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Seamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney loves his football and, particularly it would seem, managing football teams. I heard it said that a number of years ago when Banty was managing a local club side in Monaghan, he would often leave his bar in the early hours of the morning, and rather than go home and risk a sleep in, he would drive to the training ground, have a few hours’ kip in the car, before taking an early morning session with his charges. There can be no doubting his commitment to the cause.

Last Sunday’s hurling final was the greatest I have ever seen. I particularly enjoyed the senior match, but the minor game provided a wonderful array of all of the great skills of the ancient game too. If the minor encounter was a tasty starter, the senior game between Tipperary and Kilkenny was an awesome encounter. There was huge physicality and manliness about the match from the minute the ball was thrown in right to the very end. It was gripping stuff and at no stage during the match could I have predicted the outcome. I was half hoping that Tipperary would win it for a number of reasons. I normally shout for the underdog but I also have a brother- in- law from Tipp and he was really excited in the lead up to this match. I felt for him when I spoke to him after the game as he was planning a few days off to celebrate a massive homecoming in Thurles! However in the grander scale of things I think it was appropriate that the Cats prevailed to create their own bit of history and win their fourth All- Ireland in a row. Winning so many titles doesn’t happen by chance and anyone involved in management at any level will be intrigued as to how Brian Cody keeps his players focused, fresh and driven. There are so many distractions for young people these days that it is a task in itself to keep players interested in their chosen sport. That is why I took special interest in the comments of Cody in a post-match interview earlier this week when he gave an insight as to why this current Kilkenny side are arguably the greatest hurling team of all times. He suggested that there is no chance of this great Kilkenny team getting complacent or big-headed, despite their phenomenal run.