Motivation to play is all in the family

Brian Whelahan's Diary: In the first of a new series on this year's hurling championship the Offaly star reflects on his decision to campaign one more time

The thumb

The injury that will probably keep me out of Saturday's game happened in a local club fixture - we (Birr) were playing Seir Kieran - in the first round of the championship - a game I wasn't fully focused on. These are the type of belts you get when that happens.

It was one of those things. A ball broke between Joe Errity and his marker. Joe won the ball and came towards me and I cleared it and picked up a late tackle, which wasn't really seen. But when I look back on it, if I was fully tuned into the game that situation wouldn't have occurred. I'd have taken the ball in my hand and walked it out but I decided to get rid of it first time and picked up a broken thumb.

I've had the plaster off and an X-ray to see how it is but I'm under no illusions about the Laois game. I can't see myself taking part. It's only three weeks since it happened and although it's healed, there's no strength in the ligaments, so I can't see it happening.

And now for my 16th championship

I've been playing senior since 1989 and had my mind made up before last year's championship to walk away from it after winning the club All-Ireland, which would have been a nice way to end.

I've missed out a lot on things I might have done with my kids over the past few years, especially my son Aaron. He's 15 and more committed to hurling than I am at the minute in terms of dedication and practice. I've missed a lot of his natural progression through under-age and I've thought a lot about this recently.

I had a brief chat with Aaron last year and he was very anxious for me to stay on, so I decided to give it a go. It was very carefree last season. I had no issues, just wanted to go out and hurl and I enjoyed it greatly.

This year I felt when I saw the draw that if we kept up the progress from last year, a Leinster final appearance might be on the cards.

That kept me going. It would be nice to play championship in Croke Park again. We were very inexperienced last year with a lot of new faces and I felt with the extra year under our belt we'd have a nice chance. Instead, it's been one setback after another. I've never known so many injuries on the county team.

I rejoined the panel the week of the Limerick league game. That was a disaster. Victory would have meant qualification for the second phase of the league.

Limerick came with a patchy team and that win set them up. They ended up qualifying for the second phase and we're now in Division Two. That's how things have turned around since then.

The familiar Limerick manager

It was unusual to see him (my father, Pad Joe Whelahan) training another team to play against Offaly. From his point of view I think he always wanted to train another county team just to see how he'd measure up.

He got the opportunity with Limerick.

We're like any other hurling family but at the end of the day, no matter what team or county you play for, you're not playing for a manager. You're representing your family, your club or your county. The manager, to me, manages a team, wherever he's from. He's there to do a job just as the players are.

All the times Pad Joe was passed over for the Offaly job, that was a situation beyond our control and we just have to get on with it. The administrative area is one I know little about. It's a different part of the GAA set-up but it can sometimes puzzle you.

I'd said to him no matter what you achieve with your club - and we've been very lucky in that we've achieved the ultimate goal on a few occasions with the club - but the profile just can't be compared with the profile of the county scene.

Under pressure

I've had the pub since I was 23 and opened a newsagent's last autumn. With both businesses now going I have a lot less time on my hands. Come half six in the evening you're getting ready for training.

You might get home for a quick cup of tea and then you're out to training in Tullamore for about two hours. Then you're back in Birr between 10 and half 10 at night.

The odd night you go straight home and on the others you go to the pub and chat to whoever's in for a while and you'll be home between half 12 and one o'clock.

Basically, when you have a pub you have to be on the premises.

I've Simon (brother and Offaly hurler) working with me in the shop. He does a lot of the opening up at seven and I'll take over with him in the afternoons.

But definitely I don't get as much time to think about training and think about the set-up as I got last year or at any other stage of my career.

I've been very lucky with the back-up team around me, my family who've been very, very good to me - initially my mother and father and brothers and now my wife, Mary, who has kept the whole thing together, playing both roles over the past few years.

She asks me, 'what time are you checking in at the hotel today?' You're ringing ahead to see if you have gear to go training or if dinner is ready and she has been the real strength of the family.

Aaron

He's down training with the seniors after he's finished with the minors. He loves the game and he's played with the Offaly under-14s and was down in the DJ Carey school of hurling last year. He's playing for the Offaly under-15 footballers this year and plays a bit of soccer.

My father worked with Green Isle in Banagher all his life and they closed shop back around 1985. He was made redundant and I was still finishing national school. I always remember any school or inter-school league game and he'd be there - even practice games and training sessions.

I'd get to see as many of Aaron's games as I can but you're just not there as often as other parents. Other people are busy too and I feel I should be making more time because in a year or so he probably won't want you going to matches. It's something I have missed.

Regrets

I'll never forget one of the biggest regrets I have.

There have been a few but this one stands out. My brother-in-law asked me to be godfather to his last-born. I mentioned it to the Offaly trainer at the time. Obviously, on an occasion like that you go for a meal afterwards and have a few drinks.

It was said to me - I was captain of Offaly at the time - 'sure you'll be able to make the last hour of training'. I thought it through and decided I'd just go training. I turned down the chance to be godfather and it's something I've always regretted because if parents ask you to be a godparent, they're bestowing an honour on you. I think I took it too lightly.

It's only when you sit down and think about things or when you move on. Then when your brother or your sister has kids making their communion, you ask yourself what did I do on my daughter or my son's communion day. Or when I was asked to a christening? You reflect and say to yourself, 'well, I went training'.

In an interview with Sean Moran