BEFORE THERE EVER was Shannon and Munster for Ian Dowling, there was Kilkenny.
And born into that environment meant there was hurling.
He’s an O’Loughlin Gaels man, his sporting influences moulded in Kilkenny city. He knocked around on club underage teams that included players like Brian Hogan, a multiple All-Ireland medal collector, and Brian Dowling (no relation), who hit the injury-time winner in the 2002 league final for Kilkenny.
Rugby may have consumed him in a Munster career that spanned 2005 to 2011 but for Dowling, Kilkenny continued to tug at the heartstrings, as he witnessed the unparalleled reign of success that Brian Cody has presided over.
“I would have always followed Kilkenny the whole way up. Being from Kilkenny, you’re nearly born with a hurley in your hand. I’d have always travelled to all the games.
“That would have been growing up and then even the time when I was playing professionally with Munster, I would have travelled to all the Kilkenny matches where possible. I always got great satisfaction and enjoyment from it.”
This summer he’s been getting satisfaction and enjoyment out of having a ringside seat for one of the most captivating GAA stories. The Kilkenny hurlers may be returning for another Liam MacCarthy tilt next month but Dowling has been immersed in Tipperary football, a squad that today in Croke Park ends the county’s 81-year wait for an All-Ireland senior semi-final place when they square off against Mayo.
In September 2010, Dowling first picked up a troublesome hip injury in a game for Munster against the Ospreys. By the following April, that problem refused to quit and he was forced to hoist the white flag, a promising career brought to a shuddering halt by the woes of injury.
It was tough but he had been bracing himself for a life post rugby. His current role as a physio was not a leftfield selection when retirement hit him.
“I did Sports Science in UL first and foremost. So that was kind of before I even got a contract with Munster. That would have been 2005.
“I was actually due to do physio the following year up in Trinity and then as it all panned out, I got offered the development contract with Munster so that kind of put the physio on hold.
“But then I started making plans while I was still playing. I was actually in my first year of physio (in UL) when I picked up the injury.”
He studied in UL and graduated and now runs ‘Ian Dowling Physio’ in Raheen in Limerick city. Dowling rose to prominence with Shannon before his days with Munster and in recent years has gone back to help out the club. And it was a Shannon link that paved the way in the dying embers of 2015 for him to embark on his current role with Tipperary.
“It originally came about with Johnny Lacey, the referee. Johnny’s brother Brian was obviously involved with Tipperary.
“I sat down with Liam (Kearns). We talked through both our expectations and it went from there. From a GAA point of view, it was something I was definitely keen on getting involved in.
“The more experience you get with different sports with injuries and the mechanisms of injuries, the better. You’re dealing with different beasts altogether.”
He joined the inter-county arena last winter and had to adapt fast to the rigours of inter-county football. It was a chaotic time for Tipperary, as they tried to assemble a squad stripped of figures due to the lure of other sports, the setbacks of injury and the enticement of travel.
“They were all quite receptive to everything we looked to put in place,” outlines Dowling.
“The hard work at the start of the season getting up to speed with guys injuries, past injuries and trying to get them screened so we had a comprehensive insight into the players and their medical backgrounds. I think that’s standing to the injury profile of the squad now.”
In his rugby career Dowling was unfortunate enough to know intimately what life on a treatment table was like. That informs his current approach.
“I suppose first and foremost it’s about having the trust with the players. That’s the most difficult thing with any injury.
“It’s one thing treating an injury, it’s another thing treating a player that’s coming up to a deadline, whether it could be an All-Ireland quarter-final or whatever.
“You want to have their confidence in you. There is a certain amount of empathy you have with the players. You can appreciate the demands and expectations that they probably have.
“As a player I was unfortunately injured a lot. That was the biggest thing that shaped my own injury approach, an expectation of myself and then of the physio.
“So I carried that on to when I’m dealing with a player.”
The Tipperary players Dowling is working with have been a receptive bunch. For many of them, Munster rugby was a tale that caught their imagination during days when the province were a towering presence on the European landscape. Dowling was a symbol of that.
“In fairness to Ian, he gives great advice,” says Kevin O’Halloran.
“When you’re injured, he just keeps believing in you. He’ll say, “I’ll get you back ready for this.”
“And he puts us through our paces as well. Ian would often talk to us and ask us if there’s anything we want help with or anything he can help us with.”
“He’s a brilliant relationship with all of the lads,” remarks Michael Quinlivan.
