Hurling close to the heart

IF ever you needed proof about the importance of the GAA to rural Ireland, Tooreen is the place to find it.

Even in times of unprecedented opportunity and prosperity, rural Ireland is still haemorrhaging young people to Australia.

Unlike the generations before them, many go for adventure rather than out of necessity.

Tooreen lost one of the finest hurlers in Mayo when the much-loved Cathal Freeman flew Down Under to embark on his medical career.

Some of his teammates thought about going too. But the adventure unfolding back at home was too strong to resist.

“John [Cassidy] was supposed to be going away out foreign and so was Fergal, and they decided to stay at home and help us out,” Tooreen manager Ray Larkin tells The Mayo News.

Why swap ‘barbies on the beach’ in Sydney for a cold, wet night in Tooreen?

“Sometimes people say on a cold wet evening, ‘You’re mad going out in it’. But we’re only happy to be going out at this time of year,” says Bobby Douglas, who works as a carpenter in Galway by day and does an online construction management course by night.

He’s not the only one with busy off-the-field schedules.

For years, Shane Boland has been commuting up and down from Kildare, where he works with the Department of Agriculture.

“I’d never transfer club, I couldn’t see myself doing it anyway,” says the established Mayo hurler.

“I think you should always play with the club you grew up with. You started playing and all of your best friends are on that team.”

While many players work locally, several more commute long distances for training.

Daniel Huane, Oisín Greally and Dan Cunnane are all based in Galway city.

However, their 174-kilometre round trip flies.

“You have a great bit of craic in the car. It’s a great way of bonding amongst the team,” Huane tells The Mayo News.

Conal Hession is among roughly five Tooreen hurlers based in the University of Limerick.

“We train on the Tuesday night...so we take it in turns coming up and it’s grand,” explains the 21-year-old construction management student.

“You’re happy to do it really because we’re winning and it’s going well and you just want to do anything you can to be a part of it.”

Their heart-breaking All-Ireland defeat to Monaleen did anything but take the wind out of their sails.

If anything, proving they could push a newly promoted Limerick senior team to the brink has made them even more confident.

Even simply getting to Croke Park is no longer the ultimate goal.

“We’ve all played in Croke Park. That’s no achievement now. I think the goal is All-Ireland titles,” reveals Sean Kenny.

 Whether they make it back to GAA Headquarters or not, the Tooreen hurler fully appreciates that they are, in Daniel Huane’s words, living through ‘really special’ times.

“Even though we’ve done it already it’s kind of indescribable,” adds Bobby Douglas when asked about the prospect of returning to Croker.

“I suppose all you’re thinking about is the game but you’re not realising how much it means to everyone around. As Daniel said, it’s just so special to see everyone so excited for this one moment that you are going to be part of, and you can influence this moment that everyone is looking forward to.

“Even all year, people have been saying to us, jokingly but serious at the same time, asking us about getting back to another All-Ireland final and bringing them back to Croke Park. It’s something that is massive for us because it’s something that we can do for the community.

We’re all just really looking forward to getting out the next day and getting over the line hopefully.”

Who needs Australia when you have Tooreen?