Clare Memories: Jimmy Smyth on Reid’s the Grandeur of Hurling all Murt Flynn on Starting about Afresh The new Kilkenny Pat Treacy on Captain on his hopes Camogie’s New it and fears for 2010 Contour 1 Eye on the ball: We all wonder who’ll Contents go all the way Introduction - PM O’Sullivan in this year’s championship The Sandman: TJ Reid Looks Forward - PM O’Sullivan Picture: Pat Murphy / Cork, Bottle and SPORTSFILE Shamrocks - PM O’Sullivan Doing the Fitzgibbon - Michael Geoghegan Cartoon - Tom Dack Is There a Leader in the Pack? - Denis Walsh Kilkenny: Off the Chart? - PM O’Sullivan Galway: At the Races? - Keith Duggan Tipp: Moving On Up? - PM O’Sullivan ‘Season’s Meetings’ - Murt Flynn Sick as a Manager - Paul Castle The Man From Ruan: Jimmy Introduction Smyth Looks Back - PM O’Sullivan Welcome to Sliotar, an online magazine devoted to hurling, the most Galway’s trip to Ennis in 2007. Nor would there be huge surprise The Great Hunger: Camogie beautiful game. in Waterford reaching another decider. Regrettably, as of February, Commitments - Pat Treacy The economic context says it is a bad time to be launching a Limerick are de facto non-runners. publication on any subject. The sporting context says something More broadly, the standard of play in 2009 at Minor and U21 ‘Backspin’ - PM O’Sullivan rather different. For hurling people, 2010 can only intrigue. Everyone drew many compliments. This facet must prompt optimism about the agrees that Kilkenny’s current side, wherever it will rank in the coming decade. Remarkably promising young hurlers are chancing pantheon, is a genuinely special one. The compulsion of watching an the horizon. One, name of Joe Canning, burst over at first attempt. Volume 1, Number 1 advance on five Senior titles in a row speaks for itself. History will Keep an eye on him, even if he is slow and one sided. be made, whether uniqueness is seized or not. Does anyone over 30 New decade, so many new possibilities. We hope you enjoy PM O’SULLIVAN (Editor) think they will see another advance? Does anyone at all? reading Sliotar. Sport begins and ends in enjoyment, the small child MURT FLYNN (Deputy Editor) There is likewise the freshness of last September’s All-Ireland dragging a hurl to elderly spectators with a blanket over their knees. BRENDAN TOBIN (Design) Final, one immediately celebrated as a benchmark contest. Hurling Correspondence and seemed to discover, under this strain, a new splice of physicality and submissions welcome: skill. Quality scores kept outdoing each other for class. Saves too. [email protected] The splendour of Tipperary’s effort to remove Kilkenny, so long set for success, whets anticipation. Another wonderful team may Sponsored by... be hatching, forcing out its wings. If there is a view that only Tipp and Galway can defeat the champions, it is a verdict at which Cork naturally chafe. Clare, Dublin, Offaly, Waterford and Wexford retain upset- PM O’Sullivan triggering potential and more. Given day, factors in play. Item: February 10, 2010 2 Pictures (including Enter cover): Gail Ryan Sandman PM O’Sullivan talks with Ballyhale’s TJ Reid about his hurling heritage and the year ahead THE juvenile section of Ballyhale Shamrocks has a hurl in his hand, tipping a nice problem all to itself. and tipping against a wall, Mentors occasionally have to issue a wry com- hurl caught short, right mand: ‘Stop trying to do TJ on it…’ The future side, left side, he often walks laughs and tears ahead. Those in charge turn the lines of Páirc na Seam- back, laugh, shaking middle-aged heads in mild róg at an ordinary match, exasperation. What will lads do but copy a neigh- tapping a sliotar, hurl to bour? Like the sandman who hatches dreams by hand, hurl to hand. Young- tilting sleep, TJ Reid makes wizard strokes look sters sense a kindred spir- so easy that an U14 can yearn for fade to bring a it, the same small bell ball back in, for a drop shot riveted 60 yards. of joy at controlling a His skill levels are so high that the compliment ball. “This is hurling of imitation is inevitable. Already, in a career country, Pat,” he hardly out of its opening phase, he has amassed laughs. “What else a bulging portfolio of picture scores. Perhaps the would you want to most famous is the sideline lanced over against be doing round Toomevara in February 2007, the extraordinary here? Hurling All-Ireland semi-final in which his club recov- is king.” ered a 12-point