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- Herausgeber: The O'Brien Press
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
Do you play GAA? Do you feel there's something missing from your game? Do you want to improve as a player and athlete? The Players' Advice is a compilation of guidance aimed at you, the player, to give you the tools and disciplines to improve and excel in your code. With advice from over 100 of the top footballers, hurlers and camogie players in a range of areas such as gym, nutrition, routine, lifestyle, skill development, mindset and preparation. Features players from goalkeeper to full forward from every code, and from nearly every county in Ireland. Advice and tips cover a broad range of areas - from nutrition to rest days to a player's mental attitude to training and match days. Selected images throughout.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025
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For Daddy, Ricky O’Sullivan.
27.11.1964 - 31.7.2024
Mentor. Father. Legend.5
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Foreword
By Marty Morrissey
There is nothing worse than a double physics class. Bad enough to have forty minutes of Newton’s Laws of Motions or worse still Ohm’s Law or a teacher who can’t get his head around Archimedes Principle without boring the entire class until you hear snoring coming from the back of the room. Where I went to school, St Flannan’s College in Ennis, my physics teacher was Fr Willie Walsh, later to become Bishop Willie. He was in charge of the Harty Cup team, which was the Senior Hurling team in the College, so we always had a plan on the week of the match. Get Fr Willie to talk about the game on Tuesday. We’d play the match on Wednesday and review the match on Thursday, which meant all the physics classes were over for the week! We weren’t worried about the Leaving Cert coming down the tracks. Ironically, after graduation I ended up teaching physics, so Fr Willie had a positive impact on my career choice.
But did I ever think about writing a book about my great passion of sport, and GAA in particular, at the back of the physics class? Absolutely not! That’s what makes this book and Seán O’Sullivan so fascinating. Having an idea, scribbling down a few thoughts during his physics class just three weeks before his exams in 2019 and then pursuing his idea so that we now have a book that contains advice 8from over a hundred top-class inter-county players across four codes in twenty-eight counties is a remarkable achievement. Being a former goalkeeper of ill repute, I was intrigued by the advice from Niall Morgan, Gary Connaughton, Enda Rowland, Aoife Murray, Brendan Cummins, Ciara Trant, Alan O’Mara, Colm Callanan, Brendan Kealy, Eoin Murphy, Eibhear Quilligan and Shaun Patton. And they are just the goalkeepers!
I really enjoyed reading this compendium of advice, wisdom and lessons learned on the field of play from GAA players from every code. Seeing these players share tips and experiences with young and up and coming players epitomises the community spirit of the GAA where traditions and knowledge are passed down within clubs and communities. For a young man in his Leaving Cert year to have both the idea for this book and the initiative and persistence to bring it to fruition is very impressive. Seán O’Sullivan has created a great resource; the variety of advice and topics covered by players from every code, who play in every position across the pitch, means that anyone with an interest in GAA is sure to find something for them.
I hope Gaelic players, coaches and fans alike enjoy and learn from this useful book.
Yours in sport,
Marty Morrissey
Marty Morrissey is an Irish sports commentator and television presenter.
He regularly presents high-profile sports events for RTÉ Sport, such as the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and Olympic Games.
Foreword
By Mick Bohan
What a fantastic achievement for a young man to have pulled a piece of work together like this.
What a positive reflection on the GAA community nationwide for so many young people to have taken time out to share some of the nuggets that they have picked up during the course of their careers with a young man the majority of them hadn’t met before.
Our games are special and they grip us from an early age, they give us an identity, a pastime, a place of refuge, an escape and a purpose. They give us friendships, they teach us how to deal with upset and failure, and sometimes when we are really fortunate we experience the absolute satisfaction of victory.
This book shares the many stories, lessons and nuggets that players have learnt or had passed on to them down through the years.
Here are some of the things I’ve learned over the years.
When I started coaching I thought I couldn’t find enough drills; I was always watching other teams train, purchasing different sports manuals or seeking out any book that I possibly could that would have some diagram of some pattern of movement that I could imitate.
I never really asked why, I just wanted the movement to look well, without really understanding what the purpose of it was. As the years went on, I realised whatever patterns of movement you practise, your 10players will play, so I moved on to game-relative patterns of movement, the real stuff, what takes place in the game.
There in front of your eyes is your playbook: watch the game, see how you open up space or close it down, how you shift the ball to places on the field where there is space and create openings that looked locked down a few seconds earlier. This is where your real playbook is formed.
