PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for April in hurling, Brian Hayes, with his award outside the PwC offices in Cork. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
By Cian O'Connell
Brian Hayes senses the possibilities that exist. The Cork hurling team reconnected with supporters during a dramatic 2024 Championship journey.
Gleaning the Allianz Hurling League title earlier this year added further optimism. In the Munster SHC, though, challenges arrive thick and fast so Sunday's TUS Gaelic Grounds encounter against Limerick is eagerly anticipated.
Growing up playing hurling and football for St Finbarr's taught Hayes many valuable sporting lessons. "I'd have loved going out to the Barrs, I spent most of my childhood out there," Hayes recalls.
"Just going there with my father, he'd have been involved with different teams and with my own teams growing up. I loved going out to the Barrs, I still go there the whole time, it is only five or 10 minutes away from my own house."
Proud and decorated clubs are sprinkled across Cork city. The Barrs will always matter deeply to Hayes. "It is great to go out there, to mix with different people in the Barrs, they're great people," he adds.
"You've a nice culture there, we're all in it with each other. Most of my best friends would be from the Barrs, and people I look up to are from the Barrs too.
"It is great to be able to talk to them on a friendly basis too, whenever I meet them out there or around the place.
"At the moment, it is great, we've plenty of people to rely on. In hurling, we've Ger Cunningham as our manager and, in football, Jimmy Barry Murphy is involved. Those big names, it's great to have them involved, to look up to."
The links with previous teams and distinguished figures in the club means something. "It does, we've put in a lot of work over the last five or 10 years," Hayes responds.
"The footballers had a great win in 2018, I wasn't involved in that, I came on to the scene a year later. In 2021 we'd a great win in Cork and we won the Munster too.
Cork's Brian Hayes in Munster SHC action. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
"That was a very good year for me, I was only 20 at the time. It was always a dream for me, to win with the Barrs, before you'd ever think about playing for Cork."
Accomplished dual players are part of the Barrs history. "Winning with your club is probably the best day you'll have out, they're the fondest memories you'd have," Hayes reflects.
"Winning the county that year was great and it was great to push on the year after to win the hurling. Tradition only counts for a small bit, but we put the hard work in, and the players came through.
"We've been going well in football and hurling now, in those two years, especially. Obviously, the last two years haven't been as good as we'd hoped, but hopefully this year we can get back up to the top of the table."
In the Cork jersey Hayes has flourished in a potent attack. Working under Pat Ryan is thoroughly enjoyable. "It is great, Pat and his performance coach group have been with my age from U20 when we had two great years together," Hayes explains.
"Obviously, there was a year in between, but they carried that on to the senior straightaway. It is a great environment to be involved in.
"It is full of good people, who're looking out for each other, stuff like that. It is great to be part of, I'm loving it."
Ryan previously operated as a coach with the senior team nearly a decade ago before enjoying success as manager at U20 level. "Different people on the panel would have different relations with Pat, I know some of the older lads on the panel would've had him in 2016 and 2017, they'd have known him then," Hayes says.
"About 15 or 16 of us would've had him at U20 level. He has given different people, different chances. He's a great man for that, people would always have great respect for him.
"He's just a great man to have around the place, positive, looking out for each player. He has been great to me, and he'd be a good friend of ours."
