THE SCENE IS set for a spectacular ‘Hurling Night with the Stars’ at the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh, tonight at 8pm.
On the eve of the Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21 semi-finals in Thurles, a host of the game’s top names will gather to discuss a remarkable summer for hurling.
Kilkenny legend DJ Carey, Waterford’s John Mullane, Tipperary’s Nicky English, Dublin manager and former Clare All-Ireland winning captain Anthony Daly and Galway’s Conor Hayes will take questions from the public at the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh, at 8pm.
The views of all five participants will be particularly interesting as all five men have plenty to reflect on as a gripping championship campaign draws to a close.
Carey, a nine-time All Star and holder of five All-Ireland senior medals, may wonder where Kilkenny go from here after they failed to make the All-Ireland final for the first time since 2005.
Mullane called time on his glittering intercounty career with Waterford before the start of the 2013 campaign and after Michael Ryan was ousted by player power, what are the views of the five-time Allstar forward as the Déise prepare for life under new management?
For English and Tipperary, there is plenty to ponder as the Premier County attempt to regroup and rise again in 2014.
Daly, meanwhile, is still coming to terms with Dublin’s defeat to Cork in the All-Ireland SHC semi-final but he’s a proud Clare man and will relish the prospect of watching his native county contest the All-Ireland final on 8 September.
And where to now for Galway? Conor Hayes was the last man to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the Tribesmen back in 1988 but the 2013 season has left more questions than answers for the maroon and white, who contested an All-Ireland final last year.
Tipperary man Damian Lawlor will facilitate this questions and answers session and at half-time, a raffle will take place for some wonderful prizes.
Entry on the night is €10 and all money raised goes to the ‘Fix Crumlin’ campaign for the Children’s Medical and Research Foundation (CMRF) at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin.
