Typical Tipp fella, too thick to know when he’s being insulted.
[quote=“myboyblue”]Typical Tipp fella, too thick to know when he’s being insulted.
[/QUOTE]
:rolleyes:
Top man is George O’Connor, oozing positivity and passion in this week’s Wexford People:
Laying roots to get back to the top of hurling tree
Hurling Development Administrator George O’Connor talks to Dave Devereux about the future of the game
WHEN GEORGE O’Connor dropped to his knees with his hands clasped in prayer at the end of the 1996 All-Ireland hurling final it was an image that would have stirred emotions in the hardest of hearts.
A great warrior of the ancient game, at 37 years of age he had finally got his hands on the Liam MacCarthy Cup after 17 years of trying but George says he’s more interested in the impact it had on the county as a whole rather than any personal plaudits.
‘It was a great feeling for Wexford people. When you’re involved in the community and people are so loyal to you over the years you want to try to make them happy as well as yourself. We hadn’t won for so long it was a fabulous feeling for everybody. Everyone was behind us and it was all the sweeter for not having won for so long.’
The Piercestown man says the Liam Griffin factor had a major bearing on their success and the wonderful sense of team spirit he instilled in the camp.
'I had considered retiring in '93 but Griffin came along and small things we had neglected over the years he put in place, which took a lot of work, but it’s those little things that made all the difference.
‘The spirit in the camp was fantastic. Great communities and clubs have great spirit and little negativity. Criticism should be constructive. No team or organisation will be successful if they’re negative. If you work hard you get the results and that’s what we did’, he said.
O’Connor is now trying to give back to the game which he feels was so good to him over the years in his role as Hurling Development Administrator in Wexford and says that if you get the approach right at a young age it’s half the battle in moulding a successful Senior team in the future.
'It’s about kids enjoying the game. If children have to listen to some fella shouting abuse from the sideline saying they’re doing this wrong or that wrong they won’t look on the game fondly and it will have a long-lasting negative effect. Wouldn’t a “well done” do a lot more.
‘There’s people who are coaching to help their own ego. It’s all about playing games. Kids want to play games. Some people think you should be spending you’re time doing drills but name me a golfer who spends all his time on the driving range. Every child wants to play the game. That’s why they’re getting involved,’ he said.
O’Connor thinks the wide choice of sports available to young people makes his role in promoting hurling all the more difficult, but believes children should be encouraged to take up all codes and make up their mind which path to take when the time comes.
‘Kids should enjoy every game they can up until 16. Then they have to choose one because unfortunately if you want to be the best you have to concentrate on a particular sport’.
Asked whether Kilkenny enjoy such success in hurling because of their almost complete focus on one game, he says that it’s a huge factor.
‘In Kilkenny they have a huge preference for hurling, in Tyrone they’ve a huge preference for football, in New Zealand they’ve a huge preference for rugby. Brazil have a huge preference for soccer and it’s no coincidence that these are some of the most successful teams.’
He says with all the good work that’s going on at grassroots level the signs are good for a positive future for the game in the county.
'At underage we’re competing with the people at the top. We won the All-Ireland at under-16 so people’s expectations are high for the Minors.
'A few years ago Carlow beat us in Minor and people were saying we might as well give up playing hurling.
‘We don’t have to give up anything. What should we do, just lie down and die, close a chapter in our life and say that’s our tradition gone?,’ he said.
Speaking on the eve of the Model county’s championship win over Offaly in Wexford Park, George said despite all the criticism and despondency things aren’t as bleak as many people make out.
'People say Wexford hurling is going downhill, it’s not. We’ve some fantastic young people with great energy and spirit. It’s just that we neglected it for eight or nine years after ‘96. We sat back and ate strawberries and went to beach and enjoyed ourselves but when we rise we do rise and it’s nearly time we did it again.’
O’Connor says while it might be difficult to compete with Kilkenny, if you concentrate on the right areas you always have a chance.
