughiel won't fear anybody this year and would put it up to all remaining contenders.

Opposition is far better this year. Loughiel will have their work cut out. Some serious hurlers on that St Thomas team if they manage to avoid suspensions.

[johnneycool]

Who would have thought Johnny Maher would go viral. The fact that he still wears the old style helmet tops it off.





From Balls.ie

Faceguards are compulsory now, so he should have been put off the field for that alone!!

[AZOffaly]

Wasn't it Loughrea and Portumna in the final a few years ago when a young Joe Canning got stamped on, in the face? I seem to remember the photo in 'de paper' the day after. Galway hurling used to be absolutely ferocious in the Lynskey days, and county men were real targets, but I don't think it was so bad recently, apart from a few incidents. Loughrea might be a throw back though.

[Croí na hÉireann]

It was and that photo was used by the serving manager of the Ossie International Rules team, Kevin Whatwashisnameagain, to show that our own games were more lawless after a troubled first test down in Galway. 2006 if the memory serves.

[Bord na Mona man]

Wasn't it Loughrea and Portumna in the final a few years ago when a young Joe Canning got stamped on, in the face? I seem to remember the photo in 'de paper' the day after. Galway hurling used to be absolutely ferocious in the Lynskey days, and county men were real targets, but I don't think it was so bad recently, apart from a few incidents. Loughrea might be a throw back though.

Yes, it was 2006. By all accounts Loughrea used every cheap trick in the book to unsettle (and beat) Portumna.
Such was the treatment dished out on Joe Canning, that himself and Ollie dropped off the Galway panel for the following year.

But sure, it's a mans game, let the play flow, don't be using football rules to ruin hurling etc.

[Premier Emperor]

Good article in today's paper.

Maher hoping to hit new heights

By Diarmuid O'Flynn

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Padraic Maher is one of the best hurlers in the country at the moment and has the medal haul to prove it.

With Thurles Sarsfields, he has four county senior titles. With Tipperary, he has three Munster senior medals to go with All-Ireland titles at minor, U21 and senior, all garnished with two All Star awards.

To achieve this has taken years of self-discipline, ferocious training, eating right and doing the right thing.

Tomorrow Paudie, as he's known to his friends, will line out with Thurles Sars in the Munster club senior hurling final hoping to inspire his team to heights they have never before reached, even in Thurles Sars' storied history.

Win or lose, next week Padraic will be back where he's been for several months now. On the dole. Unemployed. Signing on. Not by choice, just a sorry reflection of where this country stands.

"We've lost Stephen Lillis and Alan Kennedy to emigration from the team that lost to De La Salle in the 2010 Munster final," he explains, "but compared to a lot of other teams in Tipperary, we haven't been hit too badly.

"I was out of work through most of that year [Tipperary won the All-Ireland title] and I'm out of work again now. I went to college for a year, a course on fitness and health, did some summer work in the Cúl camps this year but nothing since.

"I'm hoping that will change, though it's unlikely anything will come up before Christmas now. But, please God, in January things might open up again."

Maher could have gone off with Stephen and Alan and would be handed a prime job in New York or Boston in the morning if he threw in his lot with a hurling team out there. He won't do it though. Hurling is what keeps him in Ireland.

"It is, definitely. I wouldn't mind going somewhere different at some stage but I'd find it very hard to leave the hurling at the moment.

"I'd prefer to stay at home — hopefully something will turn up, anything! I have my CV up to date, it's circulating around the place. Something in the fitness and health line would be ideal but I'd have a look at anything."

Surely someone with his profile would find something? But no, nothing has come up. All of which then, for Padraic Maher, makes tomorrow's game an even bigger event. Elite sportsman he may be but you can't make a living from hurling; for now though it's his life.

He's had time then to think about De La Salle, plenty of time. Time to reflect especially on what might have been two years ago in that one-point loss, again in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. A game they left behind them?

"In one sense, yes. We hit 17 wides — with the forwards we had — and only lost by a point. But when you look back at it, they deserved to win it in the finish. No point pretending it wasn't one of our most disappointing days though. It was. The point they got to win it, it was [Eoin] Madigan from the wing. I was coming up behind him but was too late, straight over the bar, a fine score.

"He's a big man but that's one thing about De La Salle, they have a lot of big, physical players, very strong. It's going to be tough again, I know that."

Not that he's any shrinking violet himself, you understand, not at a very powerfully built 6'1" and not that he's conceding anything just yet to De La Salle either.

