I’m told given how arid it has become, they’ve even started growing coffee beans in Italy now. A flourishing local industry burgeoning apparently.
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Rory is one of the nicest lads going. Had a few pints with him before in the off season, couldn’t meet a sounder chap.
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In a part of sicily I believe. A very different place to the north of the country.
So 11 months away 
How would it compare to Limerick?
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Favourably
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You might as well stick to maxwell house in fairness if you’re taking a shot of coffee in a half litre of boiling water 
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This is my favourite bit of this post.
The long running theme of semi-performative mutual respect between Leinster hurling counties has never failed to amuse me.
I think my favourite example of this particular phenomenon was contained in an article I read which was an interview with a Wexford hurler shortly after their 1996 All-Ireland win, it could have been Martin Storey, maybe it was George O’Connor or Larry O’Gorman, but I’m not 100% sure.
What I do remember is the article contained a lovely anecdote about how the hurler who was the subject of the article had shared many’s the battle over the years with Kilkenny, with Kilkenny usually coming out the right side. But it was made clear that the mutual respect was and had always been total.
And the Monday after Wexford’s All-Ireland win, who did the Wexford hurler see down on the street applauding him and the team as the open top bus made its way slowly through the crowds in Wexford town, but Christy Heffernan. Christy had come down to Wexford to take in the joyous atmosphere because the men he had spent so many years vanquishing now finally had their day in the sun, and Christy, being the fair minded gentleman he is, was delighted for them. In true modest Kilkenny style, Christy was towards the back of the crowd, not wanting to make himself look conspicuous, which made the gesture all the more genuine.
But the Wexford hurler saw him all the same, and gave a thumbs up gesture to Christy, and Christy gave a thumbs up gesture back. There were no words exchanged, and there couldn’t be because it would have been a bit awkward with the Wexford man being on top of the bus and Christy being down on the street. But it was a quietly special moment, the ultimate gesture of mutual respect.
A shared rivalry, shared battles, a shared friendship, years of shared history distilled in a single moment between two men. A moment that would stay with them forever.
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Beautifully put. I haven’t watched TV coverage of the 1996 final in around 11 years at this stage but I’ve a firm recollection of Michael Duignan (despite still being very much in his playing days) taking his first steps into TV punditry around that time. He was a studio guest (that old TV studio spot in the Nally Stand) and I can’t remember who the other pundit was. But I recall Duignan being visibly nervous and excited for Wexford and openly saying he was desperate for us to win after all the battles we’d waged over the years in Leinster.
Like a father who had exercised traditional firm discipline, including smacking, over their son, now desperate for their son to flourish out in the world.
But I’m not sure what metaphor I’d use for Duignan being desperate for Kilkenny - who by that stage were dishing out 31 point hammerings on his own county year after year - to win All-Irelands in the 2000s and 2010s.
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An absolute gentleman from Thomastown by the name of Noel Reddy who now lives in Wexford for a good while is the Wexford GAA photographer. Rackard Coady (nicknamed after his favouritist hurler) of the same parish would be his best mate, last year Rackard rode a lawnmower from the Nickey Rackard statue in Selskar Square to Kilkenny Castle in aid of Kilkenny and Wexford hospice’s. That pretty much epitomises the rivalry currently.
Now, saying that, I’m well aware the Munster posters of this forum see all this as twee, possibly, due to their rawness. I seen that first hand with the Waterford crowd in Nowlan Park two weeks ago and the Tipp fans on Hill 16 2019. Maybe that’s what the Leinster championship is probably missing. I could be very wrong.
It’s a bit like at the start of the next league match, Larry O’Gorman telling Davy Clark that he’d need a second langer after wining the All Ireland.
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Great hurling men.
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No, great GAA men! Noel would be at most matches around the county be it football or hurling. He absolutely loves it!
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Typical bandwagoner. I prefer the subtleties of the intermediate club championship cc @KinvarasPassion
Rackard is a Graiguenamanagh man.
I got that part wrong then, where is the Reddy shop, Graiguenamanagh?
Edit: I just looked it up, Thomastown. Thought both were from there.
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Don’t know Noel Reddy at all, but I bump into Rackard from time to time and know he’s from Graig.
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Rackard brought down all the trophies in 2008 for people to have a picture with them. Seems like an absolute gentleman.