Hogan hopes to keep making hay while the sun shines

Ballyea and Éire Óg may be comparable in hurling ethos, county player experience and stature now but that certainly wasn’t always the case.

Aiming for a fourth senior title in just seven years couldn’t even be contemplated when Robbie Hogan was a player himself as the hurling landscape around Ballyea was the antithesis of the senior force that have become today.

“The dynamic, the facilities and the overall ambition was just so different. The old pitch was known as the slob so we were in every way a junior club. That was the level we were training to and playing at and there’s no point saying otherwise.

“I remember the late Brian O’Reilly came and trained us one year for the junior. He was from Kilrush but a very good physical trainer and initally he just got us fit which was in itself a major development because before that we just turned up at training and played a game.

“He worked on our stamina and endurance and low and behold we went onto win the Junior A that year [1991].

“We got an inkling then that if you honed in on the specifics of fitness and skills, you could rapidly develop so that was the start of it really and then bit by bit the underage development complimented that.

“There was a great focus on underage and good coaches put in place and from there it started to move through the gears. We won an intermediate in 2001 and from then on we’ve held our own until the new crop that we see now came through and we just married it all together with the Tony Griffins etc.”

The rest is history with a historic Under 21A title in 2012 being the catylst to finally make an impact at senior level. It just needed a spark though as a semi-final appearance in 2013 and back-to-back quarter-final exits finally made way for an unprecedented 2016 breakthrough.

And the rest is history as Ballyea’s inter-county influence, guile and confidence has reaped two more Canon Hamilton crowns in the intervening period.

“We’re blessed with leaders and fellas that will say and do impactful things at the right time,” continued Hogan.

“I remember particularly with the water breaks when they were there that with only seconds to get in a few words, our leaders just talk sense as sometimes it only needs a word to refocus on the task at hand.

“We also benefit from the inter-county side of things that we have many lads geared towards playing for 70 minutes where they might have a bit extra in the tank by the hour mark.

“So we’re blessed with the conditioning they have and the work they do themselves and that’s probably the difference between county and club players is that freshness in the last ten minutes.”

Traits that will be required to get over an Éire Óg side with their own wave of dual momentum.

“Éire Óg are a very strong side and we know that anything less than our best will be needed to match their energy. We have been there ourselves and know how much Éire Óg are craving for their own breakthrough but we’re hoping that our experience will play its part in what will be a hugely intense contest.

“Ultimately it’s the performance that matters most and not getting caught up with it being a final. Getting our own house in order, getting the injuries right, the heads right and after that it’s about the performance as everything else is just a sideshow really. We just have to keep our heads in the game.”

Deep down is the realisation though that much like his own playing days that it may not always be like this as from the strive to make it out of junior level, Ballyea are now bidding for back-to-back senior titles.

“You have to make hay while the sun shines and at the minute we’re extremely fortunate with the players we have but the day will come that we’re not going to be vying for the Canon Hamilton as often.

“It’s inevitable with clubs and generations so right now we’re blessed with the group that we have and we are trying to always make a few tweaks and changes to try and expose new lads to this level too because it’s a very good environment to be in at the moment.

“It’s a good learning ground for younger players, you could almost say that they are learning their trade and by working with lads like Gary Brennan, Tony [Kelly] and Paul [Flanagan], it can only have a positive affect on their attitude and development.”

The wheel never stops turning.