No regrets
‘Out on the road today, I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac
A little voice inside my head said, “Don’t look back. You can never look back‘
For 13 seasons he was Kilkenny’s ever present boy of not only high summer, but deep autumn as well. Guarding the edge of the square many forwards perished on the rock that was the Fenian’s clubman. JJ Delaney’s decison to retire from inter-county action last December was the most shocking of all the players who handed in their notice to Brian Cody after the All-Ireland replay win over Tipperary. However, for Delaney, the decision to quit was something he had firmly in his mind from long before he ever arrived in Croke Park,
‘It was probably in my head since this time last year. I was kinda gearing towards the whole thing that I knew it was going to be my last year. That in itself made me appreciate the whole year an awful lot more as coming up to every game it was ‘right this could be my last game’ in Croke Park or playing for Kilkenny. It made the year very very sweet in that regard. Myself and my girlfriend Aisling were the only two people that knew and we could appreciate it a lot more. The way it ended it was ideal but even if we were beat in the first round I was going to go anyway.’
Delaney’s final year as an inter-county hurler could not have gone any better. The county claimed four titles as they swept up the Walsh Cup, the Allianz league, the Leinster title and the All-Ireland. The 32-year old will celebrate his birthday in just a matter of days but there was a genuine feeling that among the five Kilkenny players to leave Brian Cody’s panel in the winter, Delaney still had most to offer to the black and amber. However, he feels the way the season ended was the perfect note on which to bow out :
‘Some people did ask me after winning the All-Ireland and winning the All-Star, was I making the right decision, but I said it to myself, how I would like to finish up and this is the ideal situation. Winning the All-Ireland is what I wanted to do and that’s all that was in my head at the start of the year. That justified my decision more than anything to go out like that. If you play a game and you get away with your marker hitting a few wides, you can bluff everyone else when making excuses, but you can’t bluff yourself. That’s the big thing if you can tell yourself you played well or you didn’t. I was happy with my year last year and happy with the way it went.’
Delaney also resisted the urge to reveal the decision to anyone else apart from his girlfriend. He felt that it would not have benefited the team in any way and in fact may have been a rod for his own back in terms of performance,
‘I knew myself but just in case something had gone wrong you might have people saying that ‘sure he wasn’t bothered anyway cos he’s finishing up.’ There wasn’t a place to say it either. We were just concentrating on the goal in front of us to win the All-Ireland and individuals don’t come into that. Everyone has to pull together and there was no benefit to the team by telling anyone.’
The 32-year-old’s announcement in December came after Tommy Walsh, Brian Hogan, Aidan Fogarty and David Herity had all pulled away from the Kilkenny inter-county scene. Brian Cody had already lost over 20 All-Ireland medals from his squad before Delaney’s bombshell. So how did Cody take the news that no longer would he see the defender put in hook after hook in the killing fields of Nowlan Park.
‘Brian’s reaction was as you’d expect out of Brian. I knew in my head I was 80/20 in retiring and him trying to talk me round I knew I was 100 per cent and he probably knew that too. Brian said to me what he said to the rest of them. I’m not trying to convince you, if you come to me you’ve your decision made and that’s it, and I respect it. We had a good chat after and looking back through the years and all that. It was hard phone call to make but a nice conversation to have.’
Nine All-Irelands, seven all-Stars, 10 Leinster medals and eight National Leagues, but for anyone in future generations who will want to know anything about JJ Delaney it will boil down to a moment of pure bull thickness that prevented Tipperary from scoring a goal in the All-Ireland final replay.
The hook on Seamus Callinan in the 18th minute is one of the most memorable moments in a career littered with defensive shut outs, and more than a fair few battles with the country’s top forwards. Delaney plays down the skill and significance of the moment,
‘It was kind of a more of a reaction thing. That day it was kind of a case of six defenders against their six forwards. After that hook he got another chance but Padraig Walsh came across and blocked him after he made up 40-50 yards from the other wing. He got the second hook and if he hadn’t got they wouldn’t be talking about that hook at all.’
It’s a case that luckily six of us were in tune and we were covering each other. Just a reaction thing but t’was definitely last ditch, you know. If there was another 10 yards on the field I wasn’t going to get it to be honest. Throw yourself at it and hope for the best. You dream of something like that happening on All-Ireland final day and especially when you’re a back that’s the best thing you can do because you won’t score a goal or a point.’
Delaney’s departure as Killenny’s full back has left Brian Cody with a huge hole to fill in a positon that the Fenians clubman had dominated over the last decade. All-Star corner back Paul Murphy is currently the holder of the number three jersey while Ballyhale’s Joey Holden is also seen as a long-term solution on the edge of the square. Delaney has no worries about who will inherit his jersey long term.
‘It’s a tricky question. The only thing with Kilkenny is there is always someone who will step up to the mark you know. Paul has done nothing wrong the last couple of times and it’s a learning curve to be fair. You can only learn by being in there and if you do make a mistake you can only make sure it doesn’t happen again. He’s been starting at corner back and there’s no reason after starting corner back that he can’t do that at three either.