‘We might not have the best hurlers in the country but there’s nothing stopping us from being the fittest hurlers and there’s nothing stopping us from being the best blockers and having the best defensive record in the country. There’s two areas that are in our own hands. That allied to our ability and spirit would make us difficult to be beaten,’ he said.
The two-time All Star also believes that the game is worth promoting in counties where it wouldn’t be so strong.
'If you put the right structures in place with people who would nurture the game and motivate the people, it doesn’t matter what game it is. It’s all about community spirit so it doesn’t matter if it’s traditionally a hurling area or not. Offaly won an All-Ireland in ‘81 and they only had four Senior hurling clubs in the county. It’s about the amount of effort you put into it. I admire all counties for wanting to play their traditional game and having their identity.’
O’Connor also believes the changes to the Leinster championship, while criticised in some quarters, can only be a positive thing.
‘Bringing Galway and Antrim into Leinster can only be good for the game. Embrace the people don’t isolate them. We should twin Kilkenny with Leitrim, Galway with Down, Cork with Sligo and send our great players up there. We should twin Wexford with Derry and send our players up there to help out,’ he said.
The man famous for his bravery in the heat of battle refuses to listen to talk of the demise of hurling in his native county and firmly believes the glory days will be back before too long.
'People may get fed up hearing about '96 but it was a happy moment in people’s lives and something that should be cherished. The euphoria was so great but it belonged to everyone, not just a few. We will get back there again.
'It will take time but everyone is working hard and staying positive.
'Wexford hurling will be back. If you put a gun to my head I’d say in three or four years you’ll see great moves forward. If everyone keeps putting in the amount of work that’s being put in we’ll be back again.
‘Give the game back to the people and enjoy it,’ he said.
Lazarus - when was the last time the chokers beat Wexford in a match of note?
fair play to bonner, learning from cody in taking the league seriously and playing a team that we’ll be beating in div 2 next year:clap:
Galway have never beaten Wexford in the Championship afaik.
Well aware of the battering my noble Wexford comrades gave the crown forces at Oulart Briantinnion. The cockiness of the likes of Mac and his mrs suggests that they’ve forgotten their roots and are doomed to a Vinegar hill type scenario should they have the mis-fortune to be confronted by Joe Canning.
It’s true - Galway have never beaten Wexford in the Championship.
The last victory of note that they had was in the NHL semi in 1996. however, Wexford won the semi that mattered later that year. 
Wexford’s first game after the AI win in 96 was against Galway at home in the League. Galway won by double scores, or thereabouts.
Mossy Waters is not going to America.
I repeat, Mossy Waters is not going to America.
He’s voluntarily agreed to stay behind to take part in the search for Ger Oakley’s teeth in Wexford Park.
He might also play a few games for Wexford.
Another one who evidently cant handle the sun
Laz, did they ever find out where the other 14 lads went to during the game against Cork last year?
They fucked off to some opera festival or something’s what I heard Mac, shower of flakey coonts. Dont worry though theres a Tipp cunt in charge of them now and word is he’s bate the flakiness right out of them. Plus Joe’s upped his game a bit cos he was bored so face it, Yer fooked:thumbsup:
McIntyres from Tipp?? 
John McIntyre = overrated manager
Lorrha man. Hurled for Tipp 83-86.
My bad. Didnt realise that. 2 Tipp cunts in charge of “Leinster” counties - our Tipp cunt is better though!
It’s all part of cunning plan to keep the leinster counties down.
Yeah he’s a proper Tipp cunt to be sure. Has been the sporting editor for the Connacht Tribune for years now. I wouldn’t be agreeing with Menapian saying he’s over-rated as no one really rates him much at all in fairness. He got the gig more through persistence than because of his record (which was average at best and thats being nice).Noel Lane would have been my choice. Still were stuck with him for now and he cant do much of a worse job than that last gobshite we had from Clare.
Mc won an all ireland U21 with Tipp.
I really hope we get Galway.
Anyway, think the U21s are out this weekend? Any details going around about it?