Time and the shining light of success have dimmed the memory now but before they began their crusade to immortality, Kilkenny were deemed to be at a crossroads in the middle of the last decade. Three championship defeats in two seasons posed questions about their legitimacy as serious All-Ireland contenders heading into the latter part of the decade. And then Kilkenny responded with a vengeance.
Before the 2006 All-Ireland final, Brian Cody turned mild media comments into a full-scale affront to create a siege mentality in the squad. But the inquisition over the previous two years also provided Cody with some of the rocket fuel for their takeoff into the stratosphere of four-in-row.
“When we were beaten in 2004 and 2005, I very distinctly remember it being stated that we were going to be down for a while,” said Cody before the 2007 League final. “But I don’t run with the fact that we’re multi-talented or that if you have a loss for a year or two that the landscape has radically changed.”
The health of Kilkenny’s underage production line over the last two decades was always going to prevent any major recession. Defeat though, still seems to trigger fears of a downturn. After Kilkenny lost the 1998 All-Ireland final to Offaly, a member of the 1970s’ Kilkenny team told John Power of his vision of the future because he felt that “the players just aren’t there anymore”. Then came Kilkenny’s rebirth, winning three of the next five All-Irelands.
Kilkenny are still serious All-Ireland contenders but they are about to begin a key transitional period. Some of their stars will soon depart and the question is whether the new generation can carry on the torch and ensure it shines as brightly.
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The standard in Kilkenny is merciless but is it unreasonable to expect young players to match the standard set by the greatest team of all time? “The same level of talent isn’t there,” says Power. “It’s foolish to say that players can’t fill other players’ boots. Eddie Keher was replaced, DJ (Carey) was replaced. Everyone can be done without.”
Despite the volume of gifted players that Kilkenny produced in the last decade, some of their greatest weren’t predestined for greatness. “When I came on the scene, if people had said that we would win All-Irelands with me at midfield and Martin Comerford at full-forward, lads would have said, ‘Not a hope in hell’,” says Derek Lyng, who retired last year with six All-Ireland medals.
“The lads that are coming now would have far more pedigree than some of us would have ever had. Sometimes, lads just need to give it a go. Some of them were criticised after the league final but a lot of the experienced lads weren’t there. If I was starting out without the likes of Peter Barry and Andy Comerford beside me, I wouldn’t have found it too easy either.”
This Kilkenny side reached their peak at the end of the 2008 season and the natural extension of that observation is that they have been in decline ever since. Yet before Tipperary accelerated past them last September, the gap had been closing. At all levels.
“I wouldn’t say that Kilkenny aren’t producing the same level of talent,” says Power. “Kilkenny had development squads going years before most counties, but then other counties got organised and those players are now coming on stream. They’re able to match Kilkenny now.”
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Kilkenny may be producing as many hurlers but it’s hard to see them producing as many with the same iron will and character of the four-in-a-row side. Some of Kilkenny’s substitutes never knew the hardship of defeat that was the making of their main players. And some senior players felt that the easy accumulation of All-Ireland medals had softened some of the younger ones.
The individuality evident among certain players in internal training matches might have been a product of their relentless environment, where they were trying to stand out and break into a settled and successful team.
Either way, most of Kilkenny’s big names didn’t feature regularly in Kilkenny’s last two league campaigns but new players didn’t drive the team forward in their absence.
Although the championship team was always settled and successful, Ger Loughnane observed last November: “Very few of the new breed have got a look in over the past few seasons. When the young players do get on the field, they’re playing out of fear rather than with confidence.”
After the league final, Cody had to go for broke. He handed starting championship debuts to four players for the first time since the 2005 Leinster championship. Tommy Walsh was obviously going to return after injury and the assumption was that Paddy Hogan would retain his place, while Paul Murphy — who made his name in the full-back line — would move from wing-back into the corner in place of Noel Hickey.
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Hickey struggled against Wexford but he retains his place today. He has been impressive in training but Hogan was Kilkenny’s best player by a distance in the league final and he also played well against Wexford. Cody has dropped some big names this year but is he still showing too much loyalty — which was evident in last year’s All-Ireland final — to the older brigade?
“Some of the young players are holding their own, without being outstanding,” says Eddie Keher, who watches most of Kilkenny’s championship training sessions. “But a lot of them have been bursting to get their chance.”
Goalkeeper David Herity was a substitute for the 2003 league final but serving an arduous apprenticeship has often been a prerequisite to making this Kilkenny team. PJ Ryan spent eight years on the bench, Aidan Fogarty was 24 before he got his chance, while Michael Fennelly was 25 before he nailed a place.
Fennelly also continued another trend last season. Over the previous five years, it was apparent how a player with a residency on the panel suddenly announced himself each season by reaching unprecedented standards; ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick (2006), Brian Hogan (2007), Eoin Larkin (2008), Michael Rice (2009) and Fennelly last year.
Players like Jackie Tyrell, Rice and Fennelly will assume the leadership of this team in time. To facilitate the transition, what Kilkenny need is for players like Richie Hogan and TJ Reid to step up now to the same level.
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“There will always be talent in Kilkenny but this team will need new leaders to emerge,” says Charlie Carter. “When DJ retired, Henry had already taken over the leadership of the team. In time, we’ll badly need somebody to take over the leadership from Henry [Shefflin]. But someone will step up. Because they'll just have to.”
The merciless standard has been set. So has the challenge. Kilkenny’s young guns are going to have to meet it. Head on.