The other thing that changed was listening to the players, getting their feedback on what worked and what didn’t, what made sense and what confused them; the learnings they themselves took from the ‘arena’.
Simple things like where their feet should be when run at, the positional space a fellow forward needed to create in order to give time for their teammate to get a strike off. The things that gave their biggest disappointments, like not realising their potential; that’s probably the biggest fear and so it should be!
The key learnings are in the language they use like ‘don’t make the first move’ when a forward is running at you or ‘the power of doing nothing’ when a forward holds out rather than getting lost in the crowd as their team attack.
Our job is to pass on the nuggets, and there are so many of them in this book.
Enjoy, learn from it and share the gems from the players who played in the arena.
My favourite phrase in coaching is ‘the key moments of the game are decided by executing the simple things really well’.
Enjoy the read. I certainly did.
Ádh mór, Mick Bohan11
Mick Bohan was the Dublin Ladies’ football manager from 2017-2024, the Jackies’ most successful era. One of the leading coaches in the country, he has worked with multiple Dublin teams including development squads, minors, u21s, Men, Ladies and with the Clare footballers. Between underage, colleges, men’s and ladies’ football, he has played a part in winning sixteen national titles.
Contents
Introduction
I had the idea to put this book together during a double physics class about three weeks before my Leaving Cert back in 2019. I started scribbling down names of players I felt I could get to contribute at the time; I had no idea it would grow into this. I contacted the top footballers, hurlers and camogie players from all over the country, asking for any advice they have for players. The success of the first edition was simply overwhelming, with over six thousand copies sold and two appearances in the sports’ bestseller lists, behind only Willie Anderson, Peter Schmeichel and Siya Kolisi. In this second edition I reached out to even more players; there are now 112 players from twenty-eight counties. As far as I know, this book is the first of its kind.
Within this book you will find advice on a range of areas that affect your game on and off the pitch. Topics such as gym, nutrition, routine, lifestyle, skills, mindset and preparation. The questions and topics raised throughout the book are a mix of my own and those from a survey of over three hundred players of all ages from my own club, CLG Na Fianna.
In terms of the player recruitment for this book, I went for players I look up to, players I admire and players I thought would have something interesting or worthwhile to say. Also, they are all from my lifetime, so the past twenty to twenty-five years. I probably reached out to between three and three hundred and fifty players across all thirty-two counties.16
All players have taken different paths and journeys to get where they are, using different approaches and methods in developing their game. There are still some overlaps, which shows what might have worked for a majority of these players. There are also some contradictions; some players believe it’s beneficial to try your hand at multiple sports when you’re young, others think your best chance is to dedicate yourself to one sport and thrive at it. At the end of the day these are their opinions, formed from years of playing and training at the highest level. As well as what readers can learn from the players, they advise turning to coaches or trusted professionals when it comes to specific areas such as; nutrition, strength and conditioning (S&C) or injury advice.
This is a mix of interviews, voice messages and pieces written by the players themselves. The pieces of advice written by the players have different styles due to their individual style of writing. Some have used specific headings, some have written theirs more like essays and some have been ghost-written by me. The book has been laid out like a team starting with Goalkeepers, Full Backs, Half Backs, etc. I’ve put the players into what I believe is their best position.
Obviously, you will learn more from reading each piece of advice instead of those just in your position. It’s very possible if you play in the forwards you will pick up something from the backs and vice-versa.
The purpose of this book is to help you get from where you are to where you want to be. Whether it’s out onto the pitch in Croke Park or into your team’s starting fifteen, the priceless advice throughout will surely give you a chance to reach your full potential.
‘If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written 17yet, then you must write it.’ I like to think that’s what I’ve done here. I hope you enjoy.
Seán O’Sullivan
2025
The Goalkeepers’ Advice
Gary Connaughton
Aoife Murray
Brendan Cummins19
Ciara Trant
Niall Morgan
Eoin Murphy20
Brendan Kealy
KERRY FOOTBALLER 2010-2017
Kealy made his senior debut during the 2010 National League; he immediately became a regular member of the starting fifteen, winning seven Munster Championships during his career. He won an All-Ireland in 2014, followed by an All-Star in 2015. He has worked with both the Offaly and Kerry footballers as a goalkeeping coach.
Advice for a young Goalkeeper
One of the most common questions I get asked by young ’keepers is ‘How can I make my kickout better/longer?’ My answer is always the same – focus on technique rather than length. If you can get your kicking technique right, then the rest will follow and as you get older the length and power of your kick will naturally increase.
