IT HAS BEEN a challenging time for the Dublin hurlers.
Rumours of unrest have surrounded them throughout the season, amidst a major panel overhaul which saw several seasoned campaigners omitted from the cause.
Former captain Johnny McCaffrey, Peter Kelly, forward Paul Ryan, Daire Plunkett, Niall Corcoran and Glenn Whelan were all among those who were excluded, while other notable players have withdrawn from the squad for different reasons.
Manager Ger Cunningham has endeavored to place a heightened emphasis on youth this year, but his vision has triggered a frosty reaction, with many feeling that the experienced players still have something to contribute.
The sense of uncertainty culminated in a 14-point defeat to Allianz Division 1 hurling league champions Galway in the Leinster SHC at the end of May.
Former Kilkenny goalkeeper David Herity – a five-time senior All-Ireland winner with his county — was drafted in as a goalkeeping coach with the Dublin hurlers this year.
Herity says that the group is happy in what he described as a professional set-up, and insists that any negative talk about the team is coming from outside the camp.
“From what I’ve seen within the camp has been as good as I’ve ever been part of,” he told The42.
“You’ve got an extremely strong panel of players that’s littered with very talented players coming through.
“The management staff that has been put together behind the scene has been incredible and the set-up has been incredible as far as I can see.
“It really couldn’t be anymore professional for a senior inter-county set-up.
“It is disappointing when things didn’t go to plan (against Galway) but I would have thought during the match — especially in the first half — that some slightly wayward shooting had Dublin in a position where they easily could have been up, a lot closer or even in front heading into half-time the way they played against Galway.
“The amount of effort these lads are putting in, they’re training extremely well and everything that’s going on, is extremely positive within the group.
“It’s unfortunate but they’ve a month to regroup.
“I honestly have not seen one negative vibe within the dressing room all year. It’s an extremely happy camp, it’s a young, vibrant, and extremely confident camp.”
In addition to working with the Dublin hurlers, Herity is also the manager of the Dublin senior camogie team.
And that is his primary focus.
He was part of the management ticket last season, and when an opening emerged for the role of manager, he put himself forward for the job.
He was playing with his club Dunnamaggin at the time, but due to travel pressures, he decided to withdraw from the squad and fully dedicate himself to his duties as the camogie manager.
The All-Ireland camogie championship commences this weekend, with Dublin facing Clare in their opening game on 10 June.
They struggled during the league campaign, earning just one win from five outings against Wexford.
They suffered a 2-14 0-04 defeat to All-Ireland champions Kilkenny during that round of games, but recovered when the sides met again in the Leinster championship, pushing the game all the way to extra-time before bowing out.
Improvement has been gradual and Herity is encouraged by the work-rate of his players.
“We have been saying it to them since the start of the year that they are capable of beating anyone on any given day.
The talent is there. But it’s only when you start winning matches that that level of belief is going to be in the group. It’s brilliant that in the last two games, things have started to turn around and they’re getting that bit of belief and confidence together.
“You’re hoping that they bring that good run into the championship and it’s going to be tough against the likes Clare, Galway, Waterford and Kilkenny.”
“It’s going to be an extremely tough campaign so it’s good to have those two results under our belt and we’re peaking at the right time.”
Adjusting to the dynamic of the Dublin camogie panel is a challenging transition for Herity.
His background in the game is entrenched in success, medals and a self-belief that every game is winnable.
Achievements of that magnitude are much less frequent for the camogie players in the capital, and Herity is learning to tailor his managerial approach to try and change their mindset.
“It was difficult at the start, where you’re coming from a background where you are constantly winning and you’ve won everything there is to win.
You’re then trying to convince players that they’re good enough to beat anyone but you know, deep down, they’re not seeing it in themselves.
“Everyone in the Kilkenny dressing room had complete and utter belief that every single game they went out, they were going to win.
“That wasn’t the way with Dublin (camogie), but thankfully with recent results, that’s starting to change and that’s brilliant to see.
We (Kilkenny) were always told that winning is a habit but so is losing so when the game is there to be won, teams don’t know how to win it.”
During his playing days, Herity could never pull himself away from the thrill of inter-county hurling.
For seven years — until he retired in 2014 — his focus was Kilkenny. The lure of J1s and summer holidays never tempted him away from that.
He’s dealing with different personalities now, who have other ambitions beyond sport.
It takes some understanding on his part, but Herity supports the Dublin camogie players who want to take a break and explore the world.
He’s also starting to see a softening of attitudes in men’s GAA in relation to taking time out from their respective codes.
“I would have went through my whole 20′s and not gone on a summer holiday. I was very fortunate as well that when we did win the All-Ireland, we got to see most of the world basically, so I’m blessed that way.
“If these girls want to go off and that’s their decision, then so be it. You’ve just got to understand that and just hope that if they go this year, they’re not gone next year and you might have them back next year.”
He added:
“The fear is always there with lads that if they do go, they’re place will be gone and someone else will fill it fairly quickly.
“I would have obviously seen that down through the years with Kilkenny. The thoughts of heading off to America for the year just never entered anyone’s head. If you were on the panel, you just stuck on the panel.
“It has started to change, when you look at Colm Galvin from Clare and Tom Devine from Waterford. It’s starting to change a little bit.
I admire lads now who are able to step away. I know myself I wouldn’t have been able to and for someone to be able to say, “yes, it’s my time, I need a break,” I can definitely understand it.
