Limerick hurling captain Declan Hannon not motivated by chasing down history

DECLAN Hannon was confirmed as the Limerick senior hurling captain just before Christmas in 2017.

Limerick had just ended a season without a championship win but with a panel brimming with young raw talent.

Not yet four years later and Hannon stands a victory away from joining Christy Ring as just the second captain ever to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup three times.

Indeed in the 134th staging of the All-Ireland SHC just three players have captained their county to the title on three occasions - Mikey Maher (Tipperary) 1895-'98, Dick Walsh (Kilkenny) 1907-'13 and Christy Ring (Cork) 1946-'54.

Just four players have captained their county to back-to-back titles - Conor Hayes (Galway) 1987-'88, Christy Ring (Cork) 1953'54, Sim Walton (Kilkenny) 1911-'12 and Mikey Maher (Tipperary) 1895-'96.

“I wasn’t aware of that," replied Hannon of the Christy Ring stat.

"It’s not something I would think about at all. The most important thing is what happens inside the four white lines and getting to the pitch in the best possible shape you can and doing your bit for the team - whatever happens afterwards is for people outside to talk about and I am sure friends and family will be on about it but from my point of view it just about getting a performance on the day,” said Hannon when the statistic was put to him at last week’s pre All-Ireland final media event.

When pushed Hannon accepted he would be in good company if he gets to climb the steps of the Hogan Stand again on Sunday.

“Absolutely! Don’t get me wrong but it’s just hard when you are a player and just focused on the game and training. If your eye is taken off the ball at all, you will be found out and won’t do your bit for the team and that’s not acceptable,” stressed the Adare man.

What of the success across the last four years?

“It’s great to look back on the last number of years, and the enjoyment it brought to so many people is the one standout moment from the last number of years and the games we have been so lucky to be involved in. As a player you are constantly looking to the next training session or next match and that is what we have been doing since the game against Waterford to make sure that the bodies are ok and getting to Sunday in the best possible shape we can,” he outlined.

Hannon lifted the MacCarthy Cup to deafening celebrations in 2018 and to surreal silence last December.

“It was strange,” he recalled of the 2020 final behind closed doors in Croke Park.

“There was a bit of roaring and bawling from a few of the boys and then just silence. If you get to lift the Liam MacCarthy no matter the circumstance, its a good day. That’s the way it was last year and it was disappointing not to have supporters there but look we are back there again and we can try and do it for the second year in a row.”

Back-to-back finals for the first time since 1973-74 for Limerick.

“That’s why we train and why the players put in such a massive effort every time they take to the training pitch, to get to days like this. It doesn’t just happen overnight, a lot of hard work goes into it. It’s very enjoyable, we love training and meeting all the lads and having the craic.”

No talk of retaining the title though from the captain.

“Of course you are going to hear it and of course it’s there but again that’s for friends and family to talk about and get excited about. Again, as a player and I know it sounds borrowing, but we have to get ready as best we can and focus on the game and training.”

Not a motivating factor?

“I don’t think so. We are just really focused all the time and have been for the last number of years on getting the best out of ourselves in training and the best out of ourselves in matches and give as good a performance as we possibly can. We don’t even talk about what could happen or what outside people are talking about. We don’t use that as a motivation,” he explained.
While winning back-to-back titles isn’t a motivation for Limerick, Hannon does accept plotting the downfall of the champions is a motivation for others.

“It is more difficult but it’s something you have to embrace. We were long enough trying to get to this position so why not enjoy it and make the most of it. We got out and try and do the best we can and obviously the opposition do the very same and it’s whoever performs on the day will come out the best. You have to enjoy these occasions as well - it’s a long time we were waiting to get to semi finals and finals so we do have great fun at training and going up to the matches and we really do enjoy it. It might be hard to see sometimes but we really do.”

He continued: “I don't think it's a chore at all. I absolutely love coming training and meeting the lads. When I was younger I used to dream about playing in semi finals, All-Ireland finals, Munster finals, League finals, whatever it was so why not enjoy that and have a great time while doing it. It is tough and training is really hard but you have to enjoy it and have a lash of it and see where it takes you.”

After ending a 45 year wait in 2018, Limerick could have went the route of one-hit wonders, but the desire for constant improvement remains strong.

“That’s what we would have hoped to have happened but you can never say what it going to happen. Again it comes back to us focusing on ourselves and getting the best out of ourselves. After 2018 you could have sat back and said, that’s it now we will be happy with our bit and sail off into the sunset but this group in fairness want to at least compete every year and see where that takes us. That’s what we have done and it’s been a good few year and hope to keep it going.”