With mandatory helmets and media bans, a hurler has to be pretty special to become a household name, a recognisable face, a celebrity.
For his 2010 All-Ireland final hat-trick, his role in the memorable “man-marking” of Tommy Walsh in 2012 and a generally stellar career with Tipperary Lar Corbett is one such hurler.
The Thurles Sarsfields man would be recognisable to all hurling fans across the country, one would think, but maybe not.
Corbett was once again the star turn on Wednesday’s SportsJOE Live, alongside former Offaly hurler Daithí Regan. When the chat turned to abuse GAA players receive on and off the field Corbett proceeded to tell a quite wonderful story about his first ever trip to the town of Gowran in Kilkenny’s hurling heartland.
“Coming back from Dublin two weeks ago, by Carlow, on Saturday night. We came through Gowran and I was never ever before in Gowran, so we stopped in pub there. The reason we pulled into the pub in Gowran was DJ Carey is from Gowran and I was never in Gowran.
“It was about 11 o’clock at night but there was a fella at the bar, ” continued Corbett. “An elderly guy and someone said, ‘He drove the Kilkenny team bus for years, when they were winning all those All-Irelands’.
“So we got talking to him and he said, ‘Where are you from?’ Tipperary. Sorry for your troubles.’ He said, ‘Do you know the best player to ever come out of Tipperary?’
‘No’
‘Pat Fox.’
“He said, ‘Do you know who ruined Tipperary hurling?’”
You know where this is going, don’t you?
Corbett continued: “I said, ‘No. Who?’ He said, ‘Lar Corbett. I am going to tell you why. Below in the park a few years ago, JJ Delaney, get it up on YouTube. I have no phone. Get it up on YouTube’
“So I get it up on YouTube. JJ Delaney was boxing the head off me and we got red cards. He says, ‘Look at him! Look at him! You know what,’ he says. ‘That Corbett lad, you couldn’t hit him hard enough.’”
What was Corbett’s reaction to this elderly bus driver unwittingly advocating violence towards the very man he was talking to?
“One of the best craics I ever had,” said a laughing Corbett, who somehow resisted the urge to reveal his identity to the Kilkenny man.
According to Regan this bus driver did not reserve his sharp tongue for hurlers from outside his own county. The former Offaly forward remembered encountering him outside Pearse Stadium once.
“I am the bus driver, driving them for years. You see that guy, pointing at a fella. Four All-Ireland medals, never hurled championship. Not worth a shite,” Regan recounted the driver saying. “You see him, five All-Ireland medals. Not worth a shite.”
A man with strong opinions.
Listen to the lads discuss abuse from 25 minutes onwards below.
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