“He’s a great presence in the dressing room. When you have someone like that who’s played on the biggest stage, you’d have great respect for that.
“He brought a bit of the rugby celebrations in after we played Cork, he arrived in to the dressing room with a couple of drinks for all the lads in the dressing room which was a nice touch I think. All the lads appreciated that and it really added to whole occasion as well.
“Through my teenage years, I was always watching Munster. They were underdogs for those games as well so we can probably relate a lot.
“Obviously just someone there you can bounce ideas off. It’s great. I know from talking to Seamus (Kennedy – Tipperary hurler) that Denis (Leamy) has been a great addition to their management team as well.”
2016 has been a rollercoaster ride for Tipperary football with some exhilarating highs. It takes Dowling an hour from work in Limerick to Thurles and he’s been making that trek to Dr Morris Park or Thurles a few times a week since the early January. It’s been a role he has embraced and after being exposed to professional sport, the commitment made by a group of amateurs has left him genuinely astounded.
“That’s blown me away, the level of commitment from the panel of players. You’ve guys coming from Galway, Dublin, Cork and all the corners of Tipp.
“It’s a tremendous effort to be going when the easiest thing to do at times is to not go when the weather isn’t accommodating.
“It was pretty bleak back there earlier in the year with the weather conditions and guys can’t even hop the ball at training.
“But all those dark days make an All-Ireland semi-final possible. They’re a tremendous bunch. It’s been great, an unbelievable adventure to be honest.”
It’s tempting to suggest that journeying to late August and rubbing shoulders with the Croke Park elite was never a notion that Tipperary football countenanced at the outset of the year.
But Dowling’s outlook to sport never permits him to dismiss any lofty ambitions. Maybe that’s traced to his own playing days, he was part of a Munster setup that enthusiastically faced daunting challenges.
“One of the first things when I met the guys and I saw what some of them were doing on the pitch, anything was possible.
“One of the biggest impacts was probably losing players and not being sure what the actual squad was. When Liam came in, we were trying to get up to speed as quickly as we could and that took time.
“Once the squad was finalised, there’s a pretty impressive calibre of player there and more to come. I tend to be quite an optimist. I never put anything past a team that I tend to be involved in.”
That faith has been rewarded with stirring days in Thurles in June, Cavan in July and then the wonder of putting Galway away with plenty to spare in an All-Ireland quarter-final.
“Those days are really, really special,” says Dowling.
“I’ve been quite fortunate with Munster and that to be involved in some great wins. You’re just delighted, not just for the players but the guys that have been there in the backroom staff, that have felt every loss in the past as well.”
So a decade on from being stationed on the left wing, helping Munster to overcome Biarritz and make their European Cup breakthrough in Cardiff, Dowling is in new sporting territory again.
On 4 September he’ll be shouting on his native county, a position in the heartland of Tipperary GAA failing to compromise his Kilkenny allegiances.
“There’s been plenty of sledging alright back home,” laughs.
“The one thing they’re all aware that I’ll have to step back when Kilkenny football and Tipp football meet in the championship!
“I don’t think that’s going to be on the horizon any time soon. I think we’re fortunate enough in that regard.
“It’s been a phenomenal experience. It’s so rare and that makes it all that bit more special.”
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I wouldn’t neccisarily agree with anything Ken Early says about football
Isn’t that a quote from Johnny Giles if I’m not mistaken
So many podcasts out there free. Subscription model is tough.
Tough, but I like that they are maintaining the integrity of the content by not going the advertising route.
Seriously, a fiver a month? That’s only two rounds of drinks on a night out, for 5 hours of entertainment a week? I’ll be subscribing, and fair play to them for trying to make it work. Too many nae Sayers in Ireland
Ever so slightly too expensive lads, ye’re not fecking Netflix!
Well worth a fiver….I’m paying a fiver sterling a month for The Anfield Wrap and it only makes me cry at the moment. They deserve to make a living like everyone else…pay if you like them enough, don’t pay if you don’t.
fools and their money.
@paul seriously you don’t really spend £5 a month for a podcast about Liverpool mon ta fuk.
@paul £5 for the Anfield wrap? You should klopp on to yourself!
I did too until there were far too many podcasts being released and I no longer had the time to listen to them all. Beyond that, much of it was filler as they had to come up with much more material. It lost its essence I think. I hope it doesn’t happen with Second Captains.
