TONIGHT’S PWC ALL-STAR Awards presented Cian Lynch’s parents with the most wonderful surprise.
It was only when their 22-year-old son’s name was called and he took to the stage to collect his award did they learn that the family’s All-Ireland-winning midfielder had been named Hurler of the Year.
He decided not to tell them in advance so that the moment — and the night as a whole — would prove especially magical for his family, whom he credits for his taking to the stage at all.
“Barry [Cahill] rang me during the week and when I saw the phone ringing I didn’t really know what to expect,” Lynch said hours before tonight’s ceremony. “I thought he was just enquiring about something.
When I answered it and he said, ‘Cian, I’ve a bit of news, you’re after getting the Hurler of the Year.’ It took me a second actually to realise what he said. To be honest, I didn’t believe him.
“It never actually came into my head that I could possibly get it. It was a great year for Limerick as a team and that was the only thing that I looked at around the start of the year and even since 19 August. Anything after that was a bonus.
I was questioning whether I’d tell the mother and father or not and I kind of said to myself that I won’t. It would be a great night for them to come up, they’re coming up expecting nothing, and to see me go up and collect the Hurler of the Year Award is going to be extra special for them.
“Because, at the end of the day, it does go back to the mother and father. They were there with me since day one and it’s an absolute honour to get it.
It keeps going back to family, and I’d dedicate this to my family and the other members of the Limerick team. Because at the end of the day no one is here tonight based on their own performances. It’s the lads around you who put you here.
Cian Lynch celebrates Limerick's first All-Ireland win in 45 years with his mother, Valerie James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“It’s huge,” Lynch said of his award. “You see lads down through the year getting the Hurler of the Year Award… I remember seeing Austin Gleeson a few years ago, Tony Kelly, Joe Canning last year.
“I never believed that I’d be able to get one of those. Hurling is a team sport but there are individual accolades that players can get, and if you get them or when you get them you have to appreciate them and cherish them.
I’m playing senior hurling for Limerick for four years and Joe is there at least ten years playing with Galway. I remember going to matches looking up at him. I used to be running onto pitches after games trying to get his autograph.
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“Even when he was nominated again this year along with Padraic Mannion, these are guys that I admire and aspire to be like.
I was just lucky enough to get the award this year, but there’s still great credit due to those guys for what they do for their counties and hurling itself.”
Indeed, the whole thing is “surreal” to Lynch: Limerick’s first All-Ireland in 45 years; The Treaty’s 15 All-Star nominees; Lynch being recognised as the best hurler in the country for 2018.
You have to cherish every moment, he maintains, because you might never find yourself at such lofty heights again. “Please God we will be”, he says, “but you have to cherish every day and live every day as it comes.”
Cian Lynch shakes hands with President Michael D. Higgins ahead of the All-Ireland hurling final Tommy Dickson / INPHO
Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO
A word on God — and he’s had a few of late, garnering praise for being upfront about both his religious beliefs and his decision not to consume alcohol.
Maybe in these nefarious times, it’s no harm for those with a strong faith to have a young religious person to look up to, Lynch reckons.
“A lot of people have turned away from the religious side of things”, he says, “or for everyone, now, the normal thing to do is to go drinking or whatever.
For me, I just don’t think you have to conform to social norms. I don’t think we all have to conform to those social norms.
I quoted Oscar Wilde at the Ploughing Championships a few weeks ago when I said, ‘Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.’
“I’m not telling people to copy someone else or copy what I do. We’re all here, we’re all different people, no one person is the same as someone else.
Do what makes you happy. Religion for me and not drinking, are just things that keep me grounded. It’s where I get my equilibrium. Religion is where I go to kind of clear the head and get back down to level ground. Because it’s very easy to get carried away and get ahead of yourself. It’s important to stay in the now.
“If I can be of any help to any young fella or young girl or older man or lady, I’m happy to help.
“I don’t know if I’m a hero or any of that crack, but I suppose I was at a camp the other day and kids were asking me what I do to prepare for games or training — that sort of thing.
“You kind of have to say to young guys and girls to just enjoy everything you do at that age.
In this day and age there’s a lot of peer pressure and a lot of social media and lads are getting involved on Instagram and Snapchat and they’re all over that, but they’re forgetting that they can just go out and open up and express themselves.
“We’re kind of very confined now, so what I’d say to young people is to just go out and enjoy hurling or whatever else you’re into. Whether it’s football, soccer, rugby, or education, just enjoy it. Just be the best person they can be.”
Hurler of the Year Cian Lynch (R) with Footballer of the Year Brian Fenton Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE
Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE
Lynch and Limerick’s attempts to remain the country’s best won’t begin in earnest for a few weeks yet, but the Patrickswell young gun was quick to point to his footballing equivalent, Brian Fenton, and Jim Gavin’s Dubs as the GAA’s standard-bearers on that front.
