Troy happy to follow in a proud Offaly hurling family tradition

WITH a famous surname and as a member of one of Offaly's most cherished and favourite hurling families, there was almost an air of inevitability that Mark Troy would find his way to between the posts and wearing the number one jersey.

A capable outfield forward with an eye for the posts, the Offaly U-20 hurling goalkeeper enjoys life in attack. He has played most of his underage hurling with Ballinamere-Durrow in the forwards and was good enough to play at corner forward on the SETU Carlow team in the Fitzgibbon Cup this year.

The son of a famous father and the nephew of a famous uncle, Troy first found his way into the goals when he joined the Offaly development squad system some years ago. It was not strange territory for him – while he loved playing out the field, his father Jim had indoctrinated him in the finer arts of goalkeeping during their many visits to nearby Durrow GAA field as he made his way up through childhood.

And when development squad coaches heard his surname, he was always going to end up in the goals. His father Jim was a legendary Offaly goalkeeper, making 112 league and championship appearances from 1981 to 1994. A sub on the Offaly side that won their first All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1981, he was in the goals when they won their second in 1985 and his last appearance was the sensational 1994 All-Ireland final win over Limerick.

His uncle John may be remembered as one of the great stylists of the 1990s, a magical stick artist who regularly took the breath away with his skill. He won All-Ireland senior hurling medals in 1994 and 1998 but actually started life as a goalkeeper and he wore the number one jersey as Offaly won the All-Ireland minor hurling title in 1987 and 1989.

His hurling ability, however, was so special, so mesmerising that he was always going to end up out the field – apart from the rock steady presence of older brother Jim between the posts meaning that Offaly did not need a goalkeeper as he graduated onto the senior team in 1989 and established himself in the early 1990s.

Mark Troy may harbour some daydreams about following John's path out the field for the county but he accepts that they are unlikely to happen and that his county future is in the goals. “Ah I don't know. John was a lot better hurler than I am, I think. Ah no, I will stick with the goals for the next while anyway. We will get over this All-Ireland and see where it takes me with the club and next year. Hopefully I will be on the senior intercounty panel and if not we will work towards it,” he candidly admitted last week.

He spoke about his road to the goals.

“I hurled outfield all my underage career and am still hurling outfield for the club U-20 and that. When I came into the development squads, they were stuck for a goalie and I said I would stand in. I don't mind hurling in goals, I like and enjoy it. Dad was always helping me if ever I was stuck for a few goalie rules. He would always bring me down to the field when I was a young lad and it worked out well.

“I still play outfield and I played outfield for the college this year in the Fitzgibbon Cup. I like the outfield aspect but if you need a goalie, I will stand in. I don't mind either way.”

The Troy's represented a bit of a conundrum. Jim Troy never got an All-Star award, despite being consistently the best or nearly the best goalkeeper in Ireland for most of the decade from 1985 to 1994. That was one of the great hurling scandals of that era and there was a theory that he was overlooked as he did not court media attention and generally steered away from interviews. You would hope that this was not the reason but it was a wildly held opinion in Offaly as he was overlooked for several years.

John Troy got one All-Star award in 1999, and could have got more. He did not seek a high profile during his long career but the paradox of all this is that Jim and John Troy are two of Offaly's favourite sons; two very witty, engaging, charismatic men, compelling company. Speaking in company and being their natural selves is not an ordeal for them and John Troy regaled an appreciative audience with his insightful stories, witty replies, grounded attitude and wisdom when he gave the Croke Park legends tour before the Joe McDonagh Cup final on Saturday.

Nominated by management as one of the players to speak to the media ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland U-20 hurling final against Cork, Mark Troy is adjusting to a new life under the spotlight.

Asked about the pressure of speaking to reporters and getting attention from supporters, he smiled: “It's tough enough but you do it once, then keep it to yourselves. Keep it to yourselves in the group. Don't be thinking too much about it. You need to relax. Go for a swim, go for a walk to clear the head. To be thinking about it 24/7, you would just get bogged down and all these nerves.”

For Offaly hurling lovers, Jim and John Troy are close to gods but to Mark Troy they are normal people, a normal father and uncle, the same as anyone else.

“They wouldn't kill you with hurling chat or anything. Dad would always be talking about it and previous games but nothing mental. They are normal people at the end of the day, the same as any other fellow on that team. They would chat to you no bother, chat to you about anything else. Just normal men really. They are just my father and uncle really and that's it.”

Excellent in goals for Offaly this year, Mark Troy is now experiencing a bit of what he father and uncle saw in the 1980s and 1990s. Mass excitement and hysteria and all that accompanies playing for a successful Offaly team.

The scenes of excitement after the Leinster U-20 hurling final win over Wexford in Carlow will stay with them for years; there were moments of raw emotion when a packed Digan's public house in Tullamore gave them a standing ovation as they arrived back later that Wednesday night.

How do you cope with this enthusiasm and stay focused on the main business?

“To be honest, it was tough but the day of the final worked out well for me. I had an exam in Carlow and it took my mind off the game really. I was studying and that was my last exam. I had to focus on that and when I got out, I was just buzzing to go. It was a Leinster final and the crowd that came was excellent. I'd say there were way more Offaly people there than Wexford and every time we got a score, won a free, you could hear the roar. That really drives a team on.”

In his second year in a sports management and coaching course in Carlow, he savoured the celebrations.

