Legend Keher hails Brian Cody’s impact on Kilkenny hurling

Even by Kilkenny hurling standards, the achievements and accolades of Eddie Keher still stand tall in the annals of modern history.

The Rower-Inistioge man won 10 Leinster titles, six All-Irelands, three National Hurling League and five All-Stars during his illustrious career in the Kilkenny jersey.

The 81-year-old also won a county championship with his club as well as being joint-coach alongside Pat Henderson when the Cats won the All-Ireland in 1979.

All that ensured that he was the perfect special guest when Stathams in the Pembroke Hotel opened it’s doors to the Inpho Hurling and Camogie Photographic Exhibition earlier this month.

Over 60 pictures of storied Kilkenny moments in both hurling and camogie, some of which included Keher, have been on show over the last few weeks, with many of the items sold in aid of the Kilkenny Lions Club Christmas Appeal.

The Kilkenny legend outlined what got him into the game of hurling and how it’s important to remember famous days from the past.

“When I was a six year old out hurling in the square in Inistioge I always had to be Jim Langton and other lads would be Jack Mulcahy while someone else would be Terry Leahy or Paddy Grace and that’s the inspiration we got and we wanted to be like them,” he said.

“It’s great to see such events from the past now recorded and they’ll be good talking pieces in hotels, pubs and restaurants in the years to come.

“It’s wonderful to have them as most people wouldn’t have seen the photographs before.”

Keher is a former Bank Official but he admits that hurling was the most important thing in his life when playing over the course of his 18-year career with the Cats (1959-1977).

“When I was playing, everything was geared towards it,” he said. “My whole life, my family (Keher’s wife) Kay and my children were all part of it.

“Everything was organised around it.

“When I started working in the bank, it helped my job as well and many other things I have been involved in over the years such as committees and groups.

“It’s helped with the club and building the community centre and fundraising for that. It’s hard to imagine my life without hurling.”

You could write a book on the culture and tradition of Kilkenny hurling and Keher outlines the figures that have helped the county excel on the biggest stage.

“You have to ask yourself why Kilkenny hurling is so prominent given it’s a relatively small county,” he said. “When you look at it, we’ve won 36 All-Ireland titles and some people will say it’s the limestone and the lime in the water is good for the bones, but there’s a bit more to it than that.

“It’s really tradition but someone has to start that tradition in the county. When you look at it Kilkenny really came onto the scene in 1904 - at that time Cork and Tipperary already had six All-Irelands each.

“Between 1904 and 1913 or 1914, Kilkenny won seven All-Irelands so those teams of the Rochfords, Drug Walsh and the Doyles started the tradition that we now have and we have to be grateful for that.

“It was then carried on with people in the 1920s and ’30s admiring the players from the 1900s and so on.

“After a bit of slide in the 1950’s two important things happened in Kilkenny - the first was the appointment of Fr Tommy Maher as trainer of the Kilkenny team. He brought a whole new lease of life to things as, under Fr Maher, Kilkenny won seven All-Ireland titles.

“The second thing, which goes without saying, was the appointment of Brian Cody as the Kilkenny manager. We enjoyed another 11 All-Ireland wins in 2000 and into new millennium.

“So they were significant things to happen to Kilkenny hurling. Hopefully a new generation of youngsters will be inspired by the current team so that tradition can continue.”

The Rower-Inistioge man is hopeful of a bright new era of Kilkenny hurling under Derek Lyng. He believes they can build on this year’s All-Ireland final appearance but acknowledges that the departing Brian Cody leaves a massive void.

“It is an end of an era for us. I do not think you can say enough about him. l know all his records and everything has been stated and complimented on.

“But the one thing I always felt with Brian was a word he always used: honesty. I have to say that in all the time since 1998 that Brian has been in charge of the team, his players have played with honesty.

“We had four teams during his period, all great and wonderful teams. It is often said he had great players, he had very good players that I always contend Brian made great. If you look back at the All-Irelands, Leinster finals, semi-finals we won, an awful lot of those went to the wire.

“Only for Brian’s fighting spirit, I do not think we would have won those games. We have a lot to be grateful for, for hurling in general but for Kilkenny in particular.”

“He was what we all wanted. He was the boss. We’re very, very proud of what he has done. But a really nice guy and you would know from speaking to him as I have done so many times over the years.

“Hurling is his passion and that’s what he lived for.”