Cian Lynch knows the score.
The brightest light in Limerick hurling is studying Arts – religion and geography – in Mary I, and the Patrickswell club man, well let’s just say he’s taking it all in his stride.
Arts, which is effectively a pathway to secondary school teaching, and primary school teaching, are undoubtedly two of the most common college courses pursued by high-level GAA players.
That’s because the job of a teacher offers the ideal lifestyle to a GAA player. A teacher’s working hours will rarely, if ever, prohibit a player from missing training or a game.
A teacher works from 9-3 or 9-4, generally, and though they will have lots of paperwork and extra-curricular work to keep them busy, they should have no excuse for missing a 7:00 training session or a weekend game.
On top of all this, they have their summers off, what more could a man want?
Arts is often noted as a route that many students go down when they’re not entirely sure what they want to do. In fairness, it’s very difficult to have your mind made up on your whole life when you’re only 18 or 19.
Arts doesn’t close any doors, it keeps them open, and for it’s students, well lets just say it’s not the most hectic course on offer.
The 21-year-old echoes the sentiments of Arts students all over the country when, looking ahead to the Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling U-21 All-Ireland semi-finals, he claimed that he’s doing as little work as is needed to get by.
“I’m doing Arts – religion and geography. Doing as little as possible, just getting by,” said Lynch to the42.ie.
Lynch isn’t sure what’s in store for him from a career perspective next year, when he finishes his course in the Limerick college, but one thing’s for sure, and that’s that he’s not getting too flustered about it.
He’s as cool as a breeze, just like many of our Arts students.
“I suppose I’ll try and do secondary teaching, but I don’t know. As I said I don’t look too far ahead either. I’ll try and get over the aul exams and we’ll see what happens.
It’s no wonder, then, that Mary Immaculate have one of the best Fitzgibbon cup the country, winning the college hurling tournament the last two years, with hoards of minor GAA players opting for the career path.
Lynch’s laid back approach to college life mirrors his attitude to the GAA, and his calmness personified when in possession of the sliotar – Lynch is one of the best playmakers in the game – is no surprise when he reveals the cool head with which he enters the Championship cauldron.
“You’re training morning, noon and night for this, what’s the point of taking it too serious if you forget the real sight of it?”
“You go out to try express yourself because hurling is all instinct. We forget and think we have to be robots at times.”
Maturity beyond his years.
The Treaty county will be hoping that Lynch’s under-21 teammates go into their All-Ireland semi-final clash with Galway on Saturday with the same mindset.
Pat Donnelly’s side are aiming to regain their Under-21 crown, which they won in 2015, and judging by their form in the Munster series, you wouldn’t bet against them.
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