Tributes have poured in following the passing of renowned Waterford hurling coach Peter Power, who died this morning.
Power, of Inchindrisla, Kilgobnet, Dungarvan, Waterford was a much-loved and widely revered man across the county, and was part of the county management team that delivered the 1992 Under-21 All Ireland Hurling Championship title, alongside the late Tony Mansfield and De La Salle’s Joey Carton.
Waterford drew with Offaly on a 4-4 to 0-16 scoreline on the first day, before prevailing 0-12 to 2-3 on the second night, a famous evening for Waterford hurling at Nowlan Park on September 27th 1992.
That team contained the likes of Paul Flynn, Tony Browne, Ken McGrath and Fergal Hartley.
Power was also renowned for his role in coaching various young hurlers throughout schools in County Waterford.
In 2012 & 2013, he was part of the coaching ticket for more All-Ireland success – this time alongside Shane McGrath, Darragh Duggan and Pat Collins, as Dungarvan Colleges (Colaistí na nDéise) captured the Croke Cup in 2013, following on from back-to-back Harty Cup successes.
That team contained the likes of Tadhg de Burca, Conor Prunty, Darragh Lyons, Patrick Curran and Kevin Daly – who went on to captain Waterford to All-Ireland minor success that same year.
“The thing that gives me most happiness about the schools scheme is that it was welcomed into previously almost exclusively football areas such as with the Prendergasts in Ardmore and Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh in Stradbally”, said Power, when recalling its’ humble beginnings in the late 1980s.
“It helped to make hurlers out of lads who, if the status quo had remained the same would never have caught a hurley, not to mind play in an All Ireland final. Walsh has lifted my heart. I remember him as a 10-year-old and I used to say to him ‘Brick you will play for Waterford,’ and he’d say ‘I know Peter but it will be in football’.”
Peter Power watches on as a young Patrick Curran scores in the 2012 Dr. Harty Cup Final against Nenagh CBS.
In a 2008 interview with the Irish Examiner, Power spoke of his hurling philosophy – the reasons why he believed the county were yet to yield a senior All-Ireland success since 1959.
“Too many sweat men. I saw a few of our hurlers over the years who could have won the 10,000 metres in the Olympics but their hurling was too slow. Sometimes the men in charge were ‘sweat men’. To me hurling is a simple game. It’s 60% skill, 20% attitude and 20% fitness. If I put Usain Bolt in left half forward Sunday and told him to run around the place, he wouldn’t get much of a smell of it now would he?”
Power has been fondly remembered in many tributes today, as the man who helped spread the gospel of hurling to the next generations of aspiring young stars.
Never without a smile, he wrote his notes on hurleys, gave his time without thought and instilled belief at times where it was in short supply. We’ll never see his like again.
Predeceased by his wife Mary, his infant daughter Bridget, parents Richard and Kathleen, brothers John, Tommy, Patrick, Michael, Dick, Nicholas, Gerard and James, sisters Mary, Biddy and Cait.
Deeply mourned by his loving sons Pat and Peter, daughters Mary and Sinead, brother Joe and his wife Teresa, sister Teresa and her husband Jimmy, grandchildren Michael, Mark, John, Sarah, Meadhbh, Aidan , Aisling, David, John and Niamh, his great granddaughter Lucie, son-in-law John and daughters in law Trish and Alma, extended family, neighbours and friends.
May Peter rest in peace.