“The GAA is fantastic and it’s absolutely brilliant but there is a life outside of GAA and as manager, you’ve got to be able to cater for the fact that some people want to go off and travel.”
Herity doesn’t miss playing. He brought his club career to an abrupt ending after 18 years of service, but he’s happy to invest his time in other aspects of the sport.
Not even the championship weather has reignited a longing to lace up the boots.
When he’s not overseeing sessions or helping goalkeepers perfect their skills, he’s pouring over footage of games and attending club games to assess the talent on the Dublin club camogie circuit.
He’s also trying to apply some of the teachings he picked up from Brian Cody over the years, while also finding his own voice in the dressing-room.
The transition from playing life into retirement has left several players with a void that seems too deep to fill.
Luckily for Herity, he has plenty to keep him occupied.
“I know that when I did play, I would have put huge pressure on myself the whole time to be performing at peak level and I would have been pretty hard on myself with the way I played anyway so trying to step away from that and give myself a break is enjoyable.
“I’m happy that I can ease off, I’m not too hard on myself as manager yet, but I’m sure those days will come.”
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As much as I’d love to see more Munster guys involved you can’t really argue too much with his selection. He’s capped a lot of guys over the last two seasons and this group knows the Irish system inside out. Cutting it down agsin is going to be a huge task. The one that irks me is stockdale over Daly. Daly has been so so consistent this season and has improved more than any Munster player this season imo. Still like other world cups there’s going to be a lot of injuries so let’s not write the non selected off yet
@Daithí: Don’t let it irk you too much. Stockdale is a proven quality player at the very highest level. Beset by injuries in recent seasons but showed real form/ fight in the last few months in an Ulster team that were losing. Farrell clearly rewarding that as a fit and firing Stockdale would be a serious asset to this team. Easy to forget he’s still only 27.
@Daithí: There is no place for that kind of measured and sensible comment here!
@Jack McCartie: oh for sure I totally get it, experience at international level is massive. Just thought over the season Daly had been the better player and he’s been in and around the Irish set up so it wouldn’t just be throwing him in there. Saying all that would either of the two be in the 23 ? I don’t think so
@Daithí: Exactly. He has been working with all these players for the past 2 years and he’s been imbedding different structures and systems in place. He’s been developing the likes of Baird, Frawley, Osborne, O’Brien, McCarthy, Prendergast, Stewart for a while now. He’s had a great year with the squad that he has stuck with. He’s hardly going to just drop all of those guys because a few Munster players have been playing well 2 or 3 months out from a World Cup. That would be totally reckless and erratic. Munster fans insisting Loughnan, Barron, Daly, Frisch be included when they’ve hardly ever been in the actual training squads. Like what planet are yous on haha
“Indeed, the selection strengthens the sense that Ireland will go into the World Cup with great cohesion and a confident sense of momentum based on their exploits over the past two seasons. Again, that’s more relevant than how Leinster or Munster have played recently.”
I’d disagree with this. There’s nothing better for momentum than winning. Adding an extra 3/4 of that Munster starting team to the squad would have raised the intensity of that environment in camp a lot I’d say.
First time in a decade there’s some genuine competition between Munster and Leinster and I think the coaches have missed a trick not harnessing that for the next few months, regardless of who they plan to bring on the plance to France.
@ttam 12: Genuinely curious, but who would you add/replace?
@Ruaidhri MagFhloinn: Daly for Earls, Kleyn for Treadwell. And then I’d have just selected Hodnett and Haley as specialists at 7 and 15. Insurance in the camp in case anything happens to JVDF or Keenan before they leave.
I think those 4 have been Munster’s best players this season, along with Nash and Beirne once he came back.
@ttam 12: there’s a long road yet before the squad departs never mind injuries that will undoubtedly occur along the way.
Winning a mickey mouse trophy is obviously not going to change Farrells plans, lets be honest
@Dave Moran: wouldn’t you have liked to win that Mickey Mouse trophy!
@Dave Moran: Ah your back, bit annoyed about Jordan I’d say?
@Dave Moran: well it is a trophy!
@Philyclever@eircom.net: again? Not really. Leinster’s season was a failure for not winning Europe.
@Dave Moran: Better than no trophy.
.. contd
Locks Back Row (10) : Baird, Beirne, Conan, Doris, VDF, O’Mahony, Ryan all certain. So pick 3 from Coombes, Henderson, McCarthy, Prendergast and Treadwell.
Scrum-halves-(3) done and dusted. JGP, Murray and Casey.
Out halves (3) Sexton, Crowley, Byrne
Centres (3) Aki, Henshaw and Ringrose
Back 3 (5) Hansen, Lowe, Keenan and certain. So choose 2 from Stockdale, O’Brien, Osborne, Frawley, Earls(?)
Really not much selections in play if there is no injury!
Team cohesion won the 6N for Ireland and no way was this going to be compromised for WC. Hence the incremental expansion. For a 33 man panel, there are very few open positions – assuming a 19/14 backs/forwards split and 3 needed for specialist positions:
Front row: only Herring/Stewart
Back
@John Morris: I think he goes 18-15 – goes with 8 front rowers with Bealham being versatile
@Owen ODonoghue: unless Furlong sorts his fitness issues, Bealham may well be starting TH!
@John Morris: very true , I’d go 9 front rowers and have Loughman over Kilcoyne, i don’t see Healey starting any games
Shocking shi… from Farrell.