Four Déise Players Watched From A Young Age That Deserve To Win Celtic Crosses

If you are a certain age, people might often ask you where were you when Kennedy died, speaking of the day that former president of the United States of America, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot in Dallas in November 1963. And the same question is sometimes asked of when different events throughout the world took place that people still remember.

If I was to ask where were you when you first saw some of the present Waterford Senior Hurling team first play, I have a feeling that for many it might be in a Minor or Under 21 Inter County game, or even in a National League game.

Many would hand on heart cannot say that they saw such a player in such a championship game within the county, because let’s be honest, here in Waterford we don’t get the attendances at games which they deserve, especially when you consider that there is tens of thousands of hurling fans in Waterford right now.

And even if there is a larger number than i would envisage that could claim they saw such a player lining out for their club in whatever game, i am fairly sure that the number of us who saw some of the counties present stars playing in an underage game would be very small.

This put me thinking recently of some of the younger members and maybe some of the unsung heroes of the Waterford Senior Hurling panel and when I first saw them playing for the first time.

One player that has made a huge impact coming off the bench for Waterford this year is Clashmore-Kinsalebeg Club player Brian O’Halloran.

The first time i saw him playing not was in the white and blue of Waterford, or even the Green and Red of Clashmore-Kinsalebeg, but in the Black and Green of Kinsalebeg National School, when under the guidance of its then principal Brendan Griffin an excellent seven or nine a side team were put together for the West Waterford Primary School’s competitions, with a very young Brian O’Halloran its stand out player in the middle of the field.

From a very young age he showed tremendous promise and was part of the Clashmore-Kinsalebeg under 12 and 14 teams from an equally as young an age. For his club the first time i saw him playing was a lightening fast wing forward and was possibly an even better footballer than he was as in hurling.

Maurice Shanahan was a ten year old back in the Millennium year when i first saw him playing in the rain at the annual Ballyduff Upper Under ten Tournament which was always an enjoyable event to visit each year, and try and pick out some of the best players on show.

In 2000, Maurice and Lismore reached the final and played against Dungarvan in the final. I have long forgotten who won the game, winning after all at this level is not the important thing, it’s the taking part and enjoying the games, but these two sides at the time had a great rivalry going between them and that day, young Maurice Shanahan really stood out for the side in Yellow and Black.

On the same day I was to spot another of this year’s panel for the first time. Cois Bhride and Naomh Brid reached the ‘B’ Final which was also played in the wet. Everything in Ballyduff for these tournaments would be organized down to the smallest detail, but they could never guarantee the weather, but they always tried.

Playing in the middle of the field for Cois Bhride was Thomas Ryan. I remember enquiring the first day of the two day tournament who the brilliant player they had was and can remember getting told he was a brother to Rachel Ryan. Rachel at the time was very involved with the club and played an important role in the merging of the Tallow and Shamrock’s Underage Clubs into one, and was known to those at the time that had an interest in underage hurling.

When my own club Naomh Brid reached the final and I was giving a helping hand to former Saint Mary’s and Waterford Hurler Declan Fitzpatrick to lay out the team, we knew to stand a chance of winning, Thomas Ryan had to be stopped some way, and it was agreed to sacrifice some scores for our side by placing Declan’s son Sean on him and to get him to follow him where ever he went and hope that others could then get the scores that Sean had got in earlier games.

Again, just as the case of the ‘A’ Final between Lismore and Dungarvan, I can’t remember who won the game, but do remember that it went to extra time on the day to find a winner.

But the player that made the biggest impact when i first saw him playing was Dungarvan’s Patrick Curran.

I had known his father Pat for some time. I could remember him from lining out for Cappoquin in the 80’s and indeed for Waterford and remember him as a very good hurler.

I knew he had three older sons, Cormac, Colm and Cathal and all were very promising hurlers with the Dungarvan Club, but had heard nothing of Patrick.

I was involved in Western Bórd na nÓg at the time, and it had a new Chairman at County Level in Pat Grant, the current Western Adult Board chairman.

One of the first things he did as chairman was to introduce county finals at under 12 level. Up to this there was only finals at from under 14 level up.

The county finals the first year were to be held in the West of the County and because Fraher Field was not available it was decided to have the games at the Dungarvan Club Grounds, a venue that was deemed central to all six clubs in the three divisions.

Dungarvan reached the ‘A’ Final. Their opponents I cannot remember, but can remember that the home club won the final with Patrick Curran, then about eight years old playing a vital role in the game.

As i did with the other three players mentioned, I enquired after the game from Pat Curran as to who he was. Since finding out who he was I have followed his progress down the years.

Hurling is in DNA. As already pointed out his father was a star player for Cappoquin and Waterford. He was one of two Pat Curran’s to play for the county around the mid 80’s and is not to be mixed up with ‘Packo’ a member of the Stradbally club and a goalkeeper of some ability.

Patrick’s mother was also able to use a Hurley and before moving to the Déise County she was a Camogie player of some note, lining out between the posts for Cavan.

Should Waterford end a long stint without the Liam McCarthy Cup coming to Waterford on Sunday afternoon, it will mean that the young Dungarvan Club man has won almost everything there is to win within the game.

Minor and under 21 All-Ireland Medals have been won by the Old Boro Club man. So too has a Munster Under 21 medal. One medal however that he cannot win will be a Munster Minor Medal. Waterford went on to beat Galway in 2013 after they had lost to Limerick in the Munster Final, a game that Waterford should have won.

And while a Munster Senior Medal also has to be won, at 21 years of age, you can’t but feel that one or more will come his way in the coming years.

Four years ago he hit 1-7 in the Minor All-Ireland Final and last year he hit 1-9 in the Under 21 final. Going on what we have seen this year, the Old Boro man is unlikely to start against Galway, but if he does get a chance to shine at Croke Park, if he was to score and it was to help Waterford to win, then surly he would be happy with just the one score.

The Dungarvan man is currently studying to be a primary school teacher at St. Pat’s in Dublin has also won honours on the Colleges Scene.

In 2009, a young Patrick Curran helped Dungarvan CBS win the Rice Cup beating Kilkenny CBS in the final at Clonmel on a 3-9 to 2-6 score line with Curran hitting 1-7.  

Three years later he was part of the Coláiste na Déise side that beat Nenagh CBS in the Dr. Harty Cup Final on a 2-14 to 1-10 score line with Curran hitting 1-9.

Twelve months later Dungarvan Colleges won the final beating Our Lady’s of Templemore 2-21 to 1-11 with Patrick scoring 0-8 and he added a Croke Cup medal to his collection beating Kilkenny CBS 1-12 to 1-7 in Thurles with Patrick Curran hitting 0-9 and Dungarvan CBS on their own in the same year played in the ‘B’ Championship in which the Old Boro outfit beat Tulla in the Munster final for Corn Phadraig in which Patrick hit 1-15 of his sides tally in a 1-22 to 1-15 win and in the All-Ireland Final that same year Dungarvan CBS beat St. Mary’s from Belfast 3-18 to 1-5 with Curran hitting 1-6.

Having watched these four players from a young age and following their progress since first seeing them, I for one would be more than delighted to see them win a Celtic Cross at G.A.A. Headquarters this Sunday.