THERE WERE MOMENTS when Stephen Quirke feared he might not see a day like last Sunday again this summer.
The Moyle Rovers star crumpled in a heap during the Electric Ireland Munster minor hurling semi-final against Clare in June and feared the worst immediately.
A diagnosis at the Sports Surgery Clinic in Santry a couple of days later revealed posterior cruciate knee ligament damage.
A blow for sure but nothing on the scale of what he first imagined.
“It could have been the anterior cruciate, I probably wouldn’t be here now, only getting back from an operation and only probably starting my rehabilitation now,” Quirke says.
“That would be strange stuff because after a week or two I was back doing weights and stuff but with anterior it’s a much longer process and you’re doing stuff that you don’t like doing, like just jogging and light cycling work.
“The posterior was a bit of a relief as well because I knew there was something badly wrong with the knee.
“When the MRI came through as posterior, I was happy enough.
“My initial thoughts when I went down, and the physio thought it as well, were that my anterior was gone. I didn’t want to hear about it.”
But Quirke, a strapping 6ft 4” tall colossus, made his comeback against Kildare last Sunday as the footballers made it through to the All-Ireland minor final.
He kicked a long-range special too for good measure after coming off the bench and Quirke, captain of the hurlers, is now gearing up for tomorrow’s All-Ireland decider against Galway at Croke Park.
Stephen’s injury is not the only knee problem that has afflicted the family in recent times.
His brother Philip, a 2011 All-Ireland minor football medallist, has had recurring cruciate problems and Stephen revealed: “It happened to the mother as well! There’s two of them in the house with two anterior cruciates – I didn’t want to add on a third one!”
Stephen’s mother damaged her knee playing tennis while Philip has suffered a number of setbacks on the road to recovery.
Remarkably, Stephen is not the tallest male in the Quirke household – Philip is 6ft 7” and his father is 6ft 6”.
“I hope I have another one or two inches in me but that might set me back again because I mightn’t be able to run or be as agile,” Stephen smiled.
“I hope I get another inch or two, please God.”
The more immediate concern is tomorrow, and September 20, when All-Ireland minor medals in both codes could be annexed.
Off the pitch, life is good too. Quirke is preparing for his new Agricultural Science Course at UCD, having secured enough points in his Leaving Certificate to make the cut.
And if he manages to claim an All-Ireland medal, or two, over the next few weeks, he’ll emulate Philip’s success from four years ago.
“It would be a lovely double,” Stephen admits.
“When I get up and walk down the hall I see the jersey (Philip’s) framed with the medal beside it.
“Hopefully I can add to that as well, and have another jersey framed in the house, and two medals, which would be very good for the family.”
