Changing Faces, Changing Places

First game in the South-East Junior Hurling league sometime around 1997. Kinsale hurlers travel to Minane Bridge with 12 'hurlers' on a miserably dour day. By half time Joe Coughlan has the jeans tucked into the wellies and is waving the hurley whilst bellowing for the ball. Jimmy Hurley is sauntering around the full forward line trying to look dangerous whilst son Chris is also togged out, prematurely making his adult debut. Joe and Jimmy retired a long time ago and Chris had barely taken his first steps into Minor but together they completed the 15. Things got better as the years went on but such is the disregard many G.A.A. players have for league and challenge games, we often struggled to get the necessary numbers, particularily early in the season, even up to the field for a game.

The European tournament fixture list was issued this week. In hurling we have the usual spins to Den Hague, Luxembourg, Zurich and our own venue in Tervuren. An added 'bonus' this year is 3.5hr trek down to Paris. Our closest away journey is Den Hague which is a good two hours and means a departure time of 07h30 from Shuman Roundabout. Our furthest will be Zurich.

Last year i got the train to the Swiss city with a few others whilst the rest went by car. It was one of the most punishing experiences of my life. Nine hours listening to Willie ramble on aimlessly about Tipperary hurling on a jammed packed train is a penance which would be disproportionate to the worst of sins. In Basel there was a bit of drama when we had to unexpectadely go through passport control and the passportless Emmett had to fumble out a tattered Belgian ID card. Surrounded by men with wooden sticks, the Swiss Garda preferred to usher us through rather than engaging with the armed men.

Having survived the trip down, we duly won our first hurling tournament of the year and after a heavy night on the sauce, we boarded the train to Brussels around midday Sunday. A frantic search for an offy took place shortly before departure and when the six of us reconvened we were stocked with about 60 cans of beer and a small keg of Heinekin. Much merriment ensued as the train became more full with each stop. The name game (if you don't know what it is then google it) pushed us over the edge. Playing the Premiership version of it, we had whittled the contestants down to three. Then all hell broke loose as my turn came round on the letter 'B'. Bryan Hughes was shot down and voices rose as the debate ran riot, isolated by the silence which gripped our co-passengers. In protest at my fellow contestants' ignorance I withdrew from the game with a huff and a puff.

Calm had been restored when we pulled into Shuman station just after 20h. We proudly marched our hurleys and our trophy down Rue Archimede and into The Hairy Canary, not a renowned venue for Sunday night banter. Shuman had never seen the likes of it and the party continued through the night and into the early hours of Monday morning. One of many memorable trips in 2008.

On the football front, we have our four Benelux venues of Den Hague, Luxembourg, Maastricht and Amsterdam whilst the Pan-European fixtures see us travel to Munich, Copenhagen, Rennes and Maastricht. Munich was our worst performance last season but our most important tournament in terms of laying the seeds from which the team would grow. Both our lads and girls teams travelled down on Friday on various flights and toured the city by foot. The tournament was played on a sweltering hot day which ensured over two hundred bright red heads shuffled in the doors of one of the Bavarian city's famous beer halls for the evenings banquet.

With jugs of beer flying around, it was not long before the days performance was forgotten and we started interviewing the ladies footballers from around Europe. It was the first time we had been away together for a whole weekend and it brought the team together, whetting the appetite for further adventures.

Last year we travelled to 11 tournaments whilst this year we have 13 journeys to make. It is a massive time and financial committment from the lads. Many of the teams can only get it together for one year, giving it a right lash to win it outright. They suffer the next year as lads can't afford to repeat the committment. That's the challenge we face this year on the back of a very successful first year. I reckon those who travelled to all the venues last year forked out between €2000 and €3000 to do so. It's a big ask.

New faces will be key to keeping the energy flowing through the team this year. Last night we had 16 at training and it was the real kick-off of this seasons training. We are preparing to say farewell to some of last years heroes but also opening the door to new blood. Eoghan and James are here on short term assignments from Cork. Mayo man Ruairi has come via Poland to reignite a GAA career which lay dorment for many years. More will arrive and more will leave. Whatever happens, and even in the alsence of a Jimmy, Joe or Chris, we will fill cars, trains and planes and travel the continent to pursue our desire to play Hurling and Gaelic Football.