Who’s to say that we won’t be similarly hailing a Kilkenny evolution, rather than revolution, this time next year?Īfter Galway won the 2004 All-Ireland Ladies’ SFC, the next 16 titles were divided between Cork (11 wins) and Dublin (five, including a four-in-a-row from 2017-20 inclusive). In recent years, Dessie Farrell (Dublin) and Brian Dooher/Feargal Logan (Tyrone) won All-Ireland football titles in their first year in charge Ephie Fitzgerald did the same with the Cork ladies’ side in 2016, while Matthew Twomey could do the same with the Rebels’ camogie side next Sunday week. There is probably a school of thought that the person coming after him (former player and selector Derek Lyng appears to be the front-runner) is on a hiding to nothing, but let’s not forget that the Cats finished within two points of one of the best teams of all-time a fortnight ago. It’s a cliché to say that we won’t see a person’s like again, but we would be willing to bet a large sum of money that nobody will ever again manage a team for a quarter of a century. Kilkenny manager Brian Cody during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Kilkenny and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Now, the roll of honour reads Kilkenny 36, Cork 30 and Tipp 28. The easiest way to illustrate his impact is this: at the end of 1998, Kilkenny had 25 All-Ireland senior titles, behind Cork who had 27 and just ahead of Tipperary, who had 24.
You’ve probably read a few pieces this week that outlined how few people had mobile phones when he was appointed and that five of the team that began this year’s All-Ireland final against Limerick weren’t even born at the time. One man who always understood the importance of the club was Brian Cody, who wove spells as selector with his native James Stephens into his 24-year stint as manager of Kilkenny, which came to an end last weekend. So here’s to the next few months of club action and the rich tapestry of stories that it will bring. On The Sunday Game last week, Marty Morrissey commented to GAA President Larry McCarthy that the men’s championship seasons were over but, before he could continue, the Cork native interjected that it was the inter-county season that was over and the club campaign, catering for the 98 percent silent majority, was only just beginning. But then, so will all the rest, like Dublin, Mayo, Derry, Tyrone, Armagh, Donegal – the change in format should give us better games over a longer period and make for a superior product. They too can take heart from their season and come back with something to build on for 2023. Galway were underdogs last Sunday but they gave it a hell of a rattle, with Shane Walsh putting in as good a performance as anyone has in an All-Ireland final, win or lose. The nearly-men tags have been brushed aside and the confidence will course through them as they face into a revamped championship for next season. It’s a heading you don’t want to have for too long and, the longer the time? goes without it being cashed in for success, the more of a millstone it is.īut now, having come through a campaign where Mayo and Dublin were beaten before Galway were eventually seen off, all of a sudden Kerry stand at the top of the mountain with the prospect of more glory awaiting them.Īnd while there might be an outpouring of grief at the “ending” of the GAA year, it’s important to remember that hurling and football go beyond what we see on RTÉ. In any sport, “potential” can be a dirty word. In golf, the title that no player wants is The Greatest Never to Win a Major. However, five consecutive All-Ireland minor wins from 2014-18 failed to translate into even a single final appearance at U21/U20 level, and the senior grade brought disappointments like the Super 8’s loss to Galway in 2018, Cork’s ambush in the 2020 winter championship and the Tyrone semi-final last year. It was always quite likely that the Kingdom would add to their victory of 2014 before Cork made 2010 their second-last title, but the general expectation was that it would take longer than eight years to do so. Well, this Corkman can no longer say – with a dose of morbid pride – that both the Rebels and Kerry had won the same number of senior football All-Irelands in the past 12 years.