In terms of perfecting your technique, begin by kicking off the grass in an unstructured type of way. For example, just kicking around with a friend, ‘soccer style’, and not placing the ball deliberately before each kick. This helps to train the body and brain to work out different ways of manipulating the ball for different types of kicks (i.e. hooking, curling, slicing, drilling, chipping etc.) as it is not always going to be lying perfectly on the grass. Being able to kick the ball cleanly off the grass is very important as it allows for a wider variety of kicks, including free-kicks and 45s, and if you do choose to use a tee you are then more likely to use a lower tee. I feel I have greater control over the ball when I kick off the grass or use a low tee. Another positive thing about this approach is that you don’t always need somebody with you to practise it and you don’t have to be running around the field chasing footballs. Kicking into a net is ideal for improving technique, such as the large net behind the goals or else 21into the goal itself. Why? Well, if we are kicking to a target out the pitch we naturally tend to focus on reaching that target, whereabouts on the field has the ball landed – 45-yard line, halfway line ... By removing this it allows us to focus on things like hitting the sweet spot on the ball, keeping your head up to see what’s on, what type of run-up suits best (ideally a two or three step run so it is difficult for opposition to read your kick and you can get it out there quicker) and a punchy, driven type of strike. Over time you will know by the connection when you strike the ball if it is an acceptable kick or not. Then progress it onto the pitch where you introduce a target out the field. They can be stationary or moving, or even boxes marked out with cones.
As with any skill, repetition is key and it’s the work you do outside of the days you train with your team that will make the difference. Getting over to the pitch on your own to work on things like this kicking practice, arriving early before training to go through this routine so that once training begins you are already a step ahead, making sure that in between sessions you are stretching and improving your mobility (particularly hips and shoulders for goalkeepers), getting adequate sleep and nutrition ... all of this helps massively and makes it all more enjoyable. And at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about, enjoyment! If you are enjoying yourself on the pitch then that will shine through in how you play.
Eoin Murphy
KILKENNY HURLER 2011-PRESENT
The complete goalkeeper, since breaking into the Kilkenny team Murphy has proven to be one of the top goalkeepers in the country. The four-time All-Star captained WIT to a Fitzgibbon title in 2014, lining out at 22centre-back. A key part of the Cats’ recent success, he has won five National Leagues, eight Leinster titles and four All-Irelands. He has also won a Kilkenny Junior Championship, Leinster Championship and All-Ireland Championship with his club, Glenmore.
Skill:
Skill is the easiest attribute to practise, but probably ignored the most. When I was younger, I wasn’t blessed with speed or physical size so had to rely solely on being very, very skilful. I practised my striking off both sides every day and with that comes a good first touch. The basics of hurling, such as first touch, catching, striking off both sides need to be developed from an early age. The gym work can come as you’re older and in your late teens.
Nutrition:
Something that has become vital in more recent years is teams’ prep for matches and even training. Once gym work becomes compulsory and training gets harder on the body, the players have to fuel their bodies in the right way. Everyone is completely different so no black and white template can be used, but depending on the type of training the body will need protein and carbohydrates. It’s also very important to be taking on enough water each day. Going to training or matches dehydrated will lead to poor performance and eventually injury.
Shane Curran
ROSCOMMON FOOTBALLER 1990-2005
One of the only players to play in Croke Park across four different decades, ‘Cake’ was a goalkeeper ahead of his time with his rampaging 23runs beyond his own 45, free taking and even penalty taking. His honours include a Connacht minor medal in 1989, a Connacht title in 2001, an All-Star nomination in 2003, six Roscommon club titles, two Connacht club titles and an All-Ireland club title in 2013 with St Brigid’s. He has managed clubs in Roscommon, Offaly and Westmeath and also the Carlow Footballers.
Football, sport and indeed life has changed so much since I started out. There are many outside influences that help us make informed or uninformed decisions regarding our sporting and life ambitions.
When I started you were criticised by your manager or maybe some teammates. This criticism was for your own good, helping to make you a better player and in some cases a better person. Nowadays there are ‘keyboard warriors’ in every room, every crevice they can find to spout some form of abuse to anyone who dares become much better than they in their chosen sport or career.
For me this is one of the biggest challenges facing young guys and girls. How you deal with setbacks, defeats and uninformed critics will have a major impact on your mental health and your ability to perform to your maximum in your chosen discipline. Some will take it personally, others will continue through the barriers and come out better players/athletes over the course of their careers.
