IF ROBERT MURRAY lifts the Tommy Moore Cup tomorrow afternoon, it will be the crowning achievement of a St Thomas’ team whose roots can be traced all the way back to 2002.
When a crop of young kids won the U12 title that year, manager John Burke saw the genesis of something special and it was no surprise when more honours followed at U16, minor and U21.
Now their biggest challenge yet comes in Croke Park when the Galway men bid to beat fellow first-timers Kilcormac-Killoughey of Offaly in the All-Ireland Club Hurling Final.
At 29 Murray, the captain, is one of the old heads in a side bursting with youth; only his brother Richie, 30, and 34-year-old Enda Tannion are older. Coming up behind them are some of the finest club hurlers in the country including Burke’s six sons, all of whom featured in the semi-final replay win against the defending champions, Loughgiel Shamrocks of Antrim.
As he grew up himself, Murray watched that U12 side grow into something special and knew that someday he would line out alongside them and have his chance to make history.
“Watching this team from U12 growing up, I loved going to watch them,” he remembers. “The likes of David Burke and Conor Cooney were great going up U14, U16 and to minor. My own brother Gerald was there as well. They were fantastic to watch and we knew there was something special in them.
“We never thought we’d make the breakthrough to the senior championship. It was never part of our history in the club. We were just hoping to give a good account of ourselves.
We were lucky these lads came and they are the backbone of our team now. We’re a very small area and we’re not blessed with a huge pool of players. There’s a third of our team from one family in the Burkes — will we get a family like that again? The chances are we won’t. It’s just brilliant that they’re all fantastic hurlers and they’ve all come at the same time.
Current Galway senior manager Anthony Cunningham is St Thomas’ most famous player and an invaluable source of help. His presence is always felt, even if he’s not always there in person, but Murray says it’s time now for the current crop of players to step up and join Cunningham in the spotlight.
“He’s always there. He’ll congratulate us after our big wins and is there to commiserate with us after our losses. He’s a presence there.
“Maybe he does give his tuppence worth to the management, but I suppose he doesn’t see it as his role to give us advice and wouldn’t step on the management’s toes. He’s always willing to help us out.”
Murray adds: “Before David (Burke), he was the poster boy of St Thomas’ hurling. We wouldn’t see him too often as he’s living up in Athlone.
He was our name as a hurler for a long time. But we’ve to make our own mark now.Hopefully we can bring it to a new level now and not have Anthony holding it all up on his shoulders. We can share the weight.