"I heard they're better this year but so are we. Look at the players we had then, Aidan McCormack, Mikey O'Brien, Denis Maher — they were only minor that year, while the likes of myself, Pa Bourke and Michael Cahill were all U21.

"We're all two years older now, that bit more mature.

"I know De La Salle are unbeaten so far in Munster in three campaigns, have all that winning experience, but we have a lot of experience ourselves, came very close a few times. De La Salle only beat us by a point in 2010, Newtown beat us by a point in 2009, but we've had a few nice wins too.

"We've beaten Kilmallock twice in Kilmallock, beat Sars [Cork] in the semi-final and they were a very good team. Win or lose, there's only going to be a point or two in it. Hopefully we're on the right side of it this time.

"It's a Munster final. Sars have never won one before, not even back in the 60s when it all started and we had those great teams. It's a great incentive for us and we're still a young enough team. It would be great to be heading into Christmas knowing you had an All-Ireland club semi-final to prepare for, a great boost for the club."

It would be great heading into Christmas too knowing you had a job to go to in the New Year, wouldn't it?

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/maher-hoping-to-hit-new-heights-214969.html

[Milltown Row2]

Decent final, Thurles could get caught out if they keep leaving things late, time may run out on them. Hard luck De La Salle, had that been the Galway final your man would have stayed on the pitch

With the other final off till next week I hope the weather doesn't get worse and spoil a great encounter.

Redser still part of the panel, scored a great point when he came on

[Last Man]

Decent final, Thurles could get caught out if they keep leaving things late, time may run out on them. Hard luck De La Salle, had that been the Galway final your man would have stayed on the pitch

With the other final off till next week I hope the weather doesn't get worse and spoil a great encounter.

Redser still part of the panel, scored a great point when he came on

DLS probably smarting from the penalty not given mid 2nd half where the ref gave a free out
Had they got the goal at that time they might have nicked it.

[waterfordlad]

Great game yesterday. Well done to both teams for such a high quality game in late November.
The ref didn't do De La Salle any favours but Thurles had good subs to bring on to get some vital late scores and deserved it. Jake Dillon was excellent for De La Salle.

[deiseach]

Decent final, Thurles could get caught out if they keep leaving things late, time may run out on them. Hard luck De La Salle, had that been the Galway final your man would have stayed on the pitch

I think Johnny Maher's antics influenced the referee. We all saw in the Galway county final the impact of all this "it's a man's game" nonsense and unfortunately John Keane was caught in the backlash (NB it was the correct decision, striking is a red card offense). Hard luck, De La Salle, ye died with yer boots on.

[Milltown Row2]

Decent final, Thurles could get caught out if they keep leaving things late, time may run out on them. Hard luck De La Salle, had that been the Galway final your man would have stayed on the pitch

With the other final off till next week I hope the weather doesn't get worse and spoil a great encounter.

Redser still part of the panel, scored a great point when he came on

DLS probably smarting from the penalty not given mid 2nd half where the ref gave a free out
Had they got the goal at that time they might have nicked it.

Yeah looking back at that I'd say he was pretty unlucky not to get a penalty, though the referee was consistant with players not releasing the ball and blowing up for over carrying, whether he was right or not.

As a forward in my latter years I'd be very disappointed Last Man if I didn't win a penalty of you for same incident

[Last Man]

Decent final, Thurles could get caught out if they keep leaving things late, time may run out on them. Hard luck De La Salle, had that been the Galway final your man would have stayed on the pitch

With the other final off till next week I hope the weather doesn't get worse and spoil a great encounter.

Redser still part of the panel, scored a great point when he came on

DLS probably smarting from the penalty not given mid 2nd half where the ref gave a free out
Had they got the goal at that time they might have nicked it.

Yeah looking back at that I'd say he was pretty unlucky not to get a penalty, though the referee was consistant with players not releasing the ball and blowing up for over carrying, whether he was right or not.

As a forward in my latter years I'd be very disappointed Last Man if I didn't win a penalty of you for same incident

lol a good day for the not so stylish FBs,  maybe the ref had a sympathetic eye for those not so light on their feet . in fairness thats just me...yer mans not a bad hurler just brickin it a bit yesterday.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Ah, yes.  The 'other final'.  Next week.  The winners can look forward to playing Thurles Sarsfields in February.  It won't be long coming around.  Yes, indeedey. 

With the other final off till next week I hope the weather doesn't get worse and spoil a great encounter.