Hmmm? So from 4 free episodes to 2 free and 4 paid for… I love the show, and yes 5 quid isn’t a lot of money… but just can’t see me making the move.
And if the free episodes devote too much time trailing the paid for ones I can see this costing them listeners.
Still best of luck to them
I usually liked Second Captains, picked a chose what episodes I downloaded based on the description. Certainly won’t be paying for their ‘extra’ content. They should just have some advertising on their show to keep it free for listeners. Can’t see this model being sustainable….
Like them, but won’t be paying for it. Plenty of free podcasts out there to make up for it. Best of luck though lads.
You’d essentially be paying for all that rugby talk which I’m convinced everyone fast forwards anyway….!
Agreed, rugby never off both shows.. totally out of proportion to active participation of the game.. sick of listening to it..
That’s the Irish media for you, the way they hyped up that Irish team last week I was almost glad they lost
@Denis McDermott: Mcdevitt asks shane horgan one question and hes off talking rogbish for 30 mins, it’s terrible.
wedn6night rugby is dreadful gilroy and gerry thornley talking bollix about guys playing in the pocket and building platforms to play wide expansive rugby to get over the gain line like two toffs in kiely’ s over a fine malt and salmon sandwiches absolute torture.
Go forward momentum, line breaks, offloads, line speed… ugh, it’s like the worst kind “bizness” jargon transplanted into sport
me favourite is what gilroy says consistently ‘we ‘coughed up possession’ awful nonsense all together.
Can’t disagree but Eddie O’Sullivan does have rest interesting stuff to say!
Does anyone else think the off the ball lads getting very cringey lately.The Shearer interview last week was very awkward stupid comments and quotes bout Gullit then Bellamy then Keane just to make each other laugh
I like Joe Molloy. Always felt like Ger Gilroy thinks he’s better than me. Sad!
Sam Beckett, the fake banter on Off the ball is very annoying, there’s zero chemistry and a lot of forced laughter. Second captains were a huge loss. Indeed Newstalk is gone down the tubes apart from Moncrief
To say there is zero chemistry is ott. Some times the laughs can be too big and ladish but sure there is always rte sport.
I would actually listen to moncrieff all day long. Best show on radio.
Did you not hear the Armstrong, David Walsh or Cathaal McCarron interviews lately? Thought they were the best sports interviews of the year to be honest.
It’s awful stuff. I gave up on that years ago.
@Sam Beckett: Im finding the “banter” toward Kilbane is beginning to grate. A lot.
Best podcast show in Ireland
@Aidan O connor: by a distance. 5 euro is great value.
RTE should get rid of dead weight bring in second captains boys
Nah when they are on rte radio it’s not the same show, imo.
‘World service’ i.e a website.
It’s a joke about the BBC world service.
The ‘independent online station’ hot air stuff makes me think the BBC was more of an inspiration
@Caelum Rosenkranz: No Caelum listen to Liam, he actually knows what he’s talking about
@Liam Mc Loughlin: Not a very good joke.
Good luck to them but it’s a tough job with so much free stuff available. I’m out.
Pay to listen to Ken Earley? No thanks..
It’s Ken Burley actually
Ciaran Murphy is one annoying presenter. Don’t listen to it anymore. Off the ball and Joe molloy far far superior
You’ve got to be joking me, Joe Molloy is so lacking in any kind of personality or character I fully expect him to turn into an actual drone. Murf isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but McDevitt keeps him honest, he doesn’t speak with a dull D4 accent which always helps, and he’s played a bit of football so you can relate to him, plus they clearly get on extremely well in a natural way unlike the forced banter on Off the ball now
They should make one of the pods a political show ..and the other an anti mcgregor one..
I wish these lads were still on NewsTalk so much better than Molloy and Gilroy. I could just about bare it when Wolly was there, since he left it’s been a disaster.
I couldn’t agree more, the likes of Wolly and Gizzy Lyng made it just about bearable. Molloy and Gilroy are sports journalists in the worst sense of the word, they’re incredibly dull and are trying to copy the second captains in such an inane way
Harsh. And Gilroy was there before any of them so he’s hardly copying them. You have 2 good sports shows so why moan?
I’d have to disagree with you but feel free to pay for the new service. I’m happy with off the ball.
There are loads of sports shows, with plenty of coverage of sport, Second captains were one of the first to combine it with character and personality amongst a group of young lads who had good chemistry and could talk about anything
Gilroy’s interview of Lance Armstrong was class journalism, and I wouldn’t miss the newspaper review for anything.
