Neil McManus: ‘Travesty’ that a whole generation of Antrim hurlers won’t have played at Casement Park

Neil McManus, retired Antrim hurler and captain of Ireland’s hurling-shinty team for next week’s international with Scotland is delighted with news that Casement Park is finally to be renovated after a derelict decade but believes it should have happened sooner.

“Yes, it should but if you’re au fait with politics in the North you won’t be surprised that this has been used as a political football and the project fell victim to poor leadership from Stormont.

“In fact, rarely could you say that something has been a net positive of the Executive not being up and running but because the British and Irish governments have made this decision together. I don’t think there’d be any games were it not for the Euros and the need to get Casement off the ground.”

In an interview with The Irish Times last July, McManus laid out his affinity with the Belfast venue.

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“My father and my uncle Charlie took to me to every league and championship game but I still single out the ones going to Casement Park and when I grew up and got to play senior for Antrim there, it was magic for me.”

This Thursday he expanded on that view.

“I count myself very lucky to get the opportunity to play in Casement because there’s a whole generation of Antrim hurlers who will have missed the chance. On the panel at the minute, only Ciarán Clarke and Conor McCann have played senior hurling for Antrim there. They won’t be around in 2027. A full generation of Antrim players won’t have played there so it’s a travesty.

“County final day with your club or bringing the likes of Clare or Kilkenny up to Casement Park created a phenomenal atmosphere in Belfast, something that isn’t really matched at the other GAA venues in the county.”

A busy few weeks for McManus begin this weekend when he assists his club Cushendall in the county final.

Six days later, he captains his country for the second time and leads a strong looking selection, perhaps in response to Ireland seeking a first series win in nine years. From the Glens of Antrim, you can see Scotland and the influence – or shared origins – of camanachd and hurling in Ulster more than a century ago adds to the intrigue for the province’s elder statesman.

The Scottish game doesn’t allow handling and neither does the international version, which is a big challenge for Irish players, required to hurl exclusively on the ground.

“It’s hard really because hurling has become a very possession-dominated sport,” according to McManus. “Because they can’t take the ball in their hand, outside of the goalkeepers in this game, it is a little bit different but if you notice, the Scots are incredibly adept at switching the play from flank to flank. Almost in a soccer style.

“The person who is playing on the opposite wing has read that already and they are in behind you almost.”

He is enthusiastic about the current rules trials in hurling, particularly the requirement that puck-outs go at least to the 45-metre line.

“It will make the team attack more and be a little bit more positive, which I think is a really good thing.

“You want to see Peter Duggan [Clare] going against Huw Lawlor [Kilkenny] and who wins that battle. I want to see that kind of stuff as well as the system-based style of play. I think we have lost that a little bit, it’s never a man versus man battle because the other team always has somebody lying back to support their full back.

“Hopefully we can see a little more toe-to-toe action.”

First things first. McManus has a big weekend coming up as Cushendall take on Loughgiel, surprise conquerors of last season’s All-Ireland finalists Dunloy. He is asked whether he believes his club could have own more down the years.

“I think every player who has played in as many finals as I have at club level would feel there are finals we could and should have won. But at the same time, I think you get what you deserve. I think when we have been at our best, we have won county finals.”