O'Connor twins still passionate about hurling

By Cian O’Connell

A sportsperson rarely takes much time to reflect when matches are ongoing. So, the O’Connor twins had that opportunity when travelling to Waterford to record interviews for the Laochra Gael episode documenting their exploits for Newtownshandrum and Cork.

Jerry was apprehensive initially. Ben enjoyed the process. Different perspectives, but their greatness long since confirmed. An iconic Cork team that is still cherished by the Lee.

For Jerry it was slightly worrying. “I've had sleepless nights over it, I'll be quite honest with you,” he says.

“It's hard to know what to make of it. You're taken down, you're in a dark room, you're asked piles of questions and you're coming out afterwards thinking, 'Did I really say that?' or 'What did I answer to that?' or 'I could have done better' and you're just over-thinking it in your mind all the time.

“You just don't want to come across as being a kind of a lamp, for the want of a better word. I found it hard enough.

“When you were playing hurling, you got used to meeting reporters, but I haven't spoken to anyone about hurling in years and years, so I suppose I was out of the going of it and I felt under a little bit of pressure. But hopefully it will end up alright."

Undoubtedly it did. Ben didn’t mind sharing the memories. “They just looked after us so well, it isn't everyone that gets the opportunity to get this done for you,” he responds.

“Every player when they finish would like to have highlight reels of their career all put into an hour. There is just too much work for every fella to do that, so it is nice that it is done for you. I enjoyed it, looking back at bits and pieces.

“At the time, you're in the moment, you're not thinking about what is after going on the week before, you're just thinking about the next game. So, it was nice to sit down and look back, to have a bit of a laugh and joke about things that went on down through the years.”

There is no doubt in Ben O’Connor’s mind that it was a distinguished era for Cork hurling. Class players and characters were sprinkled everywhere. “It was a great bunch of fellas, just thinking back about the fellas we played with – (Ronan) Curran, Seán Óg (Ó hAilpín), (John) Gardiner, Sully, Donal Óg (Cusack), Niall Mac (Niall McCarthy), Tom Kenny - people in Cork are still talking about them fellas, probably because they're the last fellas that won All-Irelands too.

“People are still talking about those fellas, it was great to be involved, we were just so lucky. As you see in the last 20 years, Cork have produced plenty of good players, but not as a group together, good enough to win an All-Ireland.

“So, we were just so lucky to come along at the time that we did, to have all the players we did have around us as well.”

Through his accomplished coaching work with club and Cork U20 teams, O’Connor is fully aware of the talent being developed. How important is it not to place too much of a burden on the emerging players? “It is Cork we're talking about, we're 20 years without an All-Ireland,” O’Connor responds.

“So, there is going to be pressure on all of them fellas. We're saying all of the time, if you're good enough, you're old enough. These fellas coming in, they know the pressure that is in front of them.

“The Cork fans are mad to get back up to collect the Liam MacCarthy, them fellas are going to be under pressure. I'm sure Pat and his selectors will look after them fellas too, they'll try to keep the limelight off them as much as possible, and try to get them working hard in the background.

“It isn't easy, every day one of those fellas plays well, people are going to start getting excited that is another spoke in the wheel that might help us to win an All-Ireland.”

Throughout the decades a deep and meaningful connection has been forged between the Cork senior team and supporters. It will always count for something according to Ben O’Connor. “For me the best experience I've had at a match for a long time was last year after beating Limerick above in Páirc Uí Chaoimh,” O’Connor ways.

“Backs to the wall, if we didn't win, we were out of the Championship, we were playing the All-Ireland champions. For me, any fella that was playing with Cork that night, they see what Cork hurling means to the public.

“So, that should be something driving those fellas on. Even when things weren't going great for us, at times, we always had great support in Cork, every match.

“You had 22,500 for Kilkenny, Clare will be sold out at the weekend, you had 20,000 for the Limerick match, and what a bad night that was. It just shows the passion for Cork hurling in the public's eyes here.”

Passionate, as ever, the O’Connor twins are still enjoying the journey.

Laochra Gael Series:

Programme 1: Pádraic Maher, 9.30pm, Thursday 23^rd January

Programme 2: Marc Ó Sé, 9.30pm, Thursday 30^th January

Programme 3: Ursula Jacob, 9.30pm, Thursday 6^th February

Programme 4: Ronan Clarke, 9.30pm, Thursday 13^th February

Programme 5: Michael Bond, 9.30pm, Thursday 20^th February

Programme 6: Bríd Stack, 9.30pm, Thursday 27^th February

Programme 7: Ben & Jerry O’Connor, 9.30pm, Thursday 6^th March

Programme 8: Eamon McGee, 9.30pm, Thursday 13^th March