I’ll definitely be paying for the subscription service with Second Captains. It’s a fiver. A month. And like it or not most podcasts are eyeing that model. Graham Hunter’s had to fund raise to keep it going ffs.
Jesus lads, stop moaning and criticising. Two very enjoyable shows to listen to and enjoy.
Listen to Eoin McDevitt interview Cathal McCarron, Then listen to Ger Gilroy interview Cathal McCarron Then delete your comment
He should delete his comment because of one interview?
No, he should delete his comment because he said Gilroy was a “journalist in the worse sense of the word” and I gave one example amongst many of why the reverse is true. If McDevitt feels it acceptable to celebrate ppl like McCarron yet insult someone like Conor McGregor (and his fans for that matter) for trivial behaviour then how can he be journalistically more credible than any sports broadcaster?
Well Gilroy does like to make thinks about himself on occasion and when it comes to being the better presenter McDevitt wins my a long shot. Don’t know if I’d pin the title Journalist on either of them as such. McDevitt didn’t celebrate McCarron, but Gilroy did do the better interview. I know they said they had received contact from the girls family before he was interviewed hence the few weeks of a delay so maybe that explains why it was more hard hitting. Yeah McDevitt could have when harder but to say he celebrated him is a bit off. Did he insult some of McGregors trivial behaviour? Was this when he threw glass into a crowd of people? I don’t recall. As for the fans, sure most of them are great. They were really classy when aldo was in town.
Your reply perfectly illustrates my point. Complete refusal to acknowledge that the fans who were at that presser are not the majority ( are we really going to say that such a segment doesn’t exist for PL football or boxing etc) I’m referring to the real MMA fans that appreciate the 15/25min of actual competitive endeavour and know to ignore the rest of the pageantry. Of course 2ndCs would never generate the traffic they do if they were to report objectively, it pays to trash McGregor and his ilk because that’s what listeners want to hear, not a balanced report on sport ( excuse the pun ). Your not paying a €5r a month for high standard, accurate reporting, your paying to hear your own opinion confirmed to you in a sneering elitist tone. Say what you want about the OTB teams personalities but I’ve never felt they’ve pushed a specific perception for ratings or money, they just report the news and respect people’s right to enjoy what floats their boat.
Glad I illustrated your point for you. That must have been satisfying.
@Kevin Power: Well McDevitt just approached it differently. Gilroy just responded to the fathers request if i remember. McDevitt called out Jim McGuinness’s hypocrisy if i remember
Won’t work but good luck
Never heard of it .. Don’t think I would pay €5 a mth to listen to it anyway.
But. . . . If you’ve never heard of it then how would you know?
People slating the personality of Ger Gilroy while stating their preference for a show with Ken Early. The mind boggles. The first time I ever felt the need to text a radio station was about 14 years ago and I was listening to Ken Early spew nonsense.
Sure everyone knows he talks rubbish, the lads slate him over it and rightly so.
I’ll be signing up as it’s the pod I’d listen to before otb, the guardian etc. I’ll give it a few months but we’ll have to see how the content is split up.
Some times more content isn’t always better. The Monday slot will cover the weekends sport. The football and rugby will finish in may. Are they going to have huge content on gaa then? Like most here like there podcast but won’t be a sub. Can’t see the value. #cantpaywontpay
I think Eoin McDevitt is wonderful. Ken Early reminds me of some flame haired flame thrower of truth who thinks very cogently about the game.
Are they finished doing the TV show on RTE?
Tv show was too scripted in my opinion, still some good moments and some great parodies
Yeah never got into the TV show. Audio suits them better, not that the show was bad.
And they’re all weird looking fellas…
I think a lot of the listeners are Irish overseas. It can be very hard to get GAA news, RTE/TV3 punditry, Match of the Day etc. €5 a month isn’t too much to pay for good content when our access to it overseas is limited.
€5 no thanks. Off the ball all the way
The guardian pod with James Richardson is the best around.
@Martin Carter: No way. Barry Glendenning is on that and he is awful.
I’d pay the 5r for 1 McDevitt/Murph free show a week tbh
I forgot about these clowns
Loved them on off the ball, but I am not going to pay to listen to them. Wish there TV show was just them giving analysis, not the disjointed show that was aired. Cut the crowd just have one guest from one code on at a time simple TV.