Paul Schutte
By John Harrington
Cuala’s Paul Schutte played through the pain barrier to help his club to victory over Ballyea in Friday’s AIB GAA All-Ireland Club SHC Final.
The hard as nails defender broke his finger just three weeks ago, but he never gave up on his All-Ireland dream.
And he revealed after the match that he used the example of Ireland rugby star Tommy Bowe to fuel his determination to make a quick recovery.
“It was very close,” said Schutte. “We didn’t want to say anything before the match but broke my finger in a friendly game and was told I’d be about for 12 weeks.
“There are a couple of people I have to thank because they looked it up and saw Tommy Bowe had a similar injury and got back after three weeks.
“Barry O’Sullivan and Paul Sullivan, the surgeons, put three pins in my finger about three weeks ago. Luckily it got me through.
“Luckily it got me through. There wasn’t much hurling being done by me there but just delighted to get through it and help the team.
“My first training session was last week. That was my first contact, hitting the ball. I hit a wall ball during the week.
“When you’re dangled with the golden carrot of an All-Ireland final you find a way to get through. Absolutely delighted.”
Cuala made history by becoming the first ever Dublin team to win the All-Ireland club SHC, and they pulled if off in style.
Cuala
There was little or no signs of nerves, so despite all the good-natured hype that their enthusiastic supporters had drummed up in the weeks before the final, the players never lost their focus.
“We didn’t want to get caught up in the occasion so we focused a lot on the process. Definitely, now, I can’t wait to look at all those videos.
“There was an AIB video with Paul Cahill. Like my heroes growing up, all our uncles, my dad, the Treacys, the Callaghans – just seeing how happy they were, that really touched me.
“Sitting on the bus, I watched it and nearly broke down in tears. So I said that’s enough of that. Brilliant for the club.”
Schutte hopes Cuala’s victory can be a landmark moment for Dublin hurling as a whole and is enthusiastic about the potential within the county.
“Hopefully they can take confidence from it,” he said. “We won an All-Ireland and our toughest challenge was in Dublin.
“We drew with Crokes. We drew with Ballyboden – beat them in extra-time. They were our two toughest games all year.
“There’s a great competition there in the Dublin Championship. Of you can get out of Dublin, you should be there or thereabouts.
“So I’d be confident about where Dublin hurling is headed.”