There are many choices young people have to make when deciding to commit large chunks of your time to an amateur game. These may have consequences, loss of career opportunities, loss of social time, and in some cases financial loss due to committing time and energy to sport.
On the flip side, sport offers up huge opportunities. Lifelong friendships are forged. The discipline of practice, good routines – 24maybe not so good routines after celebrations or disappointments – are all important things to experience. To be successful or indeed to maximise your abilities; practice is a vital pillar of gaining improvement. Gary Player, the world-renowned golfer, once said, ‘the more I practised the luckier I got.’ I appreciated that quote more as I got older.
There’s also the notion that one can’t enjoy the normal things in life. Of course, one must be disciplined but it’s important to enjoy some fun, a few sociable drinks, eat the odd greasy chip or Chinese, have your holiday, enjoy family or friends’ days out. If you’re not allowing yourself these excursions, you’re highly unlikely to enjoy the huge commitment it takes to become the best you can be.
You hear a lot of comments about sacrifice and you do sacrifice certain things, however no matter what you choose to do there’s sacrifice. My advice garnered from twenty-five years playing inter-county and senior club football along with almost ten years as a League of Ireland soccer player, is enjoy, keep everything in perspective and above all keep good company and friends.
Yours in sport,
Shane Curran.
Brendan Cummins
TIPPERARY HURLER 1995-2013
Following his retirement, Cummins has been remembered as one of the greatest of all time. At underage he won a Munster Minor championship, followed by an u21 Munster and All-Ireland Championships. His shot-stopping ability and booming puckouts (he’s won the Poc Fada nine times) made him a pivotal figure for the Premier County. The five-time All-Star won four National Leagues, five Munster championships and 25two All-Irelands during his long career. Cummins first represented the county’s footballers and was then a dual player until 2002. With his club Ballybacon-Grange, the Sunday Game pundit has won eleven South Tipperary IHC and a Tipperary JHC. He has been managing the Tipperary u20 Hurlers since 2021.
How do you puck the ball so far?
When I was younger, I had a small enough back garden, about twenty-five yards long by fifteen yards wide. I used to play a game where it was my left side against my right. I’d use one of the cheap plastic footballs, when the air goes from them and if there’s frost on them, they get wicked heavy. I’d puck that up and down the garden for all the world. Later, my father put up a mini goal and I tried to hit the crossbar, again it was my left side vs my right side. I think that definitely helped when I was younger.
As I got older, I’d use sliotars, but I used to put them in water overnight to make them heavier. When I’d hit them, they wouldn’t go far but when I got a new ball it’d travel miles. I felt there was no need for press-ups or anything like that, it was about the timing, and strengthening your wrists was the key for me.
What’s the biggest change that you had to make to your own game?
The puckouts. I was always good at shot-stopping, but hitting out the ball was an issue. Eamonn O’Shea took over with Liam Sheedy in 2008. I changed my swing in how I hit the ball and it became more accurate. They developed a relationship between the forwards and myself, we had a handful of set puckouts, but the idea was that they knew what I was trying to do and I knew what they were trying to do. 26Through this the relationship became stronger and better. With my practice and more communication between the giver and the receiver, I got better at that and suddenly we began to play better as a team.
That was probably the biggest challenge I had. I’d like to think I overcame it in 2008/2009, that’s when I really got it right – changing the way I hit the ball and getting that understanding between me and the forwards.
How do you keep your head up when you make a mistake?
I think it comes through practice, and an understanding that it’s not a game of perfect you’re playing, it’s a game of hurling. Normally if I let in a goal, I’d get thick and then I’d forget about the mistake because I’m so busy trying to make sure it doesn’t happen again, and my concentration levels go up. I believe 99 percent of the time when you make an error, it’s just a lack of concentration. That can happen because we’re all human beings and we’re all a bit flawed.
