IN A PREVIOUS sporting life, Dessie Hutchinson and Jayson Molumby were travelling in the same direction.
One night in September 2017, the pair were on the south coast of England and handed starting spots in the Brighton team for a League Cup game against Bournemouth. Hutchinson was 20 then, Molumby just 18, both attempting to climb the rungs of the English soccer ladder.
They moved into different arenas since then, but making their marks in their own way.
A fortnight ago, Molumby was in the engine room of the Ireland team on an extraordinary afternoon in the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Earlier on the same day that Molumby was helping to fashion a stunning success over Hungary, Hutchinson was firing 2-1 in a Munster semi-final win against Cork’s Sarsfields.
They were both shining again over the weekend. Molumby netting the 85th winner for West Brom at the Hawthorns in Saturday’s Championship encounter against Swansea City.
Then Hutchinson struck 0-7 from play as Ballygunner were crowned Munster champions once more on Sunday in Thurles.
“I gave Jayson a text after (the Hungary game), I still talk to him now and again,” says Hutchinson.
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“Jayson is doing unbelievable. Hopefully, he can continue that sort of form and put Waterford on the map going to the World Cup, please God.”
Naturally Hutchinson can on occasion wonder how his career might have unfolded if he had remained in England, but hurling success with Ballygunner provides regular joy.
“Look, you think about things like that now and again. But I’ve been so lucky to be part of a team like Ballygunner. I’m just delighted to be here. I have a good career at the moment. I’m teaching in St Paul’s in Waterford city and things are going really well. So I’m glad of what I’ve done since I stopped playing.
“I suppose you have to acknowledge that and be proud of that too because it can be a dog-eat-world, the football scene, and some lads hang around it for the sake of just hanging around it. Thankfully I sorted it out a bit afterwards.”
The satisfaction at this latest victory was in contrast to the pain Ballygunner felt twelve months previously.
“Look, it did really, really hurt us,” outlined Hutchinson.
“We were only saying there a few of us went away to Malaga last year after and it was just depression, you know, and how much it hurt.
“Do you know what, it brought us back down to earth a bit and we knew what we had to do. We were probably pretending we were going well last year, but we weren’t really at that time.
“We’re definitely going to celebrate this one hard because you have to acknowledge what we’re after doing at the club and just goes (to) show the amount of good work that’s gone on from everyone in the club.”
The club has been a welcome sanctuary for Hutchinson after a difficult season at county level. He captained Waterford for the 2025 campaign but found himself omitted from the starting side by the time they contested their last round-robin game against Cork.
“Look, 100%, there’s no point in me saying, ‘Look, no it wasn’t,’ but it really did (hurt). But it also probably gave me a bit of an edge to go and perform at the club this year. Thankfully, I think I’ve done that so farIt comes back to the group and the role that you’re expected to play within the group and what the lads expect of you and what I expect of them.
“The minute you walk in the door up in Ballygunner, you just feel so calm again because you’re around people that just care so much about you and you care about them. We added Jason and a few others this year that have brought new energy to us. You see the freshness in us. It’s brilliant.”
Off the field Ballygunner’s dominance is a hot topic locally. Their second team won the Waterford premier intermediate title in August but whether they will also feature at senior level next season remains in doubt.
“You see the aggro around our premier intermediate team now. They’re trying to put another senior team in it and that’s only to do one thing and that’s to hurt us.
“So, look, I’m not going to go into that now because today’s a special day. But you’d like to think that what we’re doing should have good benefit to the rest of the county. But it’s hard to know.”
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Soccer days with Molumby, hurt after being dropped by Waterford, and Ballygunner brilliance
IN A PREVIOUS sporting life, Dessie Hutchinson and Jayson Molumby were travelling in the same direction.
One night in September 2017, the pair were on the south coast of England and handed starting spots in the Brighton team for a League Cup game against Bournemouth. Hutchinson was 20 then, Molumby just 18, both attempting to climb the rungs of the English soccer ladder.
They moved into different arenas since then, but making their marks in their own way.
A fortnight ago, Molumby was in the engine room of the Ireland team on an extraordinary afternoon in the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Earlier on the same day that Molumby was helping to fashion a stunning success over Hungary, Hutchinson was firing 2-1 in a Munster semi-final win against Cork’s Sarsfields.
They were both shining again over the weekend. Molumby netting the 85th winner for West Brom at the Hawthorns in Saturday’s Championship encounter against Swansea City.
Then Hutchinson struck 0-7 from play as Ballygunner were crowned Munster champions once more on Sunday in Thurles.
“I gave Jayson a text after (the Hungary game), I still talk to him now and again,” says Hutchinson.
“Jayson is doing unbelievable. Hopefully, he can continue that sort of form and put Waterford on the map going to the World Cup, please God.”
Naturally Hutchinson can on occasion wonder how his career might have unfolded if he had remained in England, but hurling success with Ballygunner provides regular joy.
“Look, you think about things like that now and again. But I’ve been so lucky to be part of a team like Ballygunner. I’m just delighted to be here. I have a good career at the moment. I’m teaching in St Paul’s in Waterford city and things are going really well. So I’m glad of what I’ve done since I stopped playing.
“I suppose you have to acknowledge that and be proud of that too because it can be a dog-eat-world, the football scene, and some lads hang around it for the sake of just hanging around it. Thankfully I sorted it out a bit afterwards.”
The satisfaction at this latest victory was in contrast to the pain Ballygunner felt twelve months previously.
“Look, it did really, really hurt us,” outlined Hutchinson.
“We were only saying there a few of us went away to Malaga last year after and it was just depression, you know, and how much it hurt.
“Do you know what, it brought us back down to earth a bit and we knew what we had to do. We were probably pretending we were going well last year, but we weren’t really at that time.
“We’re definitely going to celebrate this one hard because you have to acknowledge what we’re after doing at the club and just goes (to) show the amount of good work that’s gone on from everyone in the club.”
The club has been a welcome sanctuary for Hutchinson after a difficult season at county level. He captained Waterford for the 2025 campaign but found himself omitted from the starting side by the time they contested their last round-robin game against Cork.
“Look, 100%, there’s no point in me saying, ‘Look, no it wasn’t,’ but it really did (hurt). But it also probably gave me a bit of an edge to go and perform at the club this year. Thankfully, I think I’ve done that so farIt comes back to the group and the role that you’re expected to play within the group and what the lads expect of you and what I expect of them.
“The minute you walk in the door up in Ballygunner, you just feel so calm again because you’re around people that just care so much about you and you care about them. We added Jason and a few others this year that have brought new energy to us. You see the freshness in us. It’s brilliant.”
Off the field Ballygunner’s dominance is a hot topic locally. Their second team won the Waterford premier intermediate title in August but whether they will also feature at senior level next season remains in doubt.
“You see the aggro around our premier intermediate team now. They’re trying to put another senior team in it and that’s only to do one thing and that’s to hurt us.
“So, look, I’m not going to go into that now because today’s a special day. But you’d like to think that what we’re doing should have good benefit to the rest of the county. But it’s hard to know.”
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Ballygunner Dessie Hutchinson GAA Munster Waterford