Illusionist Keith Barry has offered his ‘mind coaching’ services to Waterford’s senior hurlers in their bid to end a 51-year wait for the All-Ireland senior crown.
The Williamstown native said he’s ready, willing and more than able when it comes to assisting Davy Fitzgerald’s men should the Waterford County Board prove amenable.
“Not a single Waterford supporter wants to go through what happened in the ’08 final again,” Barry exclusively told The Munster Express in Dublin last week.
“The psychological damage that was inflicted on the players that day must have been huge, and they know that if they’re going to go all the way, the chances are they’ll have to play Kilkenny again, be it this year or next year – and beat them.”
Barry believes that the Championship defeats to Kilkenny in 1998, 2004, 2008 and 2009 have got to be weighing, even subconsciously, on the minds of the Deise’s 2010 vintage.
“There’s got to be some element of baggage from that All-Ireland loss, and fair play to Davy and the lads, they’ve shown great resolve since losing that game and they did brilliantly to win the Munster Championship.
“But the All-Ireland is what the players want, the All-Ireland is what Davy wants and it’s what every man, woman and child born in Waterford wants. And that’s where I think I could play a role.”
So what could Keith do? “I’d be willing to sit down with every player on the panel individually and help eliminate whatever fear, even the unknowing fear they have of that Kilkenny jersey, completely from their system.
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