I used to use triggers. You don’t get up every day and feel like you’re going to take on the world, but if you’re playing a championship match and you’ve had a fight with the girlfriend, failed an exam the day before or maybe had a row at work, you have to have something that runs the happy tape in your head. I used triggers to keep myself in the moment and not think about a minute ago, just think about the next second. There is a technique to that and I was lucky to work with Declan Kyle, my sports psychologist. I was able to develop a technique that was so strong that the whole place could’ve fallen down around me and I still would have just worried about the next ball.27
I had a couple of things to use as triggers. One was I’d double blink. If I was in training in Dr Morris Park and I pulled off a good save, I’d blink twice really quickly to hold the memory. Another trigger was airplanes, the jet stream coming out the back of an airplane. Sometimes trying to explain these things, they sound completely irrational but at the time perfectly natural. When we played in Páirc Uí Chaoimh or Croke Park, you can see the planes taking off from the goals at the Davin end over the back of Hill 16 from the airport. The way I’d think of it was, ‘Jesus, there’s more going on in the world than what’s happening in here, so why should I be so worried about it?’ Also, it reminded me of training, when planes would fly over Dr Morris Park into Shannon airport, so it kind of took me back there and made me more comfortable. That comfort is what you want. You don’t want to be in Croke Park thinking, ‘there’s 80,000 people here, that’s 160,000 pairs of eyes plus probably a million people watching around the world.’ You don’t want to go down that road in your head because you’d go out of your mind.
You need something that grounds you. That’s what worked for me. Some players write stuff on their arms, others write it on the hurley, other lads might listen to music. I used the same four songs all the time from 2006 on, going into matches. I played well in a league game in 2006 and it was the first time I used music. I swapped some songs in and out but I kept four of them all the time. One of them was Charlotte Church ‘It’s the heart that matters most’, I used it because of the lyrics.
‘Time to spread some hope,
Make the spirits rise
Do you see the wonder in their eyes?’28
They mean a lot. When I used to look out the side of the bus, going into a championship match, I used to always focus on the kids. That took a lot of the pressure away from me, because they were coming to watch Tipperary win. I was going to be a part of that and all I wanted to do was make them happy. When you’re not thinking about yourself, more often than not you’re not nervous. If you think about most of the time in life when you get nervous, you’re really thinking about the consequences on you and that’s why you’re nervous. If you think that you’re going to look after somebody or you’re going to do something for someone else, then you’ll find that you’re always less nervous doing it.
What’s the best piece of advice you were given during your career?
It was from Eamonn O’Shea. I was dropped in 2007. Before the 2008 Munster final, Eamonn came over to me as we were warming up in UL. I asked Eamonn, ‘What do you want me to do today?’ He looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘Just be yourself.’ That was the best advice because I didn’t know going into a Munster final, having been dropped the year before, should I do something different or what had I to prove. ‘Just be yourself ’. That was hands-down the best advice I ever got.
What’s the most important part of being a goalkeeper? How would you practise it?
Composure. You develop it through exposure. You practise it by training as often as you can, at as high an intensity as you can.29
Keep it simple
No matter what way the game changes, the mental part of the game stays the same. Skill is a given. It’s how you cope with the pressure that allows you to express yourself. That’s what separates the great players from the good ones. That’s from my experience of hurling.
Gary Connaughton
WESTMEATH FOOTBALLER 2003-2015
Since hanging up his boots, Connaughton has been remembered as one of Westmeath’s greatest players. Following his retirement in 2013, he returned to the Westmeath seniors as a player/selector. He is one of the county’s most successful players with an All-Star, a Leinster title and two National Leagues.
My advice to younger people who play sport is always to enjoy it and learn from an early age the basic skills of their chosen sport. My chosen sport was football and the game is always about what you can do with the ball. Every young kid should always have a ball and be constantly practising with both feet from an early age. This will stand to them when they get older and are involved with their club team and if they are lucky, with their county team. Strength and conditioning are seen by many nowadays as important but for anyone between the ages of twelve and eighteen, practising the basic skills like kicking, catching, fielding and shooting are what will improve them to be a good footballer.
I played in goal in both GAA and soccer at different stages of my younger years. I was always seeking ways of improving my game, so I was constantly kicking a ball on a daily basis, either in the field at the back of my house, training sessions with my club or a kick about in the schoolyard. 30
Kick outs are seen as a vital part of today’s game. I would have done a huge amount of cycling at a young age and that stood to me as I got older as it strengthened my legs and that enabled me to get extra distance in the kick out. Also, I would place cones around the pitch in training sessions and practise hitting the ball towards the cones for accuracy and this improved my distribution as I progressed to the County senior team.
When I was seventeen, I had a trial at Newcastle United soccer club in England whereby I was training on a daily basis with professional goalkeepers such as former Ireland international, Shay Given. I learned as much as I could from this training and when I returned home, I incorporated a lot of the drills into my training routine.
