HE RETIRED IN July from a rugby career that had yielded a Six Nations Grand Slam with Ireland and two European Cups with Munster but that doesn’t mean Tomás O’Leary’s sporting exploits are over.
He’s returned to his GAA roots with his club Erins Own and tonight the 2001 Cork All-Ireland minor hurling winning captain helped the East Cork club reach the semi-final of the Cork junior football championship.
O’Leary came on as a late substitute in Páirc Uí Rinn in their quarter-final and made his mark as he was fouled for the injury-time free that saw team-mate James Taylor kick the winning point for Erins Own.
It puts Erins Own one game away from the county final and but they have little respite with the county semi-final on this Saturday against West Cork club Kilmacabea.
It’ll be an intriguing clash for O’Leary as he will be in opposition against a Kilmacabea squad that includes his brother-in-law Timmy Nyhan.
O’Leary’s GAA comeback has seen him once again lining out with club-mates who he featured alongside sixteen years ago for Cork’s last All-Ireland minor hurling final win.
Kieran Murphy, who captained the Erins Own side tonight, and Shane Murphy were both part of that 2001 Cork side as well that lifted the Irish Press Cup.
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