On Monday morning, the Carlow senior hurling manager met the Waterford forward who had scored 3-12 on the opening weekend of the championship. Just a father and son grabbing a coffee.
Pat Bennett had three sons togged out for Waterford’s Munster championship match against Clare last Sunday in Ennis – Kieran (31), Stephen (30) and Shane (29).
The previous afternoon in Dr Cullen Park, Bennett had managed Carlow to victory over Laois in the Joe McDonagh Cup. On the whole, it was a decent weekend for the family. But none of it came without significant sacrifice.
Bennett, who had treatment for prostate cancer two years ago, collapsed at home last June and was taken to hospital.
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Stephen, who recently became a father for the first time, is facing the reality of eventually requiring two hip replacements. His performance in Ennis on Sunday will be difficult to top by any player this summer. The fact he was able to produce it while in such pain is otherworldly.
“[Stephen] comes home on Sunday night and he’s in a bath of ice trying to get it [the inflammation] down,” Bennett explains. “The one thing I’ll just say about him, he’s just an absolute dog. If I play him in pool, he just wants to win and he’ll want to beat me. That’s him all over. Other than that, he wouldn’t be doing it.
“We went for coffee [on Monday] morning and he can’t walk, he can’t get into a car. He’s got to get two new hips, so it’s going to be when it happens. He’s 30, you don’t want to be getting two new hips at 30. You kind of want to push it out.”
As a hurling manager, he can admire Stephen’s resilience and determination. But as a dad, the paternal concern is natural.
“Probably about two years ago, [we were talking] and he said: ‘I can’t do this, I can’t move, I can’t get out of the car.’
“And I’m kind of going: ‘Okay, you’re 28 years old, this isn’t good. You need to do something.’ That’s when he went back in again [to the consultant] and the guy told him: ‘Look, you have very little cartilage and you’re going to have to get two new replacements, but you can’t do the replacements if you’re hurling.’
“Eventually that’s what he’s going to have to do. But look, he loves it. He said he’s enjoying it more now than he was starting out at 21, 22, 23. He’s enjoying it but he knows he’s running out of time.”
Stephen’s incredible haul of 3-12 saw him top the scoring charts last weekend, but it still wasn’t enough for Waterford to beat Clare. Shane also started the game but was taken off in the second half, while Kieran was an unused sub.
“The way it turned out on Sunday, Stephen got man of the match, Kieran didn’t come on, Shane was taken off. So, you’re meeting them after and you’ve got three different things coming at you and you’re trying to be nice to the three of them in the sense that at the end of the day they’re my sons and I’m going to back them to 100 per cent.”
The support flows both ways. Bennett spent many years as a trusted lieutenant to Davy Fitzgerald in various counties, including Waterford, Wexford and Antrim. But having managed at club level himself, there was an intercounty itch he wanted to scratch.
“The Carlow thing came up and I asked, ‘Is this kind of like a bucket-list thing?’ I hadn’t been a manager of an intercounty team. What’s the worst-case scenario? It’s not as if I’m 35 and I want to be going somewhere else [afterwards]. I’m not.
“They can get rid of me in five months if they want, six months. But I just love it, the county board are unbelievable.”
But he did have to check with the family before committing to the Barrowsiders. Shortly after the championship ended for the Saffrons last summer, and having spent the season travelling up and down from Waterford to Antrim with Fitzgerald, Bennett collapsed.
“I told Davy I wasn’t going back to Antrim, the journey just killed me. I ended up in hospital. I collapsed one day, it was just everything came at me. I had been leaving home at eight o’clock in the morning, I wasn’t getting back until three in the morning.
“You’re doing all that driving, and you’re not eating the best. I put a lot of weight on. I lost three stone after it and I’m trying to keep it down, the doctors tell me I’ve got to lose more.
“I did ask the question [at home before taking on the Carlow role]. The lads will tell you: ‘Look, do you want to give it a go?’ I said it’s basically something that I hadn’t done. In fairness, they’d back me whatever way I’d go.”
There are occasions when family loyalties might have to be parked, although those moments are not always entirely obvious.
Just before the start of the league this year, Carlow played Waterford in a challenge game. Shane, Stephen and Kieran were all injured, so at least Bennett didn’t have to concern himself about facing his flesh and blood.
Both panels were stuffed with new, unfamiliar players trying to make an impact, and with subs rolling in and out, it was impossible to keep track of the personnel. During the second half, Carlow selector Shane Briggs (a former Waterford player) approached him to ask about one of the Déise hurlers who was moving well.
“‘Who’s that number 24 for Waterford?’ I said: ‘I don’t have a clue, no idea, no interest, I’m interested in Carlow.’”
But after the game, Waterford selector Dan Shanahan walked over to the Carlow manager.
“He goes: ‘It’s great to have Shane back.’ I’m like: ‘Eh, Shane wasn’t playing.’ Then I look and see he’s played the second half and I never knew. And he ended up scoring five points!”
Carlow’s positive start in the McDonagh Cup will be tested on Saturday when they travel to Mullingar to play Westmeath.
With Carlow and Antrim both in the competition, Bennett has gone from sharing car journeys with Fitzgerald to now being in opposing dressingrooms.
They still chat regularly but radio silence will be incoming ahead of their last-round clash at the end of May.
“To be honest, Davy is very competitive. We play a lot of golf together. So even in the golf, we’re at each other every day. I played him two weeks ago and we were at each other again.
“I won’t say [who won], but I didn’t lose.”
*Bennett was speaking at the launch of the 25th annual Circet All-Ireland GAA Golf Challenge. The event takes place in Killarney Golf and Fishing Club on October 15th and 16th.
