Declan Hannon feels the return of performance psychologist Caroline Currid to the Limerick backroom team could prove to be a game-changer for the Treaty.
Currid has shown to be the common denominator as she was present for all of Limerick’s recent five All-Ireland winning seasons – 2018, 2020-2023
But she was not involved with the group in 2019 or the 2024 and 2025 campaigns – years in which Limerick did not lift the Liam MacCarthy.
However, John Kiely has convinced the Sligo native – who has also worked with the Dublin footballers, Tyrone footballers and Tipperary hurlers in the past – to rejoin his Limerick set-up for 2026.
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And Hannon, who announced his intercounty retirement last October, believes it is a significant coup.
“I was delighted when I heard she was back,” said the former Limerick captain. “I suppose her record speaks for itself, especially with Limerick. When she’s been there we’ve won and when she hasn’t been there, we haven’t won. It’s an amazing record.
“I suppose she’ll just bring another level of confidence to the group again. Having her around the place, from my experience I think it just puts you at ease.
“You have such respect and trust in what she does that I think lads will benefit hugely from her being back in the set-up. Please God they win it this year because her record will really be amazing altogether then.
“I would have just run everything and anything by her, in terms of probably more off-field stuff that might be going on in life.
“You’ve got work going on, you’ve got home life, you’ve got a load of things that go on outside of the GAA that she is just brilliant at giving guidance on, nipping something in the bud early instead of letting it fester throughout the whole season.”
Hannon is adjusting to life post-Limerick but remains comfortable with his decision to step away. He is currently based in Dublin with his wife, radio presenter Louise Cantillon.
“Yeah, I’m in Dublin the majority of the time now,” he adds. “You are totally anonymous in Dublin. It’s so busy and there’s such a different type of people up here as well, you can go to the shop without anybody asking you about Limerick [hurling].
“I’m actually fine watching [games]. I’m not sitting there praying that I was in the Gaelic Grounds or running around the place. You’d miss the lads – your buddies – more so than missing the training and the games.
“I’m sure when summer comes around and there’s 40,000 people in the Gaelic Grounds or Thurles, you’ll miss that of course. But I’m very much happy with the decision and have accepted the whole thing.”
He believes his former teammates have enough fire in the furnace to sustain a Liam MacCarthy challenge this season.
“I think they’ll be very much putting their hands up for accolades at the end of the year. To give you a short answer, yes, I do think they’ll be there or thereabouts.
“The standard of players, the standard of person that’s still in that group, there’s a lot of really good players that are in there. Fair enough, the last couple of years probably didn’t go to plan, but those players haven’t become bad overnight.”
♦ Hannon was speaking ahead of Friday’s night’s Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup final between University of Limerick and Mary Immaculate College at Croke Park (7.35pm).
