Ballysaggarts Stephen Bennett picked up his first All-Star for his performances in 2020 and in doing so became the 1,500th ever recipient of the award.
"It’s a funny one I suppose, I’m sitting down there now with my family and watching it on RTE – it’s a funny one."
"Growing up, it's something you’d always want. Anyone saying they wouldn’t, I don’t know. You would of course."
"It was always a thing I thought of like."
"You’re here watching it then and you’d think – god you’d take a Munster final or an All-Ireland final."
"It is lovely, there’s no denying it at all, it is lovely to get the individual stuff as well but the ultimate goal now is to get back and win with the team."
With 2020 throwing up more and more curve balls with every passing day, there was real concern that we wouldn't see ab championship games played. The split season for club and counties was adopted to allow for localised sports with empty grounds, with the intercounty scene taking over in the Autumn.
"It was a funny year, at the start the real break we had was enjoyable because I’d been going seven years without a break."
"People were getting fresh and they had their few months off and they came back."
"People got really excited watching the games. You know, from anyone you’d see in the shops or whatever"
"It kind of got people talking throughout the week, excited about the next game."
"It was a nice championship as well – it was every week so you hadn’t time to think or anything."
"There was a lot of good moments, and it was disappointing at the end losing the two finals but, there was a lot of positives as well."
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/James Crombie
Late in October, on a dreary night in Thurles, the Deise managed to finally break the hoodoo that had hung over them for over two years - claiming a Championship win and a spot in the Munster final with reigning Champions Limerick. Bennett says that the wins were good, but the team still has a lot to prove if they are to be considered real contenders.
"We’re not just this second best team in Ireland now like. We haven’t played Tipp, we haven’t played Galway, we haven’t played Wexford – the likes of these teams either."
"We just need to be consistent and get back and realise that the attitude needs to be a hundred times better again to even compete at this level. When the attitude is right, you’re going to have a chance."
"It would be nice to try and get to win something."
"It was disappointing in the finals – I suppose in the Munster final we had a chance, we were alright there but we didn’t take our chance."
"The All-Ireland final was disappointing."
"Even myself, on a personal level it was disappointing. I missed a good bit and I should have been better."
"We’ve a lot to work on. It's just about keeping our heads and realising that we didn’t win a game for two years."
The top scorer in the Championship with 1.54 contributed to Waterford's tally, Bennett was asked to fill the shoes of Pauric Mahony on free taking duty with just two weeks to go until the games commenced, a task he managed with aplomb.
"I made my debut at eighteen – I know I’m only 25, but I think I’m going into my eighth year now."
"The first few years like, I was struggling to make it and I was on and off and came on and started one. It was fairly frustrating like. I suppose last year, in fairness Páraic (Fanning) stuck with me the whole time and he played me and then the more games you play, the more confidence you get."
"Shur I’m getting the All-Star and people forget that poor Pauric (Mahony) done the cruciate."
"Like, I wouldn’t have even been even taking the frees only for two weeks before that happened so, you know its tough enough going. It works out for some people and it doesn’t for others."
"But look, I’m delighted with the way it went."
"The first three years I was missing training and shur when you’re missing training for a few months at a time you’re only playing catch up."
"It was tough enough I suppose, but its nice because the last two years I’ve played every league game and every championship game and that’s exactly it like, ask anyone, I was on the extended panels and subs – you need to be playing like. Everyone is trying to play."
"When you play for the last two years playing every game and relatively no injuries, you definitely get positives from it like."
With Gaelic Games on indefinite pause until at least Easter, the Deise squad will continue to train individually with the hopes of being ready when the call comes to return to the field of play.
"We thought that we’d back straight away – we thought we’d have two or three weeks, but look, the way its going we need to just keep going and wait to see when we’re going back when it’s safe to do so."
"We’ve time now and a few new lads to get in. Everyone can work on their own things. We all know from the last few matches last year with what we did wrong and what we need to work on."
"There’s a hundred things that each player needs to get better at. We’ve time now, and it is tough going on your own, but it is nice to have a little bit of time that we can work on what we need to work on and hopefully we can get back in soon."
One small point of interest from the All-Stars ceremony was that Bennett will forever be the answer to pub quizzes across the county. He was crowned the 1,500th ever All-Star.
I seen that on the telly I hadn’t a clue even. To be honest, it wouldn’t have bothered me which one it was, but no, its nice. Especially even at home in Ballysaggart, it's nice for people to be talking about and to have something.
It’s lovely to recognise last year and realise that we have a lot to work on for next year and see can we get back and go one better and beat the teams.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0tW17MkDYEqj6uupG0iY1X?si=4zHuGv9IRoCG_oo5dcfpLQ
