A good decision moving forward.
Declan Hannon has been announced as the Limerick hurling captain for the 2018 season, with Bruff’s Paul Browne named his vice-captain.
The Adare club man takes over from the retired James Ryan as the captain of John Kiely’s charges.
Declan Hannon is Limerick Senior Hurling Captain:
Limerick senior hurling management team has announced their captain & vice captain for the 2018 season. The Limerick senior hurling captain for 2018 will be Limerick Adare Declan Hannon & his vice captain will be Bruff Paul Browne pic.twitter.com/lRByXO2AAU— Limerick GAA (@LimerickCLG) December 15, 2017
The 25-year-old is going into his seventh season with with the Treaty seniors. He has been involved in the set-up since 2011, when he burst onto the scene as a sprightly 19-year-old
Then, Hannon was rounding off his school days in Ard Scoil Rís, having won successive Harty Cup titles in 2010 and 2011 with the college, the latter of which he won as captain.
Hannon played at centre back for these triumphs, delivering a string of flawless displays. He was a leader for the team, a leader for his school.
This added to his growing reputation as the great white hope of Limerick hurling as he started off in college in Mary Immaculate in his native county.
Let’s not forget, 2009/2010 was a time when the Shannonsiders’ hurlers were in great turmoil.
Under the new management regime of Cork man Donal O’Grady, however, the tide was turning, and Hannon’s first year involved marked a huge upturn in the fortunes of the Limerick hurlers.
They gained promotion in the league, with Hannon playing an instrumental role, before going on a good run in the championship to reach an All-Ireland quarter final.
This progress continued into 2012 under John Allen, and when Limerick won Munster the following year in 2013, with Hannon, Kevin Downes and other young players playing a key role, the sky really was the limit for them.
They kept this momentum going in 2014, really putting it up to Kilkenny in an All-Ireland semi-final, before marginally losing out in the driving rain in Croke Park.
Surprisingly, however, since then it has been downhill.
With many of the more experienced players retiring, the Treaty County struggled for leadership in some big games.
Congratulations to Declan Hannon on becoming Limk Hurling Senior Captain for 2018! No better leader @AdareGAA @LimerickCLG @DecHannon
— Catherine Mulvihill (@mulvihillc) December 16, 2017
Hannon himself wasn’t hitting the heights we had come to expect him to. The fact that he was being played in the forwards for much of this time didn’t help that.
He’s now back in his best position at centre back, and 2018 is a new year. Limerick are reigning All-Ireland under-21 champions, and with a host of young faces coming through, the older, but still young face of Hannon is the right man to lead the charge.
This is a welcome leap of faith in him. It’s a vote of confidence that will be of huge importance to him going into the new season.
Isn’t it great to see a county entrusting a young player with such responsibility, isn’t it great to see them building and planning for the future?
He’ll make it a success. Just like he did with his school.
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