*Adam Hogan bursts out of defence. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
TEAK TOUGH defender, Adam Hogan said his late grandfather was watching down on him as he became an All-Ireland champion.
Feakle’s Hogan has enjoyed a stellar campaign and is arguably the leading contender to be named Young Hurler of the Year when the All Stars are dished out in the winter time.
The family mantlepiece in East Clare is already growing with Adam named the Fitzgibbon Cup player of the tournament earlier in 2024 having helped Mary Immaculate College overcome the University of Limerick to claim the silverware. The previous winter, he was a central figure on the Feakle/Killanena U21 side that won the A championship for the first time.
RTÉ’s cameras set the scene well on ‘Up for the Match’ with Marty Morrissey broadcasting from the village of Feakle. Among his guests were Adam’s proud parents, Michael and Ruth who spoke of their pride at watching their son slot seamlessly into the Clare senior hurling team since making his senior championship debut two years ago against Waterford.
His father Michael known locally as Stokey won a senior championship with Feakle in 1988 while his mother Ruth hails from strong GAA pedigree in Turloughmore. Clare supporters travelled the distance to cheer on the side in Croke Park on Sunday, including Adam’s uncle Martin who came back from Australia.
For twenty three years, Adam’s grandfather the late Phelim Murphy served as secretary of the Galway County Board, the county reaching seven All-Ireland senior hurling finals during his term from 1982 to 2004. Considered a giant within the ranks of GAA administration, Phelim was Connacht Council President from 1997 to 1999 and Vice-President of the GAA during these two years when fellow Galwegian Joe McDonagh was President of the Association. He was a selector to Cyril Farrell from 1984 when Galway went on to win two All-Ireland senior championships, two National Leagues and four Railway Cups when Galway represented Connacht.
GAA and hurling is in Adam’s blood and he felt his grandfather who died in 2022 was watching over him in Croke Park on Sunday. “It’s special, he was looking down on us yesterday and thank God it came true, I knew he was looking down on me yesterday, thank God it came true and we won”.
Eleven years ago when Clare last won the Liam MacCarthy Cup, Adam as a young boy was pictured with his clubmate Oisin Clune, both of whom would go on to win Harty Cup medals with St Joseph’s Tulla in 2022, also in the photograph was then Clare full-back David McInerney. The image was showcased on Up for the Match as an example of how Clare’s success then inspired young hurlers like Adam to become inter-county players.
To think he would be on the same team as McInerney in the same defence going on to win an All-Ireland was something he could never have envisaged back then, Adam admitted. “Never when I was at that age, I was always like the young lads here today dreaming to play in Croke Park and lift Liam MacCarthy but dreams do come true, in 2013 I was looking up to the likes of David (McInerney), Shane (O’Donnell) and Tony (Kelly) but I kept working hard and thank God it came through”.
Hurling for Clare was always the ambition, “It was everything I wanted when I was younger, my family is stepped in tradition so everything has been about hurling,” he said. This was also referenced by his father who recalled that Adam was always eager to be attending Cúl Camps even when he was below the age bracket allowed to go.
Speaking on Newstalk’s Off The Ball, nine-time All-Ireland winner and nine-time All Star from Kilkenny, Tommy Walsh described Hogan as one of the “snarliest” corner backs he has seen. On the approach of playing on the edge, Adam explained, “I remember I was younger, one of my coaches said to me ‘nice lads win nothing’, I always took that with me, you have to have that edge when you’re playing, especially in the backs and especially corner back, the forwards are so good that you have to have that edge. Look at a forward like Alan Connolly, he is so good that if you give him a step like yesterday, if you give him the step then he will score a goal like the last few rounds, I knew I had to have that edge and be on the top of my performance to keep him quiet”.
