Brian Finn's Seven Tear Itch Could Be About To End By the summer of 1988 Limerick's Brian Finn had established himself as a household name in his native county. Three years after coming on the inter-county scene, the South Liberties stalwart had emerged as one of the corner stones of a highly respected Limerick rearguard. At just 22 years of age, he embodied the passion and physical power embedded in a Limerick side whose hunger for success was almost overwhelming. Asked to police the dangerously skilful Donie O'Connell in the first round Munster championship meeting of the deadly rivals, Finn knew in his heart and soul that to be respected in the province as a hurler O'Connell, Tipperary's best attacker that year, needed to be tied down. Operating from the centre half back position, the Ballyneety man played out of his skin. A veritable tour-de-force that day, Finn was one of the few Limerick players who actually soared to new heights in defeat. The ace defender became a household name in Munster and for his endeavours received due recognition in being selected as a replacement All Star the next time around. Finn began, from an advantaged position in hurling circles however. Emerging from the ranks of tried and tested icons like Eamonn Grimes and Joe McKenna, the naturally athletic youngster was never going to be lost to the county. What rough edges and naievity shone through his game at 16, Hartigan, in particular, made sure that things were ironed out pretty speedily for the lad who was equally adept at both hurling and gaelic football during his teens. Bearing the right sort of temperament and carrying with him the necessary ounces of aggression, he was to share in numerous juvenile, minor and underage success with the hugely well-organised Limerick giants. Representative honours in both codes were earned at various underage grades with the county and in the sports mad local environment, Finn operated as efficiently and as elegantly as a duck in water. Where memories of Hartigan and co. at their very best was once the sole motivating force driving on his ambition, a belief in his own ability began to set him apart as a player with a long and distinguished career in a green jersey ahead of him, At times when others around him on the Limerick team were struggling to gain their self respect, Brian Finn displayed the assurance and composure of one who had indeed hurled for years alongside the greats of years gone by. First employed as a rugged midfielder, his opening season with the county was marked by a National League winning bonus seven years ago. A year later, the Thomond College student celebrated his coming of age with a masterful performance against Clare's Tommy Guilfoyle as Limerick beat Clare to capture the under 21 provincial championship. A player blessed with great stamina, his days at the famed local centre of education brought with it a great deal of success and recognition. Two Higher Education Colleges medals were gleaned. He was handed the captaincy of the Advanced Colleges team and benefited in turn from playing alongside useful hurlers such as Tipperary's Mike Scully and Limerick pair Don Flynn and Gary Kirby. The disappointment of having figured on two beaten Limerick minor sides in two successive Munster finals faded gradually. An ever present on the Limerick side Brian Finn has been one of Limerick's most consistent performers over the course of the last seven years. While colleagues have sometimes taken on the shape of ship wrecked infantry men, Finn has invariably retained his shape, held his ground and successfully frustrated the likes of none less than Nicholas English. It didn't go unnoticed by Limerick's more discerning supporters either that Finn's policing of the Tipperary ace in the May 10th League decider was indeed a vital factor in their county's 10th success. English's isolation in the corner and his untypically low two point match tally bears testimony to the marking job done by the Liberties men that day. Now along with goalkeeper Tommy McQuaid, and attacker Shane Fitzgibbon, officially recognised as one of the team's senior citizens, he has recovered splendidly from a particularly nasty knee injury which he sustained in a club game almost two years ago. A former Railway Cup representative in '88 and '89 the metalwork secondary school teacher has completely recovered his health and fitness, a fact that was clearly illustrated over the course of Limerick's unbeaten League run. Finn's weighty, deliberate and accurate strokes from his right-comer back position during the campaign were about as welcome as a hole in the head to forward after forward who tried to get on the end of a colleagues lengthy delivery. Leader material and, in association with county colleague Declan Nash, a flagship in terms of his club's hopes of an Intermediate championship title this year, Brian Finn does admit to having a certain gradh for managing and coaching. A lot more years of life in the fast lane can be anticipated but he has already shown on the field the type of maturity and willingness to share responsibility which marks him down as a future top-grade mentor. He has already made his mark in the coaching area. In 1989, as the G.A.A. Development Officer in the University of Limerick (then the NIHE), Brian trained the senior college team to a Fitzgibbon Cup win. The significance of that achievement can ge gauged by the fact that it marked the first time a non-university had won the competition. In addition, his work at underage level at the home club has been equally successful and as Brain says himself, "equally rewarding". Like all those involved at the highest level of hurling in Limerick in recent years, the Liberties stalwart is enjoying, nay revelling, in the buzz of excitement which is currently engulfing the county. "It's all the sweeter now for we were all so disillusioned after being beaten by Tipperary in last year's championship. That was the third year they had beaten us and our win over Waterford came as a tremendous relief, Siobhan Finn's husband told the Hogan Stand this week. With the break up of the once all-conquering Liberties side of the mid eighties, relegation two years ago from senior ranks served to cement the feeling of desperation in the hurling stronghold. "We got to the Intermediate championship semi finals last year and along with, say, Bruree, we should go very close this year to recapturing our place in senior level for next year's county competitions. Maybe the new sense of self belief and conviction at County level will rub off sufficiently here in the Liberties for us to really do well this season". Brian believes that Limerick can, and will, rise to meet the expectations of the masses of supporters who will watch and listen to every puck and stroke this coming Sunday. He admits though that, in his view, little was learned, nothing was added to the Limerick armoury, by virtue of the semi final win over Waterford. "We didn't play particularly well but when we were under pressure, we didn't panic either like we might have done in previous years. Perhaps we didn't leam anything from the game but the victory still was important. Of course, it booked our passage into the Munster final but as well as that, it added to, and increased our level of confidence. Don't forget we came back two or three times when it was required". Fortune favours the brave and it certainly beamed on Finn and Co. in defence during that memorable league final. As the sliothar scudded here and there towards the Limerick goal in that amazing first half, almost like a renegade piece of straw at the wind's mercy, the Limerick rearguard performed heroics. For many, the display of the winners defence in that opening 30 minutes decided the issue. The strength of the wind was certainly underestimated by supporters, mentors ad scribes. All but the seven man Limerick rearguard. Finn and his colleagues at the back played like they knew what had to be done: hold the Tipperary scoreline down to a respectable and reclaimable level. That they did, was to prove a match winning performance. What Limerick had done so well all through the League campaign was repeated on the double against Tipperary. Early league wins over Kilkenny and Cork specifically had seen Limerick at their best, Brian reckoned. That Limerick will enter the fray this weekend as underdogs can only be a bonus, he reflected. An intelligent, perceptive hurler, a lot of hurling folk across the country would, likely as not, concur with Limerick's right comer back that, all combined there could be a winning formula there. For the last seven years, Brian Finn has evoked that rare sense of invincibility when in possession. The kind that travels with all great herculean figures. He's a man full of expectation, like all his colleagues. He shares with them a burgeoning sense of anticipation and confidence, and in limiting the space afforded to an opponent, there's few better. Finn's seven year itch could well end up with Limerick's name being scratched on the Liam McCarthy Cup in 1992. Talen from Hogan Stand magazine 3rd July 1992 Tweet

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