Gaelic Games

Hutchinson making up for lost time as Ballygunner notch up another county final

‘Before the game there wasn’t one mention of nine-in-a-row, it was just about winning another county final’

Mount Sion’s Austin Gleeson and Dessie Hutchinson of Ballygunner during the Waterford senior hurling championship final in Walsh Park. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Mount Sion’s Austin Gleeson and Dessie Hutchinson of Ballygunner during the Waterford senior hurling championship final in Walsh Park. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Gordon Manning
Tue Sept 13 2022 - 05:00

Just three days after Ballygunner won the 2014 Waterford senior hurling final, Dessie Hutchinson made his international debut for the Ireland under-19s in a 1-0 friendly win over Sweden.

He even whipped in the cross that resulted in Fiacre Kelleher nodding home the game’s only goal. Hutchinson, then only 17, was about to set off on a journey to become a professional footballer with Brighton & Hove Albion. And it turns out Ballygunner were about to set off on an odyssey of their own.

By the time their paths merged once again Ballygunner were five-in-a-row Waterford senior hurling champions. A part of Hutchinson had always felt he was missing out on something special with Ballygunner and after returning home from England in 2019 he set about making up for lost time.

In what was his first senior county final Hutchinson delivered a Man of the Match performance, scoring a handy 1-3 as Ballygunner claimed a sixth consecutive title. Last Sunday he was joint captain along with Ian Kenny as the club achieved a record-equalling nine-in-a-row. He might not have been at the start of this journey, but Hutchinson is very much head of navigation these days.

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“It’s unbelievable, but in fairness we don’t think about it like that. Before the game there wasn’t one mention of nine-in-a-row, it was just about winning another county final,” said Hutchinson. “There were a few players there for who that would have been their first county final, so it was all about that and making sure they got a medal in their back pocket.

“Obviously the intercounty season was disappointing, and it was tough to take, everybody probably let themselves down a small bit, but when you come back to a group like this you just kind of forget about it and your total focus is on winning again with Ballygunner.”

Hutchinson scored 0-2 against Mount Sion in Sunday’s decider at a wintry Walsh Park. Ballygunner’s latest county success comes just seven months after they won the All-Ireland club title.

On that unforgettable day at Croke Park, Harry Ruddle etched his name in the history books by arrowing home a last-gasp winner as Ballygunner stunned Ballyhale Shamrocks. Such is the strength in depth with the Waterford city side right now that Ruddle did not feature during last Sunday’s final against Mount Sion. He was an unused sub and played mostly with the club’s second team this year, helping them win the Waterford intermediate championship.

“I know it is very easy for me to say, but I have never seen such a hungry and determined group of players to represent the club the way that we do,” added Hutchinson. “Darragh O’Sullivan and David Franks put everything in store for us to go and do that, but within the team there is a huge drive.

“When you have new players coming in all the time, some lads came up from minor last year – the likes of Patrick Fitzgerald, Cormac Cantwell, Cian Troy – all these lads added huge energy to the group. Once the celebrations finished maybe back in mid-March after the All-Ireland it was all about getting back on the field and go again. We want to win as much as we can and that is what it is all about.”

The next challenge for Ballygunner is to retain their provincial crown, but they won’t begin that defence for eight weeks when they face the eventual Tipperary champions. Before all that Hutchinson will be swapping the small ball for the big one again – this time to line out for Gaultier in the Waterford football championship.

“There is a long wait now until the Munster club championship but there are a few of us playing football so our minds will refocus to that. The family is steeped in the football as well so it’s important that we go back and show that. We are all one big community and you have to give something to them too, you know. A lot of us love playing the football.”

And as the wheel keeps on turning, soon enough Hutchinson – who has played hurling and football with Waterford – will find himself back on the intercounty circuit. The return of Davy Fitzgerald for a second term as Waterford hurling manager has generated plenty of debate within the county. Hutchinson wasn’t involved during Fitzgerald’s first twist, and he is looking forward to working with the man who guided the county to a 2008 All-Ireland final appearance.

“I think it is exciting for everybody. Davy is a proven manager, any team he has gone to he has done really well, so we are really excited to have him in. Hopefully he is going to bring something to us which we haven’t had before, and I’ve no doubt he will bring that. There is an exciting group of players there and it would be a shame if we don’t go on and do something with the team that is there.”

It remains to be seen if Fitzgerald can persuade Ballygunner goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe to come out of retirement, but given his outstanding display in Sunday’s final it is probable the former county number one can be expecting a phone call.

“SOK needs nothing to be said by me for people to know how good he is, he has been doing it for 12 years, 13 years, he’s an absolute credit to himself and his family,” said Hutchinson.