There are two images of Peter Barry which appear to best fit the personal esteem in which he is held by the hurling community in Kilkenny. After last year's All-Ireland final, during which he gave one of his best performances in the county jersey, he is pictured in the foreground of a photograph head down on the shoulder of county chairman Ned Quinn; inconsolable as Cork players happily acclaim the presentation of the Liam McCarthy cup.

The other incident is just an observation from a children's training camp. Peter Barry is signing autographs. Suddenly DJ Carey arrives in his car and the kids scatter, iron filings to a magnet.

Barry continues to sign for those left in his orbit and he patiently waits for the others to return from greeting the county's icon. Rather than exhibit even the slightest hint of understandable chagrin, he then goes in goal and spends an hour saving penalties from the children.

Nicky Brennan was the manager who brought Barry into the senior fold. "Peter's one of the most honest, genuine guys I ever had to deal with, an absolute gentleman. That's one reason why I was so sorry about him losing the All-Ireland. He was always going to be one of the fellas who felt it more than anyone because he always gives it his best shot."

Consideration of the James Stephens player seems to include a complementary compliment, an acknowledgement of his good nature. Although reared as a young lord in hurling terms - All-Irelands with his school St Kieran's and the county under-21s - success at senior level wasn't guaranteed. Brennan remembers the decisive nudge.

"I suppose he was playing very well with Waterford (RTC) in the Fitzgibbon Cup and that's what propelled him into the limelight. We knew all about him as an underage player but it was the Fitzgibbon which showed he'd arrived."

He arrived then but the precise destination wasn't immediately clear. In 1997, he played his championship at wing forward, a year later it was centrefield until last year's catalogue of strong performances - particularly in the All-Ireland semi-finals and final - settled wing back as his best position and an All Star followed.

"He can play anywhere," says his under-21 coach Brendan O'Sullivan, "and he's such an agreeable lad he'd play in goal if you asked him".

O'Sullivan's training drills were credited by Barry with improving his game as he felt he hadn't practised enough as a child. "We always concentrated on hurling skills," says O'Sullivan. "We felt by the time we got them, they'd enough physical work done so we did very little running. I'd be a believer in that."

Barry picked up an under-21 All-Ireland in 1994 but in the next year's final he was to know the disappointment of defeat when he captained the team surprisingly beaten by Tipperary.

"He's economical," says O'Sullivan. "No solos. Peter mightn't stand out but that's because he does the simple things. He does a job and does it well. In the past he played great matches for Kilkenny but might have been overshadowed by players around him."

"He's a very good reader of the game," says Brennan, "and has a good pair of hands. He mightn't be the greatest striker in that he can't land balls down the field as far as some half backs but he marks well and concentrates."

O'Sullivan qualifies the reservation about Barry's striking. "He was never a long striker but he'd always play the ball to good advantage. He mightn't hit it 80 or 90 yards and that means the four times he's hit it perfectly 50 yards to a forward don't get noticed."

Last year's achievements mean Peter Barry is unlikely to go unnoticed during this championship. O'Sullivan puts it succinctly: "Even at club level he tended to be a bit overshadowed by Philly Larkin and Brian McEvoy, but now people appreciate him for the hurler he is and he's in no-one's shadow now."