The Kerry hurlers came to major prominence at the weekend as they won promotion to Division 1B of the Allianz League by beating Antrim at Parnell Park. They won a tense game by a point and will next year face the likes of Clare, Limerick and Wexford.
The move up in the National League caused Damien O'Meara to ask Pat Spillane about his own hurling career on 2FM's Game On. The eight-time All-Ireland winner spoke of an inauspicious time playing with the small ball though he did reveal that he was marked by one Brian Cody in his final ever game of hurling.
My last hurling game was playing in the freshers university hurling championship playing full forward for the national college of physical education in Limerick and being marked by a young man from Kilkenny who was a trainee teacher at the time called Brian Cody. It was the end of my hurling career because I could kick the sliotar further than I could puck it.
Spillane was born in Templenoe, an area not far from Kenmare. The town is one of the few places in south Kerry where hurling is played to a decent level so it is surprising that an athlete of his ability was not more proficient at hurling.
Picture credit: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE
