On top of everything else, John Kiely has a set of pipes on him that can get a crowd going.
The Limerick hurling manager certainly had the crowd going last night, when he sang Billy Joel’s breakthrough hit Piano man to thousands of rejoicing supporters at the Gaelic Grounds. On the stage behind him, his players could only look on in awe.
These are heady days for the Shannonsiders, who have now won three All-Ireland titles in a row, and four in five years, but of all their triumphs, and after all these home-comings, this one felt extra significant and extra special.
And that’s saying something. It could be that they defeated Kilkenny – a county they are now emulating – it could be the three in a row or it could even be the fact that they were able to do it all without their star player Cian Lynch but whatever it is, there’s something different about this one. It’s as if there’s a general realisation that these lads can now be considered as one of the greatest hurling teams ever.
And it doesn’t get much better than that.
It’s important to remember that, before 2018, and before this group game along, Limerick had not won an All-Ireland in 45 years. They were perennial underachievers and nearly men who suffered their fair share of tough days and heavy losses.
That’s why scenes like these, scenes of joy and glory will mean so much to their supporters, many of them long-suffering, because they know exactly what it’s like to be on the other side. John Kiely is one of those men, but as the man steers this ship, he’s also the man that has changed it all.
Absolutely all here for John Kiely belting out Piano Man in front of thousands at the Gaelic Groundspic.twitter.com/Tom9xWtqlK
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) July 19, 2022
And in Limerick, they’ll be forever indebted to him for that.
- The brilliance of James McCarthy.
- Why nobody can do what Aaron Gillane can do.
- Playing GAA in America for a summer.
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