Joyce treasuring quiet nature of the farm before Croke Park cauldron

Irish Examiner

4 days ago

For generations in Tipp, the dream summer was Cork bate and the hay saved.
For Ciarán Joyce, the dream these days is to have Tipp bate and the cows milked.
After four years working towards his degree in agriculture from MTU Cork, school's out for summer. But instead of looking for a full-time job, preferably in dairy farming, he's postponed that for another while yet.
He's enough work on his hands trying to secure Cork their first hurling All-Ireland in 20 years and helping out on the family's dairy farm in Castlemartyr.
The day we meet him down in Páirc Uí Chaoimh at the Cork press event, he's only a couple of hours after coming off the land and out of the blazing sun.
Three decades on from Pat Spillane understandably, and in many ways presciently, bemoaning whether an occupation as physically-demanding and time-consuming as farming was compatible with the pursuit of Celtic Crosses, Joyce, sporting more of a bronze rather than a farmer's tan, is advertising the virtues of an honest day's labour on the land.
'I was working away today, yeah,' he smiles. 'I'm farming for the summer at home with my father, no days off. He [his father, Carey] won't give you any days off – likes to keep me grounded!
'We were actually fencing this morning. It was a good day to be at that. I love it.
'There's a lot of physical stuff, true. But I've been doing it since I was a toddler, so it's not like it's new to me. You could say you get farmer's strength from it.
'And I find it very good instead of sitting down in an office chair or whatever. You're up and about, you're constantly moving. So I actually think it's a good thing for you.'
A week like this, in particular, he finds it is all the more to be treasured.
Working alongside his father, who would have coached him and multiple others with Kiltha Óg, far away from the maddening crowd.
'It can be difficult in an office ahead of a game, where you can get consumed by it. It's nice at home, just myself and my dad working away. We actually try and talk as little as possible about hurling. He's very good like that. He's a big GAA man, but with that, he realises it's important to keep my eyes off hurling for a good while.
'I suppose over the coming days, you have to cherish these times. Because they don't come around too often. When you're looking back in years to come, they should be great memories to have. The build-up to an All-Ireland final.'
It will also be informed by last year's.
'Last year's final, while it was on, was probably one of the most enjoyable matches I've ever played in. Even though we lost in the end, just the game itself and the occasion, and everything around it was unreal.
"Even the build-up was some experience to be part of. But I feel like this year we're definitely better equipped. We've been through it all and we're fully ready for it now.'
Informed by the disappointment of last July, Cork appeared to attack this year's league, delivering the county's first in Joyce's lifetime. But did they specifically target it?
'I'd say we approached it like any other league campaign. We were still trying out new players. It's just this year our squad, compared to any other year, is so good. You could throw in any fella on any given day and he'd perform.'
For as intelligent a player as he is, Joyce errs on the side of not overthinking things.
'I will look at a few clips. Tomás Manning, our video analyst, prepares, but I really don't look into it too much. If you play an opponent enough times, you know what their weaknesses and strengths are.'
Nor does he worry too much about whether he's playing at wing-back or at centre-back.
'The way we play, there's actually not much of a difference. We like to play in the opposition's face. And the way opponents are switching around the place, you could find yourself at six anyway for maybe 10 minutes of the game, and Rob could be at wing back.
"So we enjoy playing anywhere in the half-back line really. And we've all played together a lot now. We're kind of learning new things and different calls. We're getting better and better at that, definitely.'
There have been testing times. In the first quarter of the Munster final, Cian Lynch was probably the best player on the pitch. By the game's end though he had lost his own individual battle with Joyce.
'It was a big challenge. I've marked him a few times now and he's very hard to mark. He's intelligent, can strike well off both hands. But after those first couple of balls [Joyce lost], you just had to reset.
"You have to concentrate on the next moment, because if you dwell on a mistake you made a minute or two ago, you're not properly focused for the next ball. Gary Keegan does an awful lot of psychological work with us and he's always harping on about the next moment.
"Even against Dublin, we felt we were only playing for 10 minutes here and there. We want to improve on that for the next day. Go about things moment by moment.'
And treasure those on the farm with his dad in the lead-up, too.