MATCH REACTION:Anthony Daly's Béal na Bláth. He is standing barefoot on hard ground. It is the cold concrete tunnel from where he led the Banner county out on a crusade that concluded with the conquering of the entire kingdom of hurling. Heavenly days, flickering memories. Now in exile, he comes before us in emotional ruin.
Everyone can see the cruel irony; Clare’s greatest son broken in his own land by hurlers he inspired. Bitter tasting black stuff surely followed in Ennis on Saturday night, while friends basked in the warm glow of a first championship scalp since 2008.
The reporter in us was tempted to cock an ear against Clare’s changing room door, where Daly had disappeared behind. We had to be satisfied hearing two ripples of applause, the second more prolonged than the first. Davy Fitz was away talking to television.
These were the wide eyed boys who saw Daly bring a cup named Liam to Ennis in 1995 and again in 1997. Here they are now, having strong enough bloodlines to leave their heroes managerial career in shreds.
Indeed, everyone could feel the cruel irony as Daly emerged, misty eyed yet still his approachable self.
“Just been in the dressing room there. They are young, very young. Maybe I’m too old but they are a young team. There is a great future for them there.”
But that’s how great teams begin. They become men together. Like Daly and Davy way back when.
The inquisition will be brief. Too much anguish. We ask about his future.
“I don’t know to be honest with you. I didn’t know if I would be one year or two years or what I’d be doing with Dublin. I met the lads over in Killaloe four years ago and they asked me to have a go at it.
“Look it, I suppose did I think there would be nights like this when there was 14 or 15,000 people in the park here with Dublin and Clare when I was going there? I wasn’t sure that would be the case.
“I’d never make decisions like that on the night of the game. There is no point. You are all emotional. There is plenty of time and there is more than me making that decision.”
But, Daly readily conceded, this season has been a massive leap into the past. “To be relegated and beaten in Leinster and lose the first round qualifier, there is no way to describe it but a very disappointing season
“Maybe a bit of the hype of last year got to us a bit. I didn’t think that. I couldn’t have asked for any more in terms of effort at training. They couldn’t have given any more. You could analyse it for the night but there is no getting around it was a very disappointing season.”
We suggest the reason for defeat can be neatly packaged into Dublin forwards inability to win their own ball.
“I don’t know if you could simplify it as much as that . . . in fairness to the likes of Pa Donnellan and Bugler, they really stood tall, they caught great ball. Obviously John Conlon is a very good player. Fellas like that, young Honan and Conor McGrath, these are as good guys as what’s in the country so if they get chances . . . young Kelly stood up to the 21, his first match, and stuck it in the back of the net. That’s the talent he is. We probably should have been mature enough to take our points and plug away but for some reasons we weren’t and you say fair play to Clare.”
Even though 2012 will forever be draped in misery for Dublin hurling, his remains an epic and enthralling hurling life, albeit one currently burning on low embers.
Gavin Cummiskey