Nowadays, all GAA goalkeepers normally train together and this is what young goalkeepers should look to do as they don’t need to be training with outfield players. Handling, speed and agility drills, feet work and shot-stopping are the main aspects of a goalkeeping training session. There are plenty of videos on YouTube in regards to this type of training, especially for younger goalkeepers.
I would recommend for any aspiring young keeper that they should be studying Stephen Cluxton and how he performs on the day of a match. The way he positions himself in the goal, how he deals with shot-stopping and the high ball and also his leadership qualities on the field of play. You can see how cool, calm and collected he is in the goal and how focused he stays throughout the whole seventy minutes of a game.
First and foremost, if you’re a young player, concentrate on your education. Your education is your main priority; you can always find a balance around playing sport and studying. Always enjoy your 31sport and learn as much as you can from your managers and coaches. Listen and respect the advice you get from them. Work hard at your game and always believe in yourself that you can play at a high level.
Aoife Murray
CORK CAMOGIE PLAYER 2002-2020
Since walking away from inter-county, Murray has been remembered as one of the all-time greats. The former Rebelettes captain brought a professional approach to the art of goalkeeping, winning eight All-Stars. The 2008 POTY won five National Leagues and nine All-Irelands during her time with the Leesiders. She has also won three Cork championships with her club, Cloughduv.
Advice to my younger self
Teenage years for me were a maze, it was a strange place between being a child and an adult. Looking back now I think I would tell my teenage self not to be so hard on my body and mind; I am paying for it physically and emotionally now. I would go from playing volleyball where I would be diving on wood flooring to diving on a worn-out piece of goalmouth. I think of the advice physios gave me that I didn’t take, playing was more important to me. If I missed a match, would that be the game a Cork selector was watching and had I missed the opportunity of showing my potential?
Every second I ctould spend on the pitch meant more than any possible physical hurt or long-term damage. I was a camogie player first and a growing, maturing young woman second. And a failing on my part is if I was back there, I would probably do the same all over again. Playing is like a drug, it can completely blind you like a horse with blinkers on. It was more important than making friends, 32winning was the finishing line.
So to that end I would advise you to talk to someone outside of your bubble, someone that sees you not as the hurler/player, someone who doesn’t know what it is like to be obsessed with the sport – it might help to stop beating yourself up mentally and emotionally. If you are good enough you will be seen. Remember, smile, you’re doing something you love.
Niall Morgan
TYRONE FOOTBALLER 2013-PRESENT
Morgan broke into the Tyrone senior team in 2013, he has since proved to be one of the top goalkeepers in the country, winning two Ulster titles in 2016 and 2017 and earning an All-Star nomination in 2017. He was an All-Ireland winner and an All-Star in 2021. Morgan has also represented Ireland in three International Rules Series in 2014, 2015 and 2017.
Skill Development
The most important thing is to test yourself in the basic skills. If you are right footed, practise pick-ups, solos and kicks with your left. Catching the ball first time is so important because if you have a poor first touch, it doesn’t matter how good you are on the ball as you might not get a second chance to have it in your hands. Forget about the fancy stuff and work on catching, fist passing and kicking as often as you possibly can – all you need is a ball and a wall!
Mindset
You are only as good as your BEST game – if you have played that well before then you can do it again. Don’t get too high with the 33highs of football and likewise don’t get too low with the lows. You may lose a big game at some point in your career, but playing on a team is about more than just a medal – the joy and pride you get out of representing others, be it club, county, province or country is more than anything a medal can give you.
Advice for your younger self
Enjoy the process more. I always got caught up in winning, but feel I could have been better at bringing others along with me and in turn creating more of a winning environment. Being a leader is about more than having the skills to play the game – it’s about helping others to want to achieve and learn as much as you do.
Enda Rowland
LAOIS HURLER 2015-PRESENT
An integral part of Laois’s recent rise, Rowland has established himself among the top keepers in today’s game. The 2019 All-Star nominee has proven to be one of the best long-range free takers in the country. The Laois captain led his team to a Joe McDonagh Cup victory in 2019, has also represented Ireland in two International Rules Series and is captained Ireland in the 2024 International Rules.
Gym and Nutrition
Probably the area of the game that has seen the most change in the last number of years. As a goalkeeper, I’d be big into the gym for rotational and core strength. It’s important to work the same muscles I’d be using for puck-outs and when a forward is coming in it’s important to be able to come out and stand your ground. For outfield players you have got to be able to take the hits and bounce back up 34
