A QUALITY SNOOKER player who could read plays three or four moves ahead of time.
When Eddie Brennan reflects on the imprint Richie Hogan left on the game of hurling, his gift of foresight is one of the key qualities that comes to mind. The 35-year-old announced his inter-county retirement on Friday after a decorated career that was desperately afflicted by injury.
And yet, he still ascended to the top of elite hurling. Seven All Ireland titles, 12 Leinster championships, four All Stars and a 2014 Hurler of the Year award are the treasures of his time in service for the black and amber. A hefty career in numbers.
For Brennan, whose time playing for Kilkenny bookended the rise of Hogan, the Cats have lost one of their all-time greats to retirement.
“He’ll go down as one of the greatest Kilkenny players,” Brennan tells The 42.
“My first recollection of him is images of him playing handball and you knew he was coming from huge underage potential. That’s regular enough in Kilkenny but I can just distinctly remember everybody talking about him and that he was going to be an incredible player.
“Richie Hogan lived up to every bit of the hype and that’s not an easy thing as a young fella. It can be hard because we’ve seen over the years these underage prodigies, and sometimes it’s difficult for them to step up. But Richie’s personality is a guy who was completely confident in himself and I think he knew himself that he had an incredible hurling intellect.
“It’s one thing to have it, it’s another thing to bring it through and deliver on it at such a young age.”
The video compilations of Hogan’s highlights have been rapidly circulating online in the wake of his decision to step away. His goal against Galway in the 2020 Leinster final is high up on the feed, as is his golden moment in the 2011 All-Ireland final where he controlled the ball from a long pass in before swinging the ball into the roof of the Tipperary net on the volley.
Brennan was the one who delivered that pass after a blistering run through the middle, and it was Hogan’s impressive hurling IQ that ensured the chance would be converted under severe pressure. Ultimately, a joy for Brennan to soldier alongside in the forward line.
“I was returning the favour to him, really. He passed me one in the league final when Dublin beat us. The man in the better position got the ball on that team and had Richie tried to take that ball in his hand, he probably wouldn’t have finished it.
“The fact that his hurling brain was operating at a different level than the average player is what separated him and made him the player he was.
“99 times out of 100, when players realised what was happening, Richie Hogan was gone. He was like a good snooker player who saw the play coming three or four shots out. And once he got his steps, you were gone out of it. He was just so calm on the ball.
“His sheer presence on the pitch creates confusion and uncertainty with defenders. We saw that with the 2020 Leinster final against Galway. That’s the sign of the best players. They can have an unsettling effect on defenders.”
Two brilliantly taken Richie Hogan goals from opposite stages of his Kilkenny career.
— Fintan O'Toole (@fotoole13) September 1, 2023
Croke Park in September 2011 v Tipperary pic.twitter.com/S2XfCMiDhC
In addition to the injuries that repeatedly tripped him, Hogan also has the infamous red card which he received in the 2019 All-Ireland final. His tackle on Cathal Barrett certainly divided opinion, but regardless of which side people fell on in the debate, everyone agreed that Hogan’s absence for the rest of that game sent Kilkenny’s chances spiralling.
It might be a black mark on his homework, but it has barely been mentioned in the wake of his Kilkenny exit. The scores, pace and stickwork rightly dominate the conversation. Brennan has one specific memory from his time playing with Hogan to add to that.
The training matches under Brian Cody are such a major part of Kilkenny lore, and there was one such game where a clash between Hogan and Jackie Tyrrell stole the show.
“We were on a training weekend in Wexford and we were training in the Buffers Alley pitch,” Hogan remembers. “Himself and Jackie Tyrrell were marking each other and myself and Mick Kavanagh were in the other corner. The ball dropped into their corner and Jackie got there, and as Jackie tried to clear the ball, Richie tried to block him down and as the ball was going away, all you could hear was a slap in the face.
“It was wild stuff out of the two of them but the funny thing was that at half-time, Brian Cody issued a warning to Jackie and Richie, but Jackie was in the toilet at the time and round two just carried on in the second half.
“Richie never shied away from anything. For a guy who wasn’t physically imposing or the enforcer, he was still well able for any physical punishment that came his way. Without engaging in any stupidity, he was well able to mind himself. He survived and thrived in that environment.”
Brennan also gives a nod to the “brilliant service” that Hogan has given to his local side Danesfort. Whether he was hurling at club or inter-county level, Hogan was always a few steps ahead of those around him.
“I recall doing the Sunday Game and through the 2014 season, he was nearly man-of-the-match almost every day. Sometimes we found ourselves going, ‘Ok, we can’t give it to Richie Hogan again.’
“Behind it all, he’s a real good character as well. He’s very much up for the craic, a good lad. He was never shy to say his bit either and that’s important too. He did most of his talking on the pitch but he developed into a leader in later years. You could see that from the outset.”
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