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 9 September 2004 Irish Independent | |||
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EVEN if he tried to Ben O'Connor couldn't avoid talking hurling this week, or talking hurleys to be more precise!
O'Connor's trade doesn't allow him the luxury of distancing himself from elements that remind him a huge game awaits him at the end of the week.
Every 10 minutes of his working day he takes a three foot long piece of ash and shapes it into a hurl in the workshop of the business his father Bernie has built up over the last 10 years.
The O'Connors have one of a handful of hurley making businesses in the southern area and, like their own style of play on the field, the Newtownshandrum and Cork style of hurl differs slightly from the rest.
"There would be four or five manufacturers in Cork, the same amount in Kilkenny, Tipperary have a few, Limerick too. Generally each county has its own particular style of hurley," explains O'Connor, the Cork captain.
"A Cork man wouldn't be used to a Tipperary hurl and so on. But we make our hurls to suit all styles."
Like a golf club professional pro O'Connor often tinkers with sizes and weights of hurls to tailor specific needs, portraying a more scientific approach to the most important piece of hurling equipment than one would expect.
"Some players opt for light hurls, I'd prefer a heavier one myself. It all depends on the player himself," he says.
Given the distance and pace he travels at during his 70 or so minutes on a hurling field you would expect O'Connor to carry light.
This Cork team is collectively blessed with speed. Ben and Jerry O'Connor, Tom Kenny and Timmy McCarthy are among the quickest ball-carriers in the game.
But surprisingly the captain doesn't consider any of that quartet to be the sprint kings in the squad.
"If we do line up there will always be a different winner but 'Sully' (Diarmuid O'Sullivan) or Seán Óg (Ó hAilpín) would probably prevail most often over 30 metres."
Twins are not uncommon to All-Ireland finals and in the last two years the McEntee brothers, John and Tony, from Armagh, have both played in football deciders.
Ben and Jerry are as hard to distinguish to the undiscerning observer as the McEntees but the differences, apart from looks, are the same as any other brothers. "There's probably a bit much made of the fact that myself and Jerry are twins.
"If another Newtown' player was thrown in as well we'd probably be as comfortable with him in the team as well.
"We have the same interest which is hurling because in Newtownshandrum there is nothing else considered, very little football and no soccer. We'd both be quiet but we'd be different in other ways."
Inevitably they are mistaken for each other and when it happens the 24-year-old brothers - Ben is older than Jerry by 15 minutes - don't bother any more to correct the misplaced identity. Already they have tasted All-Ireland glory this year when Newtownshandrum claimed the club title in Croke Park on St Patrick's Day, sweeping past Dunloy.
Now they are bidding to repeat a feat last achieved in 1998 when the Birr contingent stitched All-Ireland club and county titles together in the same year.
Newtown's style has been described as very 'un-Cork like' but the essence of Cork's game this year has been built on running and slick passing.
"There'll be a contrast in styles on Sunday. If you're not good in the air you're in trouble on this Kilkenny team.
"Kilkenny has always been renowned for little touches, hooks and blocks and this team is no different."
O'Connor is driven by the painful memory of last year's defeat and the admission that he didn't have the game he would have liked for himself.
"I didn't think I played that well and I suppose that has been in the back of my mind since then. From the moment we were beaten last year we were determined to get back into a final again.
"Now we have given ourselves the chance again and that's all we can do until Sunday."
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