Positive and optimistic Cody ready for 2026 Championship challenge

Click here to listen to the full interview with Kilkenny's Eoin Cody.

By Cian O'Connell

Positive and optimistic, Eoin Cody is relishing preparing for another Leinster SHC with Kilkenny.

The black and amber team have set the standard in the province, winning six titles on the spin. Saturday's Pearse Stadium opener against Galway promises to be revealing for both teams.

In the Allianz Hurling League, Galway delivered a stylish display against Kilkenny, but Cody is expect a response. "We always face Galway early on in the Leinster Championship, the way it rolls," Cody says.

"This year, it's the very first game. Obviously, after a disappointing performance and result in the league, it gives us an opportunity to bounce back, to show what we're really made of. I'm positive and very optimistic that we will show our true state."

During the league Derek Lyng afforded chances to emerging players. "The build up since the end of the league has been excellent," Cody responds.

"Training has been good. It's positive around the camp, everyone is in good form, and we're just really looking forward to the start of the Championship now.

"Derek, in fairness to him, probably realised he'd to give lads opportunities. He's been doing it for the last number of years in the league. Lads have been showing.

"This year again, he called in a massive number of lads. There was a big change up in the panel and in the management, too. A lot of lads have put the hands up."

That brings a freshness and energy according to the potent Ballyhale Shamrocks attacker. "Absolutely, when you're going training, and you've young lads skitting around laughing and full of energy, it brings it to a whole new level," Cody replies.

"It makes you, personally, reflect when you were that age. When you were young, that is what it is all about really, it's about enjoying it, loving every minute being involved, whether it's training or a match. It has been great.

"I think this is my seventh year now - which is mad. I'm just trying to do all I can to represent the jersey as well as I can, to the best of my ability."

Cody acknowledges the contribution being made by Niall Corcoran and Eddie Brennan, who were additions to Lyng's set-up for the campaign. "Eddie and Niall have brought different things," Cody explains.

"Niall is probably predominantly the coach. He is doing a lot of drills and leading it that way. Eddie is kind of a forwards coach, so I'd be dealing with Eddie, maybe one on one, whether it's general conversations, things he thinks I can improve on, things he thinks I'm doing well. It's nice.

"To have Eddie, for me personally he's someone that graced the Kilkenny jersey, he wore it with such pride and such honour and did such great things in a Kilkenny jersey - to get advice from someone like him, it can really add to your aim. It's great to have the two boys involved."

In Kilkenny, capturing the Liam MacCarthy Cup is always the ambition.

Despite the Leinster glory in recent years, Kilkenny haven't triumphed nationally since 2015. "We all want to win the All-Ireland, it's a lot easier say it than do it," Cody replies.

"You've extraordinary teams out there, extraordinary players. For me, it is all on the day, and unfortunately over the last number of years there have been days we've been on it, and days we haven't. That means we haven't won it.

"I'm just optimistic and positive about the future. I don't dwell on them things, once a game is over, it's over. There is nothing you can do about it now.

"It's all about looking forward to the future and trying to go again in the next year. For us, right now, it's training by training, game by game. Hopefully 2026, this could be the year."

Can anything be gleaned from the narrow recent semi-final defeats to Clare and Tipperary, who subsequently won All-Ireland finals? "Whether you lose by a point or by 100, you're on the wrong end of the scale," Cody says.

"It shows, obviously, we're close, and we know that. We're close. On the day we didn't show as we should have, we were only a point or two in them games, and if we were really at our best maybe we could've been on the right side. We weren't. We've to deal with that, and move on.

"Obviously, it hurts, it's not a nice winter, but you can't dwell on these things. You can use that hurt in certain ways when it comes around to the following year.

"For me, I try to move on and look forward to the future rather than dwell on the past."

Cody is ready, willing, and able to serve the Kilkenny cause.