EARLIER this summer, an Christy Ring Cup title was garnered by Meath with victory over Derry following an exciting duel at Croke Park.
At the helm with the Royals was the hugely experienced Seoirse Bulfin of Bruff. A long-time coaching partner of Clare legend Davy Fitzgerald, Bulfin – who played at many grades for Limerick over the years – had previously been involved with Clare, Wexford, Limerick IT, and Sixmilebridge.
On the pressure associated with a final, Bulfin reasoned:
“Again at this level, it’s slightly different. There’s no point in trying to hide from the fact it’s not just another game, it’s an All-Ireland final, for some of those lads it might be the only chance they’ll get to be involved at this level. You have to embrace all that is involved. You have to embrace the fact that it’s not just another game.
“Yet, ultimately, when the ball is thrown in it becomes just another game. If you play the occasion you are going to be under pressure.”
In the final, Meath were simply awesome in the first-half, and were unlikely to be toppled from that stage.
”Janey that first half blew me away, the hurling we played, the scores we got were phenomenal, that’s something when you are working hard on the training pitch, developing a particular style, looking to mix up your play, to see it come to fruition in an All-Ireland final is phenomenal. At half-time you would prefer it was the full-time whistle because you knew what was coming in that second-half.”
Meath will compete in the second-tier Joe McDonagh Championship in 2024, and thereafter it’s anticipated that their boss will return in some capacity to his native county.
His dad Tom was a selector at many grades with Limerick over many years, including the county’s twin Munster Senior Championship wins of the 1990s.
