Interview: Kilkenny’s Eoin Larkin

JOE caught up with Kilkenny captain Eoin Larkin ahead of the All-Ireland champions making their 2012 championship bow against Dublin tonight.

The Kilkenny hurling forward had a great league campaign and bagged a goal in the League final demolition against Cork. He was named as the Opel GAA/GPA All-Stars Player of the month for May ahead of the Championship and JOE caught up with him recently.

JOE: Everybody knows what this Kilkenny team is about but how do you feel about getting these individual awards, is it something you enjoy or is it something you’ll appreciate a little later on?

EL: I probably will appreciate it a little later on when I’m retired and things like that. I was delighted to get it but the main focus has to be on the championship now.

JOE: That’s where you refocus now and I suppose a lot of people and former players have said that you felt there was a wrong to right last year against Tipperary. How do you maintain motivation again this year because you’ve been so successful and proved yet another point last year against Tipperary?

EL: Yeah we’ve got to do the same this year. Last year we really wanted to win the All-Ireland and we did feel like we had a point to prove, but this year I think we’ll just have to get our heads down and motivate ourselves that little extra bit harder. Sometimes I don’t think we need any more motivation than for it to be an All-Ireland though.

JOE: What would Brian Cody ever say to you in the dressing-room if for instance you needed gee-ing up or motivating at half-time?

EL: He doesn’t really say a lot to players at half-time. He leaves it to the players and all the players have to stand up themselves and motivate themselves first of all and then try to motivate the rest of the team, so he just kind of leaves it to the players.

JOE: Who are the best players in terms of helping the others?

EL: Everyone has to stand up at different stages and at different times. Probably Tommy Walsh is one of the best at that, he seems to be the best out of the lads.

JOE: Facing into a Leinster Championship this year, for a long time you didn’t have many rivals, obviously Galway had a good end to the League and Dublin a successful Championship last year, but there are teams in Leinster finally challenging you and preparing you for the latter stages of the Championship even more...

EL: Yeah, I suppose that’s what motivates you even more than anything else, there is stronger opposition out there and if you’re not tuned in and not working hard then you’re not going to get the rewards that you want. At the end of the day we’ve got two games to win the Leinster Championship and we’ve been working hard.

JOE: Is it something the players welcome? The extra challenge you now find yourself having in those two games now?

EL: That’s it. Everyone loves challenges and you want to be putting yourself up there against the best and Dublin certainly are up there as one of the best for the past few years.

JOE: In terms of challenges, have you been setting yourself any personal goals or challenges for this year?

EL: Ah no, I think your personal aim every year has to be getting to the All-Ireland final and winning it every year, that’s always got to be the personal goal and if that changes… well then I’ve got to revaluate where I’m going, but that’s my personal aim this year and will be every year for the foreseeable future.

JOE: Finally there’s a lot of sport on this year, the European Championships at the moment, the Olympics and the Ryder Cup a little later on, are you going to get to watch and enjoy a bit of that or is just head down and concentrating on that week in September you want to get to?

EL: Ah yeah it will be head down, but I’m sure we’ll get a couple of days off to enjoy the Olympics and the Ryder Cup but we will be working hard anyway!

JOE: Any athletes in those competitions that you admire particularly?

EL: No, I like to follow all the Irish athletes in the Olympics, the golf and the Irish team when they were in Euro 2012. You hope they all do well when they play.

JOE: All the best Eoin.

EL: Thanks.