Wexford hurler Matthew O’Hanlon will take part in Plant For The Planet Games this November in Kenya. The games are the brainchild of Warriors for Humanity founder and former Galway dual player Alan Kerins and are in partnership with Self Help Africa and the GPA. The games will feature 50 male and female inter-county Gaelic Games players from all four codes. Each player participating in the games has committed to raising €10,000. The funds raised will go to Self Help Africa to support the planting of trees, essential not only to combating the increasing impact of climate change but also as a way of providing sustainable income for local communities.
Donations to the Plant For The Planet Games can be made at www.idonate.ie/event/planttheplanet.
By Cian O'Connell
Wexford hurler Matthew O'Hanlon has thoroughly enjoyed the split season calendar implemented in 2022.
Following a busy inter-county campaign with Wexford, O'Hanlon contributed handsomely for his club St James' in both GAA codes.
"On a personal level I really enjoyed it I have to say," O'Hanlon states. "From a players perspective, it's exactly what we've been asking for.
"Less training, more games. And the ability to be able to focus on one code. So I'm just off the back of a club season where in Wexford, 95% of the clubs are dual.
"So playing hurling to a finish, and then just finished the senior football championship two weeks ago in the semi-final.
"Having the ability to focus on one sport, really focus on the club is something novel and it hasn't happened to this extent in the entirety of my career anyway. I'm definitely in favour of it from a players perspective anyway."
A recent GPA survey indicated that 87 per cent of male inter-county players supported the model that has been adopted.
"I see that from my own club as well," O'Hanlon replies. "Look, from an inter-county player's perspective, previously if you think about it, you were doing a pre-season with your inter-county team, playing your league, and then going back to try and compete with your club for a few games, to then go back to inter-county and then go back to club.
"You were trying to have a foot in each camp, which is difficult. Being able to solely focus on club is to the benefit of the inter-county player who is also a club player.
Matthew O'Hanlon, Wexford, and Peter Duggan, Clare, during the 2022 All-Ireland SHC quarter-final at FBD Semple Stadium.
"But also the club players who aren't inter-county players, because the bond is strengthened, the spirit of the club is strengthened. So yeah, anyone I know from Wexford, my colleagues on the panel, is definitely in favour of it. And I'm hearing similar from the rest of the playing population."
Ultimately, O'Hanlon believes that significant potential exists in Wexford under Darragh Egan's stewardship.
"It's a year of progression," O'Hanlon says. "Obviously, having Davy [Fitzgerald] at the helm for five years, and then the transition from Davy to Darragh Egan this year was new. New players were blooded.
"We varied our style of play, and developed layers on top of the foundation that we already had there. We had some good performances in the league. A mixed bag in Leinster.
"Obviously winning against Kilkenny is a highlight. But you regret having been in a winning position against Clare, not to see that game out to progress further in the All-Ireland stage is definitely something we're disappointed with."
Improvements can be made according to O'Hanlon. "The challenge to us, going into 2023 is how we can be more consistent and follow up big performances with other big performances," he adds.
"And how we can develop our panel further. So yeah, really enjoyable year. Darragh coming in was a breath of fresh air.
"But we regret that we didn't get to a Leinster final, and also regret that we didn't get a couple of steps further in the All-Ireland series."
A solid foundation has been established by Egan. "This year, I'm not sure, about six-to-eight U20s or 21-year-olds, development players were in with us," O'Hanlon remarks.
Matthew O'Hanlon remains a key performer for Wexford.
"They would have got experience throughout the league. A few of them got game-time and they would have been working away in the background.
"You can see that the teams at the latter end of the championship are getting guaranteed impact off their bench. That's an area of improvement for us.
"We have 20 guys that are going to take to the field and are going to make a positive impact for Wexford. That comes with improving the strength of our panel. I think we've made progress this year, steps in the right direction.
"So it sets us up for a better run at it next year. I'm looking forward to it now, I'm sure Darragh has had his eye on the club championship too, and there may be some more of new faces being brought into the fold."
O'Hanlon simply relished having a full schedule of matches in 2022. "The Covid years were strange in so many ways for everybody," he says. "As a player playing in championship games with either no fans or limited fans is a strange experience.
"So definitely, getting back to packed stadiums this year was brilliant, and reminds us all why we play the game. That passion and atmosphere you have there, you just cannot replicate it anywhere else.
"That was one of the reasons why it was a really enjoyable year despite the lack of silverware at the end of it because it was just nice to get back to that.
"It was nice to play in front of your own fans, to get that banter and camaraderie in the dressing room and training environment that probably wasn't at the same level during the Covid years."
Wexford's 2023 journey will launch shortly.
