Any notion

Kilmallock have got a soft parade into the All-Ireland club hurling final is duly scotched by Paudie O’Brien. Yes the Limerick champions are fancied to emerge from Saturday’s semi-final at Semple Stadium – but the same thing has often been said before.

Standing in their way are Down champions and rank outsiders Portaferry, who late last year won their first ever Ulster club hurling title. All the pressure is on Kilmallock and plenty of other clubs have buckled under that weight of expectation.

“We’ve watched Portaferry, and have a huge respect for them,” says O’Brien, who although just 25 is a sort of club and county veteran.

Club title

“Ulster teams are always very strong. And we all know they will be physical.”

Kilmallock – who are coming off a third Munster title, and first since 1994 – are bidding for that elusive All-Ireland club title. O’Brien agrees there is a feeling of underachievement within the club and that this year’s fairly epic Munster club campaign reflected that desire to reach higher ground.

“I certainly think we won this Munster title the hard way,” he says. “Against Sarsfields (in the semi-final), for the last two or three minutes, a hook or a flick or something so small could have won it. Your heart was in your mouth. Looking back on that match we were very lucky to come out with the win. And same with Cratloe (in the Munster final, which went to extra-time). There were too close for comfort, but yeah, great games to come out of.”

After that, however, came the “ridiculous” long break, and one of the main reasons why the GAA is now looking to complete the club championship in the one calendar year.

Kilmallock trained after their Munster title win up to Christmas, then took only a brief break, before resuming training in January. No wonder O’Brien supports the revision to the club schedule.

“I think it’s ridiculous. I don’t see the need. There is no reason we couldn’t have played the semi-final two weeks later, and the All-Ireland final around now, or some time in January. The Portaferry lads were finished another month before us.

“It also means the club players can’t play in challenge games, or the Waterford Crystal, so it’s very hard, if you are trying to break onto the team.

“This is the time of year that managers are looking at players. We’re lucky in Limerick that TJ Ryan is very honest about. So lads will have been told, that possibly, they’ll be brought in.

“There are pros and cons to it . . .. Our fellas in fairness trained right through and we’re hoping we’ll be very well prepared.”

O’Brien is also seeking some redemption for the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Kilkenny (especially with Kilkenny champions Ballyhale in the other semi-final, against Gort).

“Realistically, if we get up here for a final it has to be won. We can’t just always be building and coming up for semi-final days and losing by a point or two and thinking that’s good enough with a moral victory.

“Everyone says we should be progressing this year but it’s very hard, Clare are going to be back, Tipp are going to be strong, Cork will be strong.

“We’ve no God-given right to get up here to a semi-final and progress to a final, we have a lot of work and in fairness to management, they’ve dropped a few and brought in new lads to spice it up. If we work hard and get an opportunity on a big day, we just have to take it – simple as that.”

For both club and county