Club Notes: 20th April 2020

Post date: Apr 22, 2020 12:59:0 AM

Notaí CLG Tulach an Iarainn sponsored by Goalpost Ireland.

Well done to John Hennessy who won the €50 voucher for flying the flag for the front line heroes.

CLG Tulach and Iarainn would like to pass on our condolences to the Harney family on the passing of Joe Harney. Joe was a member of 1959 Waterford All Ireland winning team. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Colin Cunningham Interview Part 2 :Management

As a manager 2008 was a year that holds memories. Trevor Sheehan was a selector with me and we were told to get a trainer for the year ahead. We decided to go the Tipperary direction so I contacted Ken Whelan a friend of mine from Lismore who was a jockey living in Cashel on who he would recommend and within our budget. He gave us the name of Kevin O'Sullivan who was the Cashel goalie and was talking about retiring from playing. Trevor and I met Kevin and after leaving Pat Fox's pub on the way home we both knew he was the man to train our lads. He had helped out a junior team in Tipperary for 2 seasons so the pressure was on us for getting a man with no real experience to train Tallow. In the first round we played Ballyduff who were the county champions from the 2007 season over in Cappoquin. We were going well in pre-season and it was great on the day we clicked and think won the game by 15 points, Luke McCarthy at corner forward was on fire and gave one of his best displays ever in a Tallow Jersey. Finn McCarthy Luke's dad chest was out that night and on full voice as he was so proud of his 2 sons who played senior for Tallow. In that year we met Ballygunner in the quarter final in Dungarvan. Again, we were complete outsiders after been fighting relegation or not getting pass the quarter final stage in the previous year’s championships. Shaun O'Sullivan in goals kept us in the game in the first half and the lads grew with confidence as the game went on and we ended up winning the game and it lifted the whole town to beat them. it was the last time we have beaten Ballygunner at senior level. After beating them we ended up getting De Le Salle in the semi-final. From the fire pan to the fire as what materialised afterwards this was the start of their great run in the Waterford senior championship. we lost out narrowly in that game on a horrible day with a goal from a miss hit 21 meters free the difference between us. They ended up winning the county final. Kevin was outstanding with the lads and it was the start of his coaching career. He later went on to work with Liam Cahill with the Tipperary minor and under 20s/21s all Ireland winning teams and is currently working with the Waterford senior hurling panel also. Pressure was on use also as at that time the club under the leadership of chairman John McDonnell were in a 700,000-euro development of our club grounds. Building a new clubhouse, developing a new pitch from a bog and installing an astro training pitch with a wall ball. It was exciting times around the town and with our seniors doing well I hope it helped in the collecting of money to pay for this. I can still remember Tom McSweeney dropping the generator down to the field and this was used to run the lights. Many a time it over heated and stopped but we just got on with it and lads just went home to shower as we had no dressing rooms to tog out in. I suppose people don't understand from big towns and cities the difference a win makes to a small town or village in a senior championship game our when your team is going well. When Tallow win it lifts the whole town and the crack and atmosphere is electric and you always end up in the” night club" Lukies Bar to Ann's tunes. On one occasion our first aid officer who happened to be the wife was away so I got her brother in law who was a GP is Cork to step in as a favour. He was a from a strong rugby background in Cork city but what he witnessed from our lads in the build and what happens close up on the pitch he still talks about. Nobody got injured that day as I think the boys though he was a lad that I picked him up on the road on the way to the game and handed him the first aid bag.