“I’m inspired by it,” Lynch says of Dublin.
To hear that Brian has lost no championship game in the last four years and to get Footballer of the Year, I’m just delighted for him. The size of him, I didn’t realise how big he was!
“They’ve set the standard in the football and they’re a professional outfit who keep going about their business no matter what’s said or what’s done or what thrown at them. They just keep going.
“For us as hurlers, we’d aspire to be like them — be the Dublin of hurling if you like. But, for us at the moment, it’s about enjoying this year.
“We’ll get back training and we’ll keep our heads down. There’s no point looking beyond the next few months and there’s no point getting carried away.
“2018 is going to be gone soon enough and 2019′s doors will open. It’s going to be open country again and I think anything is possible.
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'Lads are on Instagram and Snapchat, but they're forgetting they can go out and express themselves'
TONIGHT’S PWC ALL-STAR Awards presented Cian Lynch’s parents with the most wonderful surprise.
It was only when their 22-year-old son’s name was called and he took to the stage to collect his award did they learn that the family’s All-Ireland-winning midfielder had been named Hurler of the Year.
He decided not to tell them in advance so that the moment — and the night as a whole — would prove especially magical for his family, whom he credits for his taking to the stage at all.
“Barry [Cahill] rang me during the week and when I saw the phone ringing I didn’t really know what to expect,” Lynch said hours before tonight’s ceremony. “I thought he was just enquiring about something.
“It never actually came into my head that I could possibly get it. It was a great year for Limerick as a team and that was the only thing that I looked at around the start of the year and even since 19 August. Anything after that was a bonus.
“Because, at the end of the day, it does go back to the mother and father. They were there with me since day one and it’s an absolute honour to get it.
“It’s huge,” Lynch said of his award. “You see lads down through the year getting the Hurler of the Year Award… I remember seeing Austin Gleeson a few years ago, Tony Kelly, Joe Canning last year.
“I never believed that I’d be able to get one of those. Hurling is a team sport but there are individual accolades that players can get, and if you get them or when you get them you have to appreciate them and cherish them.
“Even when he was nominated again this year along with Padraic Mannion, these are guys that I admire and aspire to be like.
I was just lucky enough to get the award this year, but there’s still great credit due to those guys for what they do for their counties and hurling itself.”
Indeed, the whole thing is “surreal” to Lynch: Limerick’s first All-Ireland in 45 years; The Treaty’s 15 All-Star nominees; Lynch being recognised as the best hurler in the country for 2018.
You have to cherish every moment, he maintains, because you might never find yourself at such lofty heights again. “Please God we will be”, he says, “but you have to cherish every day and live every day as it comes.”
A word on God — and he’s had a few of late, garnering praise for being upfront about both his religious beliefs and his decision not to consume alcohol.
Maybe in these nefarious times, it’s no harm for those with a strong faith to have a young religious person to look up to, Lynch reckons.
“A lot of people have turned away from the religious side of things”, he says, “or for everyone, now, the normal thing to do is to go drinking or whatever.
“I’m not telling people to copy someone else or copy what I do. We’re all here, we’re all different people, no one person is the same as someone else.
“If I can be of any help to any young fella or young girl or older man or lady, I’m happy to help.
“I don’t know if I’m a hero or any of that crack, but I suppose I was at a camp the other day and kids were asking me what I do to prepare for games or training — that sort of thing.
“You kind of have to say to young guys and girls to just enjoy everything you do at that age.
“We’re kind of very confined now, so what I’d say to young people is to just go out and enjoy hurling or whatever else you’re into. Whether it’s football, soccer, rugby, or education, just enjoy it. Just be the best person they can be.”
Lynch and Limerick’s attempts to remain the country’s best won’t begin in earnest for a few weeks yet, but the Patrickswell young gun was quick to point to his footballing equivalent, Brian Fenton, and Jim Gavin’s Dubs as the GAA’s standard-bearers on that front.
“I’m inspired by it,” Lynch says of Dublin.
“They’ve set the standard in the football and they’re a professional outfit who keep going about their business no matter what’s said or what’s done or what thrown at them. They just keep going.
“For us as hurlers, we’d aspire to be like them — be the Dublin of hurling if you like. But, for us at the moment, it’s about enjoying this year.
“We’ll get back training and we’ll keep our heads down. There’s no point looking beyond the next few months and there’s no point getting carried away.
“2018 is going to be gone soon enough and 2019′s doors will open. It’s going to be open country again and I think anything is possible.
Subscribe to our new podcast, Heineken Rugby Weekly on The42, here:
‘Mam is always remembered. For her not to be here is bittersweet, but no doubt she’ll be proud today’
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