The life of Brian a litany of success at Kilkenny

The first and last thing you’ll hear out of Brian Cody is that he never looks past his next game but consider this: a win over Limerick on Saturday evening would see him through to his 18th All-Ireland hurling final as Kilkenny manager, having already won 11, drawn two, and lost four, the last to Tipperary in 2016.

Saturday also marks his 19th All-Ireland semi-final, having won 15, drawn one, and lost two – the only two defeats to Galway in 2001 and 2005.

During that undisputed reign Cody has also won 15 Leinster titles, nine National Leagues, and seven Walsh Cups, making it 42 titles in all. Win or lose on Saturday, few people expect Cody is finished yet, this his 21st season in charge since he was appointed as manager on November 16th, 1998, the sole nomination for the position.

Nickey Brennan spent two seasons as Kilkenny manager prior to Cody, in 1996 and 1997 (Kevin Fennelly doing one season 1998), prior to becoming GAA president in 2006. ¾Yet Brennan, a two-time All-Ireland winner on the field of play, never imagined that Cody’s reign would last so long. And while not yet under any immediate threat, there are for the first time signs of an heir apparent

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“Could anybody have predicted the success Cody has brought to Kilkenny?” asks Brennan. “Looking back on my two years, it was challenging, a tough enough period, without much luck. And I’d had enough at that stage – by then was already moving more into the administration side of the game.

“In saying that, and not just in hindsight, I felt we did bring some players on, who were with Brian when he won his first All-Ireland in 2000. And Brian will always say this, you have to have the players to make the success, and he’s had some exceptional players, honed through the club scene, the schools scene, and he’d be the first to acknowledge that.

“I wasn’t involved in his subsequent appointment, but the Kilkenny chairman at the time, John Healy, was, and he deserves a lot of credit for giving Cody the chance.

Hurling pedigree

“Brian’s father Bill was also involved as a selector in the minor final in 1971 against Cork, which I played in. So his hurling pedigree was never in question, although Brian didn’t have the most successful club coaching career, before he took the county. But once he hit the big time he’s taken it to a new level.

“I think what Brian brought to the job more than anything else is a level of discipline to be part of the Kilkenny team. And critical to his success too, I would say, is Michael Dempsey, his right-hand man, because his role in forming the team, and supporting role for Brian, is something I couldn’t speak highly enough of.”

Brennan also believes Cody’s best years are not yet behind him, only now more than ever there is that heir apparent.

“We all wonder what keeps the man going, but he’s been reinventing the team, all the team, this team like another invention again. And I think he felt after last year he’d brought a few more players on, and they’ve developed again. So the ambition is still there with this new group of players even if the flow of talent from minor and under-21 is not as obvious.

“Brian will continue as long as he wants because he eats, sleeps and drinks hurling, will be at club matches all the time. In fairness, though, for the first time since he’s come in we’ve seen what might be possible post-Brian Cody.

“Henry Shefflin has won a club All-Ireland with Ballyhale Shamrocks; Eddie Brennan has done a decent job in Laois; so maybe the signs are pointing towards a potential heir apparent, which wasn’t there before. Before that we were asking ‘who would take over from Brian Cody?’ Now there are possibilities there.

Under pressure

“There was only one time he was under pressure, and that was in 2006 when Cork were going for three-in-a-row. If Kilkenny didn’t win that final I think Cody might have been history, the knives would have come out.

“I think for 2006 he got more ruthless, and for all the games in his reign, in my view, that was the year he went from a great manager to an absolutely outstanding manager. A gap opened up then and, as the records show, Kilkenny just took over.”

Now only reigning All-Ireland champions Limerick stand in his way of making final number 18. “Limerick have raised the bar again, a great team, and I think John Kiely is a brilliant manager, knows when to peak,” says Brennan. “They’ll be favourites, rightfully, but Cody has built in this never-say-die, that remains their most powerful trait. I would never dismiss Kilkenny. Not under Brian Cody.”

The Brian Cody reign as Kilkenny manager

1999: All-Ireland finalists; Leinster champions

2000: All-Ireland champions; Leinster champions

2001: Leinster champions

2002: All-Ireland champions; NHL champions; Leinster champions

2003: All-Ireland champions; NHL Champions; Leinster champions

2004: All-Ireland finalists

2005: NHL champions; Leinster champions; Walsh Cup winners

2006: All-Ireland champions; NHL champions; Leinster champions; Walsh Cup winners

2007: All-Ireland champions; Leinster champions; Walsh Cup winners

2008: All-Ireland champions; Leinster champions

2009: All-Ireland champions, NHL champions; Leinster champions; Walsh Cup winners

2010: All-Ireland finalists; Leinster champions

2011: All-Ireland champions; Leinster Champions

2012: All-Ireland champions (replay); NHL champions; beaten Leinster finalists; Walsh Cup winners

2013: NHL champions

2014: All-Ireland champions (replay); NHL champions; Leinster Champions; Walsh Cup winners

2015: All-Ireland champions; Leinster champions

2016: Leinster Champions; beaten All-Ireland finalists

2017: Walsh Cup winners

2018: NHL champions; beaten Leinster finalists

2019: Beaten Leinster finalists