In the summer of 2016, the Waterford under 21s scored 15 goals and 82 points on their way to a first All Ireland since 1992.
DJ Foran has fond memories of the Munster final against Tipperary when 8,843 showed up to Walsh Park. “That’s a memory for life. I played in Walsh Park growing up in primary school and secondary school; I remember running out the tunnel and banging the hurley off the roof. In the lead-up, you had people texting you that it was going to be full and people weren’t going to be let in and things like that. You can’t help but think ‘what’s this going to be like’. When you get there and you do the warm-up, you try to block it out but it was absolutely incredible. We knew we won it with Peter Hogan’s goal with ten minutes to go. I remember getting taken off after that for Niall Fives and walking down in front of the stand and meeting Sean and Paul and the lads coming off. Then you can really soak it all in. It took us an hour and a half to get off the field because there was so many people out there.”
Foran goaled 40 seconds into the All Ireland final against Galway. Patrick Curran, Stephen Bennett and Shane Bennett also found the net as Waterford ran out 5-15 to 0-14 winners. Winning a second All Ireland was a special feeling. “When we were minor, Brick Walsh gave us a talk and one thing he said stuck with me forever. The initial five to ten minutes after winning something big, no thrill in life will get as close to that moment. A few years later, Derek McGrath was asked in an interview about his idea of heaven. He said the initial ten to fifteen seconds of jubilation when the final whistle goes after winning an All Ireland that would be his idea of heaven. It is like that. To feel it twice when you’re 18 and 21, it’s really nice to look back on. You want someone to put a dome around Thurles and just hold you in that moment for as long as you can.”
Listen back to DJ Foran and Stephen Bennett from Lár Na Páirce Hurling In The Years with thanks to PWC Waterford.
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