KILKENNY LEGEND TOMMY Walsh spoke recently about his intention to continue hurling with his club Tullaroan into his 40s – at least.
If the 35-year-old requires any inspiration, he need look no further than former Cats team-mate Noel Hickey who, at three years his senior, is making his first Croke Park appearance in seven years on Sunday afternoon.
Walsh and Hickey were part of the most formidable backline hurling has ever seen and racked up 18 Celtic Crosses between them during their inter-county careers.
Hickey’s last appearance in the black and amber came as a late substitute in the 2012 All-Ireland final replay win over Galway. It was the final time he expected to grace the field at headquarters.
“I knew even before that match that it was my last day out on the pitch in Croke Park. To get a few minutes on the pitch was great.
I’ve been coming up since watching Kilkenny games. Obviously, being out there with the club will be fantastic.”
He’ll get one last run out at Croke Park this weekend when Dunnamaggin take on Castleblayney of Monaghan in the All-Ireland club junior hurling decider.
“I never had any time frame in my head. Every year that went by, I just hurled away. I felt I was still competing in matches.
“I still enjoy training with the team and as long as you enjoy it, keep at it.”
He’s hoping to win a 10th All-Ireland medal at the Drumcondra venue, one that will be even more special given it’s his club that’s involved.
You start with the club and you finish with the club. Whereas you play with Kilkenny, it’s great to win the All-Irelands but you kind of drift away from a lot of players.
“With the club, you’ll be there in a year’s time, ten year’s time – whatever. Hopefully, we’ll look back on this and it’ll be a day we remember in the parish.
“I was injured for the county final and lads were saying I must have been so disappointed to be missing it, but to be honest I was actually calm enough. Because if I wasn’t playing I was giving a chance to someone else.
“A lad who was 19 years of age played instead of me. For him to get out there probably meant more to him than it would to me, to get out play in Nowlan Park. I was after doing it a few times.
“It didn’t bother me not playing once Dunnamaggin won that was the main thing. I was getting a buzz from seeing young lads come on at 19 or 20. They’re the lads that are driving on Dunnamaggin at the moment.”
It’s been a rollercoaster club career for Hickey, who made his debut as a 16-year-old in the Kilkenny SHC final against Young Irelands.
“I was only 16. It probably went over my head a bit. I probably didn’t appreciate it as much (as I should have).
They had DJ (Carey), Charlie (Carter) and all them. It was never heard of before. We won the senior county final in 97 and then in 1998 we were actually relegated, which was awful.
“We went down and got back up senior again in 1999 and drove on a bit from there. We levelled off a bit in the 2000s and came under pressure in the senior grade. We ended up getting relegated from senior in 2012 and then relegated from intermediate in 2017.
“We kind of hit rock bottom them and the young lads came in and gave it a great lift. Like anything, when you hit rock bottom you can only go one way. When we got relegated it was the worst thing in the world, but in hindsight, it probably worked out well for us.
It gave the young lads a chance to find their level and going out to play at Croke Park is going to be brilliant for them.
“We won the county junior final last year and it wouldn’t be as prestigious as the senior but to be honest with you, it meant more to me when the final whistle went.
“I kind of appreciated it with the club going bad the last few years. I appreciated it more than the senior one; I was just so young, I went out and played the match and that was it. This year, it meant more.”
Could a Kilkenny recall be on the cards if he does the business on Sunday?
“No chance, no chance,” Hickey laughs.
“My day is done. I knew my day was done in 2012 and that was it. I was happy enough with my lot with Kilkenny and (Brian) Cody.”
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