1. How long have you played for O’ Loughlins?
I started hurling with the club when I was seven or eight at under ten, and it’s been all go since then. I hurled with the club at all underage levels and joined the senior panel in 2005.
2. Does the club have a special significance for you?
O’ Loughlins is a real family-run club and this is great to see. You see young lads ranging from six to 16 pucking on the field before training sessions and after senior matches. O’ Loughlins means a lot to me because my father hurled here, and it’s where I was brought up.
3. What is your own personal favourite sporting memory?
Wining the 2010 senior county final is my favourite sporting memory.
4. What’s it like having your brother in the same team as you?
It’s great having Eddie on the team with me. As I said, O’ Loughlins is a real family club.
In the county final last year, there was Eddie and myself, my father Richie carrying the hurls, Martin and Andy Comerford, Mark and Niall Bergin, and their father Anthony carrying more hurls, the Murphys, the Dowlings, and the two Skehans.
5. Who is the best player you ever played with?
Some of the club greats like Andy Comerford, Martin Comerford, Brain Kelly, Alan O’Brien are all up there with the best in Kilkenny. I’ve also played with Richie Hogan, Matthew Ruth, Paul Murphy, John Mulhall – all lads who are playing with the senior team now. But the best I’ve hurled with was a goalkeeper from Callan, Sean ‘Einie’ Byran.
6. Who is the best player you ever played against?
I’ve played against some great hurlers including DJ Carey and Charlie Carter in my debut season. In recent years I’ve played against some great Kilkenny hurlers like Henry, Eoin Larkin, Michael Fennelly and Michael Rice. However, the best I’ve ever marked is Tommy Walsh.
7.What was it like to play in (and win ) a Leinster club championship in January?
It was unbelievably tough. We faced Ballyboden St Enda’s in the semi in Nowlan park.
We started slowly, but gathered ourselves at half time after a goal. The management team tore into us, and we came out and led until the final minute, when they scored. We levelled in injury time with Niall McEvoy’s unbelievable point. Our fitness showed in extra time, and we won well.
The final was every bit as tough, as Oulart were very hard to break down. The game looked to be gone from our grasp as Oulart looked very hungry. Fortunately, things went our way and we never gave up.
8. What was it like to go off injured in same game?
I took a risk playing the game in the first place, after tearing my hamstring in a challenge match ten days before. Unfortunately, I only lasted ten or fifteen minutes and watched the remainder from the line with Dr Tadhg Crowley.
This was probably the hardest match ever to watch, as we were trailing for most of it. Things changed in the second half dramatically, when Eddie [Kearns] made an inspirational block and Gorta scored.
9. How did you feel to lose the All-Ireland club final, and what did you take from it?
Losing the All-Ireland was very disappointing. We prepared in the best way and we started well, with every player getting the better of their man.
Clarinbridge hit us hard in the last few minutes of the first half and we never recovered. It was an experience that everyone learned from, you can never take your foot of the gas because it’s very hard to pull a team back when they get a run on you.
10. How do you rate the club’s chances for the coming season?
This year started great for the senior team, winning our first three games of the league.
We have a huge boost in getting Mark Kelly back from injury who missed last season, we also have Kevin Morrissey and Davy Broderick back to boost our chances. If we keep the head down and work hard, we’ve a great chance of doing well again.