Joey Holden is an option too and Brian is probably looking for options this year. Let the Ballyhale lads fight their way back in and don’t let them walk straight back in either. The thing about Kilkenny since I came in first is that if you get a jersey it’s up to yourself to hold onto it. If you lose it then it’s up to you that you don’t have it.’
Delaney’s retirement brought an end to the chance that he could emulate Henry Shefflin’s incredible record of 10 All Ireland titles. The 32-year-old has massive respect for what Shefflin achieved. He also rates him as his toughest ever opponent and isn’t sure whether the Ballyhale man will give it one more season with the county.
‘We need to appreciate Henry when he is around. Even the last day he ran the show from centre forward against Gort and he is just an example for any hurler. He does the work and it pays off. If he does go back all power to him. He’s in great shape as well. It’s his own personal choice as well. It’s very individual, he’ll talk to Deirdre and talk to his family, and people he trusts and weigh up the pros and cons.
‘He’s by far the toughest opponent I’ve faced. He has it every way. He’s a big man, strong too, and good in the air, quick, right or left. Take your eyes off him for two minutes and he’s 20 yards away from you. Lucky enough I never played him in a championship game. I’d hate to be marking him in an All Ireland final, he’s a game changer you know and he does the dirty work and very physical too. He gets away with a lot of stuff too!’
‘You want to mark someone like him in training to see where you are as a barometer of where you are for a game. If you could win a few balls off him you’d be happy. But if you don’t win any balls over the course of the match you’d be wondering ‘have I a bit of work to do here’. He’s a great template to work off, you won’t come up against better than him. Definitely the best I ever played against or with.’
One of Delaney’s old defensive colleagues is eyeing up a life as professional baseballer. Jackie Tyrell is featuring in a new AIB documentary called The Toughest Trade as he tries life as a pro baller with Miami. JJ thinks the James Stephens clubman might take a bit of time to get used to life in a sport not quite as physical as hurling,
‘I seen one clip and he broke the camera. I texted him before he went out and he’s going to find it very hard to hit the ball without hitting someone before it! It’s a great opportunity and very interesting and see how it finishes out. I’d absolutely love to have that chance, getting paid to do something you love. Lads like ye are doing it – ye’re living the dream so ye are.’
Delaney himself lived out a dream when he and his Kilkenny colleagues got to meet with Edwin van der Sar when the All-Ireland winners were on their team holiday around Christmas. The former Manchester United goalkeeper was staying at the same hotel in Miami, and Delaney reveals even the most tough and granite-like members of the team were reduced to child-like wonder at meeting the Dutchman.
‘Yeah he a big man so he is. We couldn’t believe when we were checking into the hotel. In fairness the first day we got pictures with him and the novelty wore off after that. He was there with his family and so we didn’t want to annoy him. We had a game of head tennis and it was funny the second day for the volleyball there was only four or five of us and he came over and asked could he play and everyone just got off their sun chairs and ran over. We were all like children again. T’was brilliant and I’m a United supporter as well so he’s been a hero of mine for a long time. ‘
Delaney’s decision to leave the inter-county scene behind means he should now have more time to devote to life as club player with Fenians. The Kilkenny side have escaped relegation to intermediate the last two seasons, with a dramatic relegation replay win over the Tommy Walsh-led Tullaroan side to thank for saving their senior status in 2014. Delaney admits that a key factor in deciding to call time on his career with the county was a desire to be more involved locally. Despite all his success with Kilkenny, Delaney’s ultimate desire at club remains unfulfilled.
‘I wanted to go back to the club and have a few years injury free. I’ve seen a few players come out of the Kilkenny scene and they couldn’t really hurl with the club because they got serious injuries. When you’re with the county, training very hard, you go into the club, you play a championship game and then it’s back into it with the county. Just to play a practice game is a different way of enjoying it.
‘I’d give up a few medals now to win a county final with the club. We got to semi finals a few times but the last few years we’ve been in the relegation final. There are a few lads gone away in New Zealand and we can’t afford to lose anyone. That’s the dream; to win a county final. Every year you’d have that in your mind alright. This year is no different, we’ll try and do the same thing again. With the likes of Ballyhale around its not too easy. ‘
So how is Delaney finding life outside of the infamous Kilkenny dressing room as just one of the games legends on Noreside. For a man who was won almost everything in the game at inter-county level, as well as claiming a Fitzgibbon Cup title in 2004 with WIT, where will his head be at when Kilkenny are lining out in peak summer and he looks on as a mere spectator.
‘Championship is the day I’ll miss it most. When the hour goes back and the lads will be back in Nowlan Park in the evening. The first round of the championship, Leinster finals and All-Ireland semi and finals. I’ll definitely miss them days buy you can’t have it all.
‘You’d always be dreaming of it since you were five years of age. When you’re younger you think you’re a small bit invincible and this thing is going on for years. Last year I knew it to be the last one. I never enjoyed the year as much as last year because the finish line was coming and getting over those hurdles and getting as far as you can and luckily the way it went. I couldn’t have asked for better you know.’
JJ Delaney spoke to SportsJOE as an ambassador for the 2015 An Post Cycle series
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