YOU’LL REMEMBER HIM as the Kilkenny bolter, that tall and rangy forward that Brian Cody plucked from leftfield before the 2012 All-Ireland final replay.
Cody’s faith in Walter Walsh paid a handsome dividend. The Tullogher-Rosbercon man plundered the Galway defence for 1-3 on his senior championship debut.
He carted off the man-of-the-match award and Kilkenny carted off Liam. All was well on Noreside.
Three years on and it’s natural to retrace the steps of how Walsh came from the hurling wilderness to All-Ireland stardom.
It started with that Friday night team selection.
Meet
“We typically meet the Friday night before big game, on the Sunday,” outlines Walsh.
“Normally there’s a flipchart there and the team is revealed. The page is flicked back, and when the page is flicked back, I suppose I didn’t expect to see my name there.
“But it was. And I was quite shocked, as you can imagine.”
He had good and experienced people around to make the process less daunting.
“It was left at that. You just go home. I think I went home with Eoin Murphy, and he just told me to treat it as any other game.
“Obviously I got a lot of good luck messages, more that I would have the first game, but that was it.
“I was lucky in the sense I had Henry Shefflin, Tommy Walsh, David Herity, these guys were very good, and just told me to treat it like another game.
“And not to be too nervous. And that’s all I tried to do.”
Walsh kept his pre-match routine low-key that weekend.
“I think like a normal Saturday, at home on the farm, probably did a small bit of work. Not too much, just to keep the mind off the game.
“(I) tried to eat well, keep hydrated, make sure you’ve all your gear. Things you can control. I had that ready on the Saturday night, and actually slept very well.
“We get the bus from Langtons here in Kilkenny on the Sunday morning, and fly up now, with the motorway. I was quite relaxed about that game.
“I’d say I’d be even more nervous about the games now. I was just very relaxed, maybe because I didn’t know, and it was all new to me. I didn’t know how severe it was.”
The match unfolded like a dream with plenty post-match tributes bestowed upon Walsh.
“It was very surreal at the time. I was in shock after the game, and wasn’t even thinking about man of the match until CityWest, when someone said it to me.
“I was just delighted with winning an All-Ireland. That’s what it’s all about. The personal things come after, but as a team that’s all you want.”
Last season offered a lesson in contrast for Walsh. Walsh started the drawn All-Ireland final against Tipperary before being dropped for the replay and rooted to the bench throughout.
“I suppose it was different. I was just hopeful I would come on, and again you’re just delighted to win the All-Ireland.
“If someone is going better than you they deserve to be playing. John Power was brilliant that day, scored 1-2, got a crucial goal, and we really needed that.”
In 2015, Walsh set personal goals and he rose to the challenge. Every one of Kilkenny’s league and championship games have featured the 24 year-old on the starting team sheet. The final hurdle is there to be surmounted on Sunday.
One last 2012 question – ever use that man-of-the-match voucher?
“I think it’s expired now,” laughs Walsh.
“I was in my final year of college, and couldn’t get the week off UCD, in between the All-Ireland and that Christmas. So I didn’t get the chance to use it.”
