Steven O Brien and Barry Heffernan celebrating following the 2016 All Ireland Hurling Final.
**By Cian O’Connell **
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Steven O’Brien remarks about his decision to switch codes in Tipperary.
Having earned such respect as a footballer with the Premier County, O’Brien opted to concentrate on hurling in 2016.
That O’Brien didn’t feature during the Championship year for Michael Ryan’s team hasn’t deterred his enthusiasm or appetite to make an impact with the blue and gold stickmen.
“Going in I knew nothing was going to happen overnight,” O’Brien admits. “Primarily I said I’d see it as a one year target and see how I was getting on and that progressed into a two year thing.
“I just feel myself I have a lot to prove. Through different things maybe I didn’t get a chance to show what I was capable of and that was down to myself.
“It became a two year project and I’m happy enough with it because I want to show what I can do and I can reassess at the end of the year. If it hasn't worked out after that then fair enough. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
In October O’Brien underwent a groin operation. “I had a niggling injury there throughout the year and it turns out to be the Gilmore’s groin so I got that operated on on the 23 October and Gerry McEntee did the operation. I’m a few weeks on now and I’m feeling fit, but I have a lot of work to do to get back to prime fitness."
Steven O Brien in action during the 2015 Munster SFC Semi Final.
Did the injury restrict the progress he could make with the hurlers? “I don’t know, going in there last year the competition was fierce,” O’Brien says.
“I couldn’t say the injury held me back, the lads performing, it was hard to get in there the way they were going so I wouldn’t use my injury as an excuse. Definitely I felt that if I can get this right it might add an extra element that I can bring this year.”
What was the biggest challenge being involved at that level of hurling? “I suppose having to have the hurley in your hand every day,” O’Brien replies.
“There was so much I had to do outside the training pitch. I was meeting with an extra coach during the week at lunch time to do and extra bit of hurling at the wall. The mentality of it all too.
“When we met up in November last year our focus was on reaching the first Sunday of September and that is something I probably wasn’t familiar with. It’s grand saying it, but lads really believed it and you have to buy into that. We set that as our target, but we knew every step along the way in Munster and outside it.”
O’Brien was delighted with the progress made by colleague Seamus Kennedy, who enjoyed a hugely productive campaign. “It wasn’t hard watching it at all,” O’Brien remarks about Kennedy’s emergence. Myself and Seamus are great friends and to see what he did was brilliant.
“It acted more as an inspiration to me to see that if he could do it why couldn't I. Seamus got his chance and he grabbed it and ran with it and its great for him and he had a great season. And he showed everyone he's more than capable of doing it and it has instilled an inspiration in me.”
Steven O Brien will captain the DCU Independent.ie Sigerson Cup footballers in 2017.
How difficult was it monitoring Liam Kearns’ sterling work with the footballers steering them to a Munster Final and All Ireland Semi-Final? “The Munster Final in Killarney of course you’d be itching to be a part of big games likes that, especially having been there for the last three years,” O’Brien acknowledges.
“Some of them lads are my best friends and I was delighted to see them getting their just rewards for playing in those big matches. They came up short, but they got themselves some good recognition and I was delighted to see them doing well.
“Over the summer I was being asked if I was envious and of course you'd be jealous not to be a part of it, but it didn’t impede me from supporting them. I had played with some of them lads and it was great to see them getting the rewards they deserve.”
The DCU student admits he was tempted to seek a return to the football squad during the action packed summer. “Of course, when you saw the footballers doing well and I wasn’t getting much of a look in of course those thoughts run through your head, but that wouldn’t justify the character and person I am.
“When I make a decision I tend to see it through and I felt that if half way through the season I was ready to throw my toys out of the pram and switch back it wouldn’t show the true person I am and that’s why I stuck with it for this year, to give it a proper whack.
“And look if it doesn’t work out it doesn’t work out and I’ll be the first person to put my hand up and say it didn’t work out and maybe try get back in with football.”
In DCU O’Brien will concentrate on football at inter-varsity level for the next two months. “I’m coming back from injury and being named Sigerson captain is a huge honour for me so I have to give my sole focus to football.”