The Sunday Independent's Tommy Conlon caused quite a stir in Kilkenny last week when in a piece that was supposedly about hailing Clare's victory in the All Ireland hurling final, he took it upon himself to launch a fairly vicious broadside at the dethroned cats. Three paragraphs in we have this:
Conlon continued his jabs further in the piece with such incendiary terms such as opressive, grim, joyless and morbid to describe Kilkenny:
Eddie Brennan former Kilkenny great and current Sunday Game panelist took to twitter to vent his opposition to the piece:
Once again 'hold the back page' is laced wit bitterness begrudgery & an anti Kilkenny agenda can't hide their hatred for Kilkenny
— Eddie Brennan (@NedzerB13) October 6, 2013
@PhelanNick pure shite by tommy Conlon yet again he shud just be man enough to print the words 'I hate Kilkenny'
— Eddie Brennan (@NedzerB13) October 6, 2013
@mossyquinn that's it in a nut shell mossy its Clare's time they are champs why put a negative spin on a great achievement nothin 2do wit KK
— Eddie Brennan (@NedzerB13) October 6, 2013
The reaction was such that Conlon felt the need (or was forced) to write a long piece today were basically he stands by everything he said:
Conlon addresses Brennan's tweets directly:
To which Brennan's riposte was this today:
Pathetic attempt to justify the poison written in last Sundays indo sport just reiterates his personal dislike/bitterness towards Kilkenny
— Eddie Brennan (@NedzerB13) October 13, 2013
There can be no doubt that this is all a little unsavory nor can there be little doubt that Tommy Conlon has in a sense done his job by getting people talking. What is undeniable though, that in a piece written to supposedly hail a brilliant new All Ireland champion, there was no place to denigrate an historically great team. There is more national interest in Clare's win because it is new. It's as simple as that. If Atletico Madrid win La Liga this year, Spain as a whole will have more interest and won't necessarily call Real Madrid and Barcelona "introverted".
As for if Kilkenny are universally loved, then it's a safe bet to say that they aren't. That is a by-product of success though and should Clare go on and dominate like so many believe they are on the cusp of, then they too will feel the sharp cut of jealously and the calls will come for a new champion.
Read both pieces here and here.