“It is great. I like it a lot. You see all them young lads coming onto the pitch, taking pictures, getting signatures. You never saw anything like that when I was younger and going to matches. It is great for them. They want to go out and hurl, the next day they want to go and train. It just drives everyone on really.”

The emergence of so many players from Durrow is a new development for Offaly hurling. Four Durrow men, Troy, Dan Ravenhill and brothers Sam and Dan Bourke will start in Sunday's final. Ciaran Burke, Sam Bourke and Brian Duignan all started in Saturday's agonising Joe McDonagh Cup final defeat by Carlow and Ross Ravenhill would have been there only for injury.

It is a remarkable return from an area that is traditionally football territory – they are members of Durrow GAA Club which only caters for football but play senior hurling with Ballinamere as permission players. Circumstances played a big role in this as three excellent Offaly hurlers in Jim Troy, Michael Duigan and Pat Cleary, who resides near Ballinamere, moved into the area from their south Offaly homes of origin.

They got involved in coaching, their sons were always likely to follow their fathers' passion and one thing fed into another. Mark Troy, the Ravenhill's and Brian and Sean Duignan grew up within 500 metres of each other and hurling was their main game.

“We all grew up roughly around the same age. We would have known each other and were hurling down the field together. The likes of dad, Michael Duignan, Pat Cleary, all of them coming down to Ballinamere and Durrow kind of drove on hurling down there and it worked out that we were always competing underage. I'd say there is 500 metres between me, Brian (Duignan) and Dan and Ross (Ravenhill). We all knew each other fierce well,” he explained.

Mary Troy gave birth to Mark in 2003 and he grew up in an era of great want and longing for Offaly as the county entered the doldrums after their great run in the 1980s and 1990s. It is only now that he is getting to see what so many others did but even in those dark years, his passion for hurling remained undiminished.

“It wasn't successful but we always went to matches whether Offaly were hurling in Cork or wherever. Dad always went to matches and I always went with him. Even when Offaly weren't doing well, we still went to support them. You can see the difference in the crowd now that is following and it is great for Offaly that we are back up there. There was a bit of a dip for a few years but that happens to everyone. Hopefully Offaly are back up at the top now.”

Troy was in goals when Offaly lost heavily to Kilkenny in the Leinster minor hurling final three years ago but are a different proposition now. The emergence of several members of the Offaly side so unlucky to lose to Tipperary in the All-Ireland minor hurling final three years ago has galvanised everyone – three years ago, they were too young to play minor but it is a different story now and Offaly have a much better team.

He spoke about their influence.

“We had all these boys coming through and we knew how good they were. The older boys took a bit from them and we knew we would drive it on. All we were aiming for from the start of the year was to win a Leinster. To get Offaly back up to the top tier, from underage up. The boys really drove us on when they came in. We thought we would be the leaders but they really drove us on in leaps and bounds at the start of the year.

“We probably didn't show up for the first half against Kilkenny three years ago and them younger boys have really added to it. I think we lost eight lads from that minor team who went their separate ways or whatever. We had a set fifteen but we never had the depth we have now. We have boys who can come on and replace the lad who has been playing twenty minutes, half an hour or whatever he has hurled, who can step in and plays the exact same role. We have a depth in our squad, so many lads who can come in and fulfill a role. We don't have just a set fifteen, it could be anyone on the day.”

It has all resulted in a new found excitement in the Offaly hurling world.

“It's good. We had heard about the teams of the past and the great experiences they had. It is brilliant to be part of it. Leo and the boys are so invested in it and its the least we can to. Getting Offaly hurling back to where it was is what all of us are aiming for. The seniors are aiming for the same. That is the main focus for all of us.”

Offaly came out of the second tier with routine wins over Wexford, Meath, Antrim and Kildare. They were always going too strong in the second tier but the games served them well.

“We got a few games but we still had to get out of the group. Westmeath put it up to us. We got the games under our belt really. We had a few games going into Galway and it was good to have them. They were all hurling each other and had a week break before they played again. It was good to get a few wins, to get the confidence up.”

The win over Galway, All-Ireland minor champions three years ago, ignited everything and was arguably the biggest win by an Offaly hurling team in a generation.

“It was massive. Galway were a good side. We knew what they could bring to the table. They had three years of minors and we knew what was coming for us but we said we would go out and play our own game. Let the ball do the rest. That is the way we have been the whole year. We go out and play our own game and let everything else fall into place.”

It meant that Offaly were favourites for the semi-final against Dublin and given a great chance for the provincial final against Wexford. That didn't bother Troy.

“I forget about it really. You have to switch off as well from all that type of thing. The few things on social media, you can't really be listening to them. You have to focus on your own game. We knew what we had to do going into those two games. It didn't matter whether you were favourites or not. You still have to do your own bit to get the result we wanted.”

Now they find themselves as underdogs for Sunday's final in Thurles.

“It is good to go in as underdogs. There is no pressure on us really but we want to perform ourselves as well. Semple Stadium is another pitch and you just have to take it on. There will be a big crowd there but we have experienced a bit of that in Dr Cullen Park. The boys have all the experience of last year in Nowlan Park and Thurles as well so we all know what we are expecting.”

For the next few days, he will be keeping his head down. Finished college for the summer, he is working in Euram, the airline factory in Ferbane, wrapping parts and this is a welcome distraction.

“You work Monday to Friday and it takes your mind off it. The match is on Sunday then and you train Monday, Wednesday and Friday next week. You won't get too much time to think,” he said.