1. The Brian Cody influence
Cody has been in charge of the Kilkenny senior hurlers since 1999 and during that time, he’s presided over an unparalleled period of success.
His passion for the cause is without question and Cody has created a culture of excellence based around the key values of commitment and discipline.
Cody doesn’t suffer fools gladly and as a Kilkenny hurler, you conform to the manager’s high standards or you’re excluded from his plans.
Cody has also developed the knack of ensuring that his team remains fresh year on year, never with huge wholesale changes but by introducing a handful of new faces on an annual basis.
In his 17th season at the helm, Cody is hoping to win the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the 11th time on Sunday.
2. Mick Dempsey
Laois native Dempsey is one of the major cogs in Cody’s Kilkenny wheel.
A vastly experienced physical trainer, he’s been a key member of the backroom staff for the past decade and is the man who helps to ensure that the Cats are strong and conditioned for the heat of battle.
Cody surrounds himself with good people and former All-Ireland winners Derek Lyng and James McGarry are current selectors alongside Dempsey.
Behind the scenes, there’s a stellar team of medical and nutritional staff attending to the needs of the players throughout the season.
Denis ‘Rackard’ Cody is renowned as a huge character within the camp and he has been the team’s kitman for almost 40 years.
3. County board
Cody and county board officials are very much in sync.
Previous board chairman Paul Kinsella was a former work colleague of Cody’s at St Patrick’s De La Salle National School.
Ned Quinn is the current Kilkenny board chairman and he has forged a close relationship with Cody over the years.
Quinn was the former secretary before taking the top administrative job on Noreside and Cody knows that the logistical elements of team preparations are very much in safe hands.
4. Discipline
Discipline is a core element of Cody’s managerial philosophy, both on and off the field.
Kilkenny’s players are asked to adhere to Cody’s standards and carry themselves in the manner befitting of a player wearing the black and amber.
Off the pitch, Kilkenny’s top stars make themselves available for various functions and after games, they have no issue staying behind to sign autographs for supporters.
The bond between players and punters is strong and their accessibility to the general public is one of the more enduring and heartwarming factors that helps to make the GAA the special organisation that it is.
Cody likes his maverick players but he will crack the whip if any of them step out of line.
5. Emphasis on hurling
As other counties across Ireland struggle with the dual mandate, hurling is very much the king in Kilkenny.
They make no apologies for that either but rare football success was achieved this year, when the Cats won the British championship before contesting an All-Ireland junior football semi-final.
Kilkenny GAA stakeholders devote the vast majority of their attentions to the small ball code and without the ‘distraction’ of football, it’s allowed them to make hay over the years.
Traditionalists and supporters of football in other counties may lament Kilkenny’s way of going about their business but there’s no arguing with results.
6. Club structures
Simple and effective. 12 teams in the county’s senior hurling championship, and 12 in the intermediate grade.
One up from intermediate, one down from senior in terms of relegation annually and while other counties struggle to cap the number of teams operating at senior level, Kilkenny have their structures down to a fine art.
Current All-Ireland champions Ballyhale Shamrocks cast a long shadow over the Kilkenny SHC from 2006-2009, winning four-in-a-row, but there have been four different winners of the competition in the last five seasons.
O’Loughlin Gaels reigned supreme in 2010, James Stephens were crowned champions a year later and Clara claimed a famous title two years ago.
Ballyhale were winners in 2012 and again last year but in such a competitive environment, and currently sitting third in their group this summer, there’s no guarantee that they will climb to the top of the tree again later this year.
7. The schools conveyor belt
Kilkenny city is home of two famed hurling nurseries – Kilkenny CBS and St Kieran’s.
CBS won the All-Ireland (Croke Cup) title back in 1981 but St Kieran’s are the standard-bearers in the competition, the current holders and with 20 crowns in the bag.
St Kieran’s are six ahead of St Flannan’s in the Croke Cup roll of honour and have lifted the silverware in three of the last five seasons.
This picture was taken outside the Chapel at St Kieran’s college, for end of year Mass, and captioned: “We even bring our hurls to Mass!!”
Locally, Kilkenny CBS push St Kieran’s hard and both schools provide key players to Kilkenny’s minor hurling teams at intercounty level.
If you’re an aspiring young player in Kilkenny, St Kieran’s is where you want to be to further your hurling education but the CBS has been working hard to attract top talent also.
8. It’s bred into ‘em
Think Kilkenny and you think hurling – it’s as simple as that.
The sport is a religion in the county and from a young age, the game is almost a rite of passage.
The various GAA fields around the county are a hive of activity in the summer time, with the county’s leading stars visiting for camps are young children gather for coaching from the elite stars.
This writer drove through Urlingford during the week and the local Emerald’s club pitch was alive with the sound of ash on ball.
The county’s towns and villages are decked out with black and amber bunting ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland final and the unsung heroes at grassroots level work desperately hard to ensure that this will remain the case for many, many years to come.
