Sean Finn on condensed season, license to get forward and “basic” pre-match meals

The four-time All-Star was speaking spoke at the launch of Optimum Nutrition as the Official Performance Nutrition Partner of the Gaelic Players Association

An All-Ireland final rematch awaits Limerick on Sunday week when they take on Kilkenny in the National Hurling League final in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Last July, Limerick saw off the Cats to complete a three-in-a-row of All-Ireland wins but haven’t claimed League honours since 2020.

Kilkenny’s wait stretches back to 2018 although last year’s finalists have dominated their provincial championships with Kilkenny completing a three-in-a-row last year while Limerick are undefeated in Munster since 2019.

The decider will be a sixth league game since February as both prepare for a hectic provincial campaign. The Pairc Ui Chaoimh meeting will come just fourteen days before Limerick begin the defense of their title against Waterford in Thurles. Clare come to the Gaelic Grounds before another trip to Semple Statdium as the Shannonsiders round out the group stage on May 28.

Five games in seven weeks is a tall order but for four-time All-Ireland winner Sean Finn the chance to play “tough challenging games in front of thousands” is a bonus as he spoke at the launch of Optimum Nutrition as the Official Performance Nutrition Partner of the Gaelic Players Association

“Players like playing games. You’re going to be training hard anyways so it’s nice to be able to play in front of 15/20 thousand and play tough challenging games. I suppose with games and if you’re getting results comes confidence and momentum so players at this level like to be playiing a lot of games, albeit they’re in a condensed period of time.

“But all things considered it’s a positive.

“Each team will pose their own, and different challenge. It’s up to us to be the best possible team we can be on any given weekend. It’s about ourselves training hard during the week and being the best we can at the weekend.”

In the League semi-final against Tipperary, Limerick once again blitzed the Premier in the second half to secure victory. With shades of the 2021 Munster Final performance, the Shannonsiders overpowered their visitors in the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

Such was Limerick’s threat, every player from number four all the way to fifteen got on the scoresheet during the contest. Finn was part of the trio that didn’t find the target, alongside full back Mike Casey and goalkeeper Nickie Quaid.

The Bruff man discussed the license in the Limerick defence to get forward and his desire to break his duck at intercounty level.

“Yeah the slagging continues, I haven’t got a score with Limerick yet but that is something that I could look to change in the next few weeks. So far it’s looking unlikely.

“It would be nice to contribute to the scoreboard every so often. So far I’ve failed to that so I must have a chat with Barry in particular and how he does it.

“(License to go forward) Yeah for sure, that’s just the way the game has evolved. Depending on how the opposition set up, there are opportunities to contribute further up the field and there’s huge value in it. It’s just the nature of how the game has evolved.”

Limerick’s physicality throughout the field has become a staple of their dominance of the hurling landscape over the recent years. Finn has been an integral part of that as a teak-tough defender with the dressing room photos following their Munster Final win over Clare last year highlighting the amount of work put in by the squad.

With an increased focus on S&C, Finn discussed the importance of those aspects in the modern game and how he likes to keep his pre-match meals “basic.”

“Yeah, there’s an emphasis on S&C compared to maybe even 15 years ago. You see club teams putting in gyms in place and put an emphasis on Strength and Conditioning, nutrition ties in closely with that aswell. Even to see how the game has physically evolved over the past ten years, the emphasis on tackles and breaking tackles is quