AS WEXFORD DIGESTED another championship exit in the week and months after last June’s quarter-final against Clare, Lee Chin opted for a change of scenery.
Wexford’s talisman fired 1-6 that day in Thurles but it wasn’t enough to prevent them being soundly beaten at the hands of the team who would being top of the pile on All-Ireland final day.
The disappointment of another fruitless summer needed to be absorbed.
A winter in Australia beckoned. Matthew O’Hanlon, who grasped the Bob O’Keeffe Cup with Chin when Wexford celebrated Leinster success in 2019, had moved to Sydney.
“It was nice having someone like that there as well,” says Chin.
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“I was big time focused on just trying to firstly look after myself and stay fit. I was thinking a lot about when I return home, I need to be in good shape but I was still able to enjoy myself out there.
“Jack O’Connor was over there on a stint as well so three or four of us that were over there were able to link in and do a couple of good sessions together. I didn’t have a whole lot of ground to make up when I got home, in terms of getting fit, so I just needed to get my hurling sharp.
“Your mind gets carried away at times thinking, ‘Jesus this could be…this is a great lifestyle here but yeah, always the intention was to come home. Like, you know, three months was a nice thing to do out there, but like it was a three months’ holiday.
“We were just travelling around. There was no schedule we had to follow. We weren’t employed out there or anything so we were just living a three-month holiday, which was a great experience in itself.”
Matthew O'Hanlon and Lee Chin lift the Bob O'Keeffe Cup after the 2019 Leinster hurling final. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Wexford began the new season in a difficult state. O’Hanlon, Diarmuid O’Keeffe, and Liam Og McGovern had all slipped off into retirement – a trio of towering figures removed from their squad. Injuries were another complication for Keith Rossiter’s preparations while Chin was absent initially.
Three opening defeats pushed Wexford into a tricky spot, but they rebounded, aided by the return of Chin, as they defeated Clare and Limerick, while they lost narrowly to Galway.
The turnover in their squad over the winter gave Chin a cause to reflect.
“I was abroad when I was in Australia I remember Dee O’Keeffe had rang me when I was abroad and told me. And then Liam Óg sent me a message, it was one after the other and it was, it was tough to take.
“It does remind you yourself at times, ‘Jesus, am I next or whatever?’ … but I suppose you just kind of consider a few things in your own life and what your body’s still able to do and produce. You don’t necessarily think of retirement.
“You just think of some of the lads that you played with throughout the years and that they’re finished, the dressing room’s going to be a different place now.
“You get energy from the lads that are coming in to take their opportunity now.”
Wexford begin their Leinster campaign this Saturday at home to Antrim. They will be on their guard. Twelve months ago, Chin was in terrific scoring form as he fired 2-12 but Antrim held them off to win by two points.
As he gets set for the start of his 14th championship season in Wexford colours, Chin targets improvements in a range of areas.
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“I find I do more things for my mind now than my body because I’ve looked after my body now for a lot of years and that comes second nature.
“I probably wasn’t very good at looking after the mind in terms of getting the break here and there and switching off. Even the last year or two I picked up golf, just trying to get out, play a bit more golf out in the open, switch off. It helps. I probably would have been all-consuming.
“When it comes to family and partner stuff, yeah it’s selfish in that way, that you’ve got to put yourself first and there’s a lot of things that you don’t get involved in.
“At the same time, your family and friends and these people, they’re all behind you and they’re with you on it and they go on that journey with you too. And they love and appreciate it.”
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Lee Chin: 'It does remind you at times, ‘Jesus, am I next?'
AS WEXFORD DIGESTED another championship exit in the week and months after last June’s quarter-final against Clare, Lee Chin opted for a change of scenery.
Wexford’s talisman fired 1-6 that day in Thurles but it wasn’t enough to prevent them being soundly beaten at the hands of the team who would being top of the pile on All-Ireland final day.
The disappointment of another fruitless summer needed to be absorbed.
A winter in Australia beckoned. Matthew O’Hanlon, who grasped the Bob O’Keeffe Cup with Chin when Wexford celebrated Leinster success in 2019, had moved to Sydney.
“It was nice having someone like that there as well,” says Chin.
“I was big time focused on just trying to firstly look after myself and stay fit. I was thinking a lot about when I return home, I need to be in good shape but I was still able to enjoy myself out there.
“Jack O’Connor was over there on a stint as well so three or four of us that were over there were able to link in and do a couple of good sessions together. I didn’t have a whole lot of ground to make up when I got home, in terms of getting fit, so I just needed to get my hurling sharp.
“Your mind gets carried away at times thinking, ‘Jesus this could be…this is a great lifestyle here but yeah, always the intention was to come home. Like, you know, three months was a nice thing to do out there, but like it was a three months’ holiday.
“We were just travelling around. There was no schedule we had to follow. We weren’t employed out there or anything so we were just living a three-month holiday, which was a great experience in itself.”
Wexford began the new season in a difficult state. O’Hanlon, Diarmuid O’Keeffe, and Liam Og McGovern had all slipped off into retirement – a trio of towering figures removed from their squad. Injuries were another complication for Keith Rossiter’s preparations while Chin was absent initially.
Three opening defeats pushed Wexford into a tricky spot, but they rebounded, aided by the return of Chin, as they defeated Clare and Limerick, while they lost narrowly to Galway.
The turnover in their squad over the winter gave Chin a cause to reflect.
“I was abroad when I was in Australia I remember Dee O’Keeffe had rang me when I was abroad and told me. And then Liam Óg sent me a message, it was one after the other and it was, it was tough to take.
“It does remind you yourself at times, ‘Jesus, am I next or whatever?’ … but I suppose you just kind of consider a few things in your own life and what your body’s still able to do and produce. You don’t necessarily think of retirement.
“You just think of some of the lads that you played with throughout the years and that they’re finished, the dressing room’s going to be a different place now.
“You get energy from the lads that are coming in to take their opportunity now.”
Wexford begin their Leinster campaign this Saturday at home to Antrim. They will be on their guard. Twelve months ago, Chin was in terrific scoring form as he fired 2-12 but Antrim held them off to win by two points.
As he gets set for the start of his 14th championship season in Wexford colours, Chin targets improvements in a range of areas.
“I find I do more things for my mind now than my body because I’ve looked after my body now for a lot of years and that comes second nature.
“I probably wasn’t very good at looking after the mind in terms of getting the break here and there and switching off. Even the last year or two I picked up golf, just trying to get out, play a bit more golf out in the open, switch off. It helps. I probably would have been all-consuming.
“When it comes to family and partner stuff, yeah it’s selfish in that way, that you’ve got to put yourself first and there’s a lot of things that you don’t get involved in.
“At the same time, your family and friends and these people, they’re all behind you and they’re with you on it and they go on that journey with you too. And they love and appreciate it.”
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GAA Hurling Lee Chin Wexford