In 1973, Joe Hennessy featured on the Kilkenny minor team which beat Galway in the All-Ireland MHC decider. Later on the same bill, current Limerick boss Richie Bennis helped his county beat Kilkenny in the subsequent senior final. Hennessy believes Bennis will be in the loser's camp though in this year's blue riband senior decider. Joe Hennessy talks about the game of hurling with the same degree of passion and fluidity that marked him out as a real tearaway Cat of the early 'eighties. Almost 25 years after he was seamlessly cutting a swathe through the heart of opposition ranks at the very top level, he's itching to be part of yet another All-Ireland SHC final . . . .but this time as a firebrand fan. The dye is nearly cast in this year's blue riband hurling competition and soon the Liam McCarthy Cup will be either festooned with green and white garlands or black and amber ones. Hennessy was partly responsible for hanging the latter colours on the second most famous trophy in Irish sport on three occasions; 1979, '82 and '83. He suspects and, of course, hopes that black and amber will predominate at Croker again this year but he believes more fervently that the Liam McCarthy Cup will lie undressed until the very final whistle. "I think Kilkenny will win but it will be close and I can see it going all the way to the wire - there won't be more than a couple of points in it at the end," the former top Cat opines. "If we get a decent enough day and the rain stays off, it could be a great game of hurling but whichever team comes out on top, they'll know they've been in a real contest." A player from times past who would feet snugly into the current mode of hurling, Hennessy is non-plussed about the fact that 31 counties will arguably be urging the Shannonsiders onto victory. Contrary to the general view that Kilkenny fans and, possibly Brian Cody were happy to see Waterford jettisoned from the competition at the penultimate hurdle, Hennessy reckons the opposite could be the case. "I'd have to believe that the team-management and players were looking for a Limerick win in the semi-final; that they had a preference for who they'd like to meet in the final. "Limerick have proven themselves time and time again this year that they're a very good team and they're in the final on merit and they must be respected otherwise Kilkenny could be in for a shock. "It was no suprise to me personally that Limerick got through to the All-Ireland (final) after seeing them play in the Munster final and doing so well, especially early on in the match. "They dominated a lot of the play in the opening minutes and could easily have had two goals and the quality of hurling they produced was tremendous, especially given the fact conditions were bad. "I saw enough of Limerick in the Munster final to conclude that they were a very good team and that they'd go on to have a lot to say in how the rest of the championship would pan out." As well as being a hugely skilful, athletic and determined hurler, Hennessy was a hurler known for his guts and never-say-die attitude and it's hardly surprising he has a soft spot for Richie Bennis's men. Limerick, the James Stephens clubman says, have shown a lot of character and bouncebackability this year and no matter when they've been knocked down, they've managed to get up again. "Limerick took quite a bit of a beating a few weeks ago but they took it on the chin and bounced right back to get back among the mix which must have endeared them a lot to their supporters. "It's been plain to me at least that they've improved steadily over the last few months, from the end of the national league, and maybe they're going to show a further improvement in the All-Ireland final. "They've become more determined the longer the year has gone on; you can see the way their training has brought them on too since the Munster final with regard to their first touch." Kilkenny have built their cycle of success in the noughties to date on the back of underage success at minor and under 21 levels over the past 15 years and Hennessy knows better the value of such foundations. He has an All-Ireland minor medal plus two All-Ireland under 21 medals to his credit and so he understands the importance of breeding a winning mentality and imbuing a certain hurling nous in aspiring players. "It's strange for me to hear people express their surprise that Limerick have managed to win through to this year's final because they mustn't have been following the underage scene much in recent years. "A good few of the current Limerick senior team have three All-Ireland under 21 medals to their names and it's a squad that's been to the fore for at least the last five years without much luck maybe. "The one big question mark that might be hanging over Limerick now is whether or not they have more in the tank after what's been a very tough, long-drawn out year for them. "I can't answer that and maybe not even the management or players know and won't 'till the final gets underway so we'll all have to wait and see how things develop on the day." Hennessy believes that Limerick will not lack for much on All-Ireland finals day and in terms of what Kilkenny have to match, he reckons hunger will be a massive weapon in their armour. He admires greatly the hunger they showed against Waterford in the recent All-Ireland semi-final in particular when, he feels, the Decies "weren't possibly expecting Limerick to have such fire in their bellies." "Limerick's hunger and their passion plus their goals of course really knocked Waterford for six and seemed to catch them a bit unawares." Was there a suggestion in Joe's mind that Justin McCarthy's men went into the Limerick semi-final duel perhaps a little complacent and, in a sense, maybe underestimated the Shannonsiders' challenge? "Maybe. Certainly they didn't seem to be up for the match in the way Limerick were. I suppose when they beat Cork, there could have been a feeling among them that their biggest challenger was out of the way. "But it doesn't work like that and you have to keep putting in the big performances on a consistent basis if you are to go the whole way and win the All-Ireland. "It seemed to me that in the semi-final, too many Waterford players seemed to be waiting for others to press a button and see Limerick off but that never happened and Limerick were full value for their win." Waterford, according to our seasoned observer, were "caught in a hurling storm" by Limerick and just couldn't get out of it and justice was ultimately served by the end-result. And, like most of the nation, Hennessy believes that Limerick's progress to the national decider can be a massive promotional tool for the game of hurling along the Shannon. "Obviously it would have been a great boost for hurling in Waterford but at least they have the national league and Munster titles to look back on. "Limerick's victory will have a tremendous effect on the game in the city especially I'd say because to a certain extent rugby has taken over there and is the glamour sport in a lot of parts of Limerick. "Hurling has taken a back seat in the city overall and there's no doubt Limerick needed the win over Waterford in a big way but they'll be determined to take it on from here." Generous in his praise of the Limerick players, Hennessy is wont to talk-up the contribution of Richie Bennis to the Shannonsiders' cause. He believes that the current Limerick team has been unwittingly moulded in the image of Bennis himself. Limerick of 2007 bears an uncanny resemblance to Bennis of 1973, he muses. "I came onto the senior county panel at the end of 1975 but Richie was gone from the scene by then I think but I remember watching him play for Limerick. "He was a fierce competitor who played with passion and great determination and the current Limerick team have the same characteristics. "The Limerick team is a credit to Richie and his backroom team; Richie knows what it takes to win an All-Ireland title but so too does a lot of his players so they know what it's all about." The five-times All-Star, five-times national league medallist and double All-Ireland club medallist says there's no doubt that Limerick have laid down a marker with the tenacity and class they showed in beating the national league champions (Waterford) and top-ranked Cork. And in the shape of the emerging talent of Andrew O'Shaughnessy, the match underdogs have a really in-form, potentially match-winning attacker. "For all that Limerick has got going for themselves, I think Kilkenny can match them in every department and surpass them in some. "I don't believe Limerick will have the greater hunger because Kilkenny will have a tremendous fear of losing and neither do I believe that Limerick will have the edge in the physical stakes either. "Kilkenny's skill and their drive and commitment plus their experience should be enough to see them through but there won't be much in it." Tweet

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