'Limerick train isn’t stopping' insists Monaleen's Munster club hurling winning manager

FORMER Tipperary hurler Eoin Brislane, who guided Monaleen to their first ever Munster club intermediate hurling title last Sunday, admits his native county are in “serious trouble” when it comes to developing young hurlers in comparison to Limerick.

Brislane took over as Monaleen manager before the start of this season and has since noticed the level of players being developed in Limerick, and the level of strength and conditioning of the players coming through.

The Toomevara native believes it’s no coincidence that Limerick continue to enjoy success over their neighbouring counties, his native Tipperary included.

Thirteen of Brislane’s Monaleen panel came through the underage Limerick development system. Both Lorcan Lyons and Andrew La Touche Cosgrave made it to senior level and played under John Kiely, but a large percentage of Brislane’s panel represented Limerick up to U20 and U21 level.

Brislane said Monaleen’s success is in no small part down to Limerick GAA getting it right at underage level.

“This is a credit to Limerick,” he said after Sunday's Munster club IHC final win over Roscrea in Páirc Uí Rinn.

“It kills me to say this being a Tipperary man but there’s about 13 of our team (Monaleen) that came through the development squad’s system in Limerick. Not all of them made it, a lot of them are getting to under-16s, Minor, and under-21s…but the way they are conditioned, the way they look after themselves and their diet… even their food coming down to the match this morning [last Sunday], they all knew exactly what they were having – they all have it prepared.”

“Limerick have something going there unfortunately and we (Tipperary) really need to have a serious look at ourselves because we have the players, but we are obviously not doing it right at the developmental stage.

“Limerick have so many players coming through, unheard of players that lads wouldn’t even know of, unfortunately for Tipperary.

“This Limerick train isn’t stopping and if we don’t soon get our act together, we are going to be in serious trouble.

“In terms of Monaleen… that was the main reason [Limerick’s underage system]. The ingredients were there, it is just about putting it together.”

The former Tipperary camogie manager said he was delighted to see his side get the upper hand of Roscrea, knowing that the Tipperary Intermediate champions are a team who normally experience a purple patch just before and after the half-time break.

“The whole thing was to go in ahead at half-time, put them on the back foot, and then lift the tempo for the first 10 minutes after half-time and put the squeeze on,” said Brislane.

“It all fell lovely for us today [last Sunday], but both those teams there, Monaleen and Roscrea, there is nothing between them. That game could have swung either way.

“I felt that Roscrea, in the previous five minutes before half time is when they are most dangerous… and also in the five minutes after half time. And I felt we had the measure of them, our backs were kind of on top.”

Brislane said Monaleen’s swift return to the Senior ranks in Limerick, following relegation last year at the hands of Blackrock, and their success in Munster, is as much down to the work off the pitch as it was on the pitch.

“It is a testament to the club,” he said. “The one thing I will say there is; a six man hurling committee got together 13 months ago now, outside of the chairman and the treasurer and secretary.

“Jed O'Dwyer, John Twomey, John Gleeson, Liam Scully, Dermot O’Carroll, and Eamon Cosgrove got together, sat down, interviewed all the players individually, and decided to listen to all the players to see what they wanted.

“They wanted strength and conditioning, they wanted a new management team, and they wanted proper coaching and proper structure. They demanded this, so the new hurling committee went off and met with different managers and we ended up getting the job."

“It just clicked, but it came from the players. And in fairness, the amount of support that I have had here is just incredible; everything we needed, it was there for the players, and any twist or turn was dealt with. nd in fairness to the players, they backed it up. If players see that the club is backing them and see it putting resources around them, they will respond.

“And it is not all about money. It is the simple little things. We had tea and sandwiches after training. We didn’t make sandwiches. We left a loaf of bread on the table and the boys made their own sandwiches. They cleaned up after themselves. They swept the shed. They took charge of all of this. It is just about supporting each other.”