One of hurling’s longest running sagas has hopefully been brought to an emphatic end.
Ger Loughnane versus Brian Cody. It has been going on for as long as we care to remember.
A lot of the time, we care not to remember and life is fine.
Then, Loughnane submits a newspaper column or offers his opinion on Kilkenny hurling [on radio or TV] and flames wheeze back to an old, old feud.
The latest instalment arrived not long after Cody was ratified for a 19th year in charge of Kilkenny. Loughnane argued that the legendary Cats boss should have stepped down after September’s All-Ireland Final defeat to Tipperary.
Former Kilkenny corner-back Jackie Tyrrell was asked about Loughnane’s written comments on Cody and said more than he may have previously, when he was still on the Cats panel. He responded:
“Ger is Ger. Maybe if he spent a bit more time concentrating on his hurling than worrying about Brian Cody and our physicality, he might have a few more All Irelands in his pocket as a player.
“Actually, he might have one.”
While Loughnane finished his playing days with two All Star accolades and two national league titles, Cody’s career was more glittering – three All Irelands, four Leinster titles, two leagues and two All Stars.
Tyrell was not finished there. He added:
“Is Ger trying to make himself a bit relevant? I don’t know. For a man to come out and say that [about Cody stepping down] it is absolutely crazy. I don’t know what his motivation is behind it. In a logical world it doesn’t make any sense at all.”
Tyrrell insists comments from pundits, such as Loughnane, rarely get much time when the squad are focused on training sessions and matches.
“[Comments like that] don’t go up on a wall or anything like that,” he said. “It might be mentioned in Langtons after training as a bit of a laugh.”
Michael Lundy joins Wooly for a wide-ranging discussion that starts with a chat about Ger Loughnane, dodgy transfers and Davy Fitzgerald’s training methods. Subscribe here on iTunes.