deficit and which his cut pared to a single point. “I remember it exactly,” TJ says. “I knew we were still in trouble, I knew we need- ed a lift. It was the first sideline I ever scored at any level. The first one… I suppose it was in my head to do it because I’d seen Joe Canning at it.” The nonchalance is natu- ral and unaffected. TJ Reid does his own thing, knows his own mind. Rarely without 3 a ball. “This is hurling country, Pat,” he laughs. The Reid stamp of excellence: “What else would you want to be doing round here? TJ isn’t alone Hurling is king.” “I don’t want to in his hurling The man himself is easygoing and polite, pa- talent, with his tiently repositioning for the photographer in his get hung up on family excelling homeplace of Kiltorcan. He sands a hurl in the at the sport in both past and workshed. He stands tall outside. “No problem, no present bother…” The Reids have been farming here for so the captaincy,” many years, an older brother the [fifth] generation to hold the reins. “I don’t think I was ever set to be a farmer but it suits Paddy,” he smiles. “It could he states. “I’m skin you here in winter but the summer makes up for it.” not going to.” The farm looks out over a quilt of five counties from a nudge of high ground above the functional to get on the tournament scoresheet,” he admits. “I village of Ballyhale. If Kiltorcan has long been a her- still remember Wexford for Féile weekend. Myself itage site for fossils, the history that counts here is and a neighbour, Dónal Dempsey, stayed with the a far nearer draw, millennia squeezed to intimate same family. It was great, all the fuss about hurl- Ths Mentors occasionally have to issue a wry decades. This parish is a place of long memories ing. For a crowd of young fellas, all together, it was command: ‘Stop trying to do TJ on it…’ The future and exacting assessments. A mile down the road, brilliant. And amazing to win. You never forget the laughs and tears ahead. Those in charge turn back, just over into Castlebanny, is Fennelly’s, right by feeling.” laugh, shaking middle-aged heads in mild exas- the entrance to Mountain View Golf Course.A little He was always likely to have such days. His fa- peration. What will lads do but copy a neighbour? further lies Walsh’s of Kilcredy, to where Jimmy ther Seán, the club’s current Chairman, won an Like the sandman who hatches dreams by tilting Walsh, a Carrickshock clubman, brought the Liam All-Ireland U21 medal in 1974 and was a mainstay sleep, TJ Reid makes wizard strokes look so easy MacCarthy Cup in 1932 and ’39. with the Shamrocks between 1978 and 1991, when that an U14 can yearn for fade to bring a ball back He is glad to be a native son, for all the flint. nine Senior titles were harvested. His uncle Richie in, for a drop shot riveted 60 yards. TJ was a watcher before he was a hurler because won a Celtic Cross through 1979’s victory over Gal- His skill levels are so high that the compliment he so wanted to be a hurler. His age was a piece of way. The same man, who later hurled with Faughs of imitation is inevitable. Already, in a career hard- luck. It made him eight years younger than a rising and Dublin, captained the side that won a Club All- ly out of its opening phase, he has amassed a bulg- master, a trusted name gone before him into the Ireland against St Finbarr’s in 1981. ing portfolio of picture scores. Perhaps the most forest, someone who had learned that the sound of Braided blood. Today’s brothers are similarly famous is the sideline lanced over against Toom- one hand clapping echoes in Brian Cody’s accents. accomplished. Paddy is a gifted club forward, Eoin evara in February 2007, the extraordinary All- “I’ve often said my biggest influence is Henry Shef- on the Kilkenny panel since 2006, Richie rising the Ireland semi-final in which his club recovered a flin,” TJ states, with an intriguing hint of defiance. ranks with St Kieran’s College and development 12-point deficit and which his cut pared to a single “I’ve no problem saying that to anyone. When I squads. “I like hurling with them,” TJ says with point. “I remember it exactly,” TJ says. “I knew we was young I used to go to matches and study what conviction. “Richie should come on too in a bit.” were still in trouble, I knew we needed a lift. It was Henry did. He’s the best around, and you always Is he curious about hurling’s past? “Yeah, curi- the first sideline I ever scored at any level.