Dempsey optimistic Wexford can find a real purple patch

New Wexford manager Tony Dempsey identified what distinguished him from his Cork and Galway counterparts, who are also facing into their first year. He was assessing the task ahead at yesterday's launch of the Allianz National Hurling League in Dublin.

"It's not a glamour post. We haven't won a lot at under-age, and I'm here today with Tom Cashman and Noel Lane and both of them can look over their shoulders and see Minor players with All-Ireland medals in their pockets. We don't have that luxury."

That the management of the Wexford hurlers is not a glamour job was something of an understatement. For the second year running, the county had come up with a manager after a suspiciously lengthy process of deliberation. Offaly's Joachim Kelly stepped down from the job after last June's championship defeat and its bruising aftermath.

Dempsey emerged as the successor sometime in October. He attributes his decision to accept the position to the influence of his most flamboyant predecessor, Liam Griffin, who masterminded the county's memorable All-Ireland success five years ago.

"Liam Griffin is a rather persuasive character with a tremendous passion for hurling. He was on a committee which investigated the state of hurling in the county. Players were surveyed, and Liam told me that quite a few of them said that they hoped I might come in. But Liam convinced me."

Despite the close proximity of an All-Ireland title, recent years have been very downbeat. Heavy defeats by Offaly have terminated the last two summer campaigns, and slowly the central characters in the glories of 1996 have faded off the intercounty scene. Five of that team are now gone. Most recently, captain Martin Storey and Tom Dempsey - even up to last year the most productive of the forwards - called it a day.

The new manager is cheerfully realistic. Having managed virtually every Wexford intercounty team down the years, he feels the raw material is there but not necessarily the self-belief. A conviction that the county did itself an injustice last summer complements his optimism that, after years of drawing Offaly, Wexford have finally got the more manageable side of the draw.

"Last June was an awful bad year, as was 1999; 1996 was a high. We're somewhere in between. I think we've a lot of players with All-Ireland medals with renewed commitment, and we've a lot of youngsters coming. Unfortunately they don't have the confidence that under-age success brings. We are realistic contenders to get six or eight points in the league, that's our target.

"We've a good draw in the championship, probably Dublin or Laois in the first round. Now, having said that, they're probably happy to have Wexford. We would hope to progress to the Leinster final. That would give confidence to the younger lads, I think there's three 19-year-olds on the panel. Who knows what happens from there?"

The workload concerns him already at this early stage of his two-year appointment. Yesterday's function was his 10th hurling-related commitment in 12 days. "How long you could keep that up is questionable," he says.

But there is more to his involvement than the relentless commitments of an intercounty manager. His lifelong work with the GAA in Wexford is the context. He is conscious that his role is to maintain one of the game's great romantic traditions, and everywhere he is reminded of that obligation.

"I attended a function last night where I was asked to draw for tickets for the Leinster final - obviously those taking part believe Wexford will be there. A young fella came up to me and said, `Did you get my letter?' and I said who are you? He said, `I'm Shane Kehoe'. What was the letter about? He says, `I picked a proper team for you'.

"We'd a draw where youngsters were asked to identify the players in a county final from 45 years ago. The key man in the picture was Bobby Rackard and the youngsters picked him out. I'm a Wexford man, Wexford blood runs in my veins and I'm proud to be involved."

Even in the middle of current enthusiasms, the past is always present.