At the heart of every community is a sport that has long survived the growing changes of Irish society. It is a sport that defines us as a nation. It is our sport and our entertainment. It joins us together and occasionally pulls us apart. It is of course, Gaelic hurling.
Like so many other Irish people I grew up in a county where hurling is very much to the fore. It is one of the most talked about sports throughout the county of Waterford. The conversation surges through the people like blood through veins. When these people talk about hurling they speak with passion, their eyes light up and you can see clearly the love they hold for this game.
Although hurling is regarded as the dominant sport in the Déise it has not always come with success. The so-called 'Golden Age' of hurling in Waterford began in 1929 and lasted up until 1963. During this period Waterford were honoured with two All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships, two All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championships, two All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championships, one National Hurling League, five Munster Senior Hurling Championships, two Munster Minor Hurling Championships and three Munster Junior Hurling Championships. Not a bad feat for the Déise boys.
All the signs were there to indicate that the Waterford hurling teams could only improve and grow stronger. However it was not meant to be and the period between 1964 and 1991 remained largely a dark one for Waterford hurling. The team were honoured with only one title during this span of almost 30 years; a Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship.
The early 90's saw a rejuvenation in Waterford hurling, with 1992 being their most successful year in almsot three decades. Three championship cups were lifted that year. The Under-21's excelled, winning both the Munster and All-Ireland titles, while the minors took home Munster glory.
Waterford came close on many occasions in the years that followed but ultimately failed to deliver on the day.
Since 2002 Waterford hurling has become a force to be reckoned with, especially throughout Munster. The seniors claimed Munster final victories in 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2010.
The memories of these Munster final wins will remain embedded in not just mine, but many other supporters minds too. There is nothing quite like seeing The Square in Dungarvan covered in a sea of blue and white jerseys. The support in this county is immense. We might not win as much as Kerry do in football or Kilkenny do in hurling but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate when we do win. "Simply the best" as well as Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" have been adopted as Waterford victory songs and can be heard loud and clear when there is something to sing about.
2008 saw Waterford reach their first All-Ireland final since 1963 and well...we all know what happened. An unstoppable Kilkenny team as well as the pressure of an All-Ireland final took their toll and the Cats ran out clear and easy winners.
While Kilkenny celebrated yet another success, it was a sad day for Waterford hurling. The hype that had been built up around the county quickly evaporated and the bubble quickly burst. The weather seemed to mirror our mood and the following day, as rain pelted down, the Waterford supporters lined out along the quay in the city to welcome home a defeated and deflated team.
Each one of them looked just as dejected as the next. Some had tears in their eyes, whil others had their eyes firmly on the ground, unable to make contact at the mass of supporters they felt they had left down. But they hadn't let us down. We were proud of their achievements, proud they had made it to an All-Ireland final and proud they had done their best.
Since then the Déise lads have bounced back and 2010 saw them put yet another championship title to their name. Last Sunday saw them edge out Clare in a highly exciting and tension-fuelled game at Semple Stadium. The defeat against former manager Davy Fitz's beloved Banner county now secures Waterford's place in their fourth consecutive Munster final. Here they will meet the winners of Cork and Tipperary, a match which takes place this weekend. Both teams will provide a challenge to Waterford when they come face to face with either the Rebel county or the Premier county on July 15th.
Will Waterford win? Maybe.
Can Waterford win? Certainly.
I have no doubt that our day will come when we will claim League, Munster and All-Ireland glory. Until then, don't stop believing!
Like so many other Irish people I grew up in a county where hurling is very much to the fore. It is one of the most talked about sports throughout the county of Waterford. The conversation surges through the people like blood through veins. When these people talk about hurling they speak with passion, their eyes light up and you can see clearly the love they hold for this game.
Although hurling is regarded as the dominant sport in the Déise it has not always come with success. The so-called 'Golden Age' of hurling in Waterford began in 1929 and lasted up until 1963. During this period Waterford were honoured with two All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships, two All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championships, two All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championships, one National Hurling League, five Munster Senior Hurling Championships, two Munster Minor Hurling Championships and three Munster Junior Hurling Championships. Not a bad feat for the Déise boys.
All the signs were there to indicate that the Waterford hurling teams could only improve and grow stronger. However it was not meant to be and the period between 1964 and 1991 remained largely a dark one for Waterford hurling. The team were honoured with only one title during this span of almost 30 years; a Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship.
The early 90's saw a rejuvenation in Waterford hurling, with 1992 being their most successful year in almsot three decades. Three championship cups were lifted that year. The Under-21's excelled, winning both the Munster and All-Ireland titles, while the minors took home Munster glory.
Waterford came close on many occasions in the years that followed but ultimately failed to deliver on the day.
Since 2002 Waterford hurling has become a force to be reckoned with, especially throughout Munster. The seniors claimed Munster final victories in 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2010.
The memories of these Munster final wins will remain embedded in not just mine, but many other supporters minds too. There is nothing quite like seeing The Square in Dungarvan covered in a sea of blue and white jerseys. The support in this county is immense. We might not win as much as Kerry do in football or Kilkenny do in hurling but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate when we do win. "Simply the best" as well as Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" have been adopted as Waterford victory songs and can be heard loud and clear when there is something to sing about.
2008 saw Waterford reach their first All-Ireland final since 1963 and well...we all know what happened. An unstoppable Kilkenny team as well as the pressure of an All-Ireland final took their toll and the Cats ran out clear and easy winners.
While Kilkenny celebrated yet another success, it was a sad day for Waterford hurling. The hype that had been built up around the county quickly evaporated and the bubble quickly burst. The weather seemed to mirror our mood and the following day, as rain pelted down, the Waterford supporters lined out along the quay in the city to welcome home a defeated and deflated team.
Each one of them looked just as dejected as the next. Some had tears in their eyes, whil others had their eyes firmly on the ground, unable to make contact at the mass of supporters they felt they had left down. But they hadn't let us down. We were proud of their achievements, proud they had made it to an All-Ireland final and proud they had done their best.
Since then the Déise lads have bounced back and 2010 saw them put yet another championship title to their name. Last Sunday saw them edge out Clare in a highly exciting and tension-fuelled game at Semple Stadium. The defeat against former manager Davy Fitz's beloved Banner county now secures Waterford's place in their fourth consecutive Munster final. Here they will meet the winners of Cork and Tipperary, a match which takes place this weekend. Both teams will provide a challenge to Waterford when they come face to face with either the Rebel county or the Premier county on July 15th.
Will Waterford win? Maybe.
Can Waterford win? Certainly.
I have no doubt that our day will come when we will claim League, Munster and All-Ireland glory. Until then, don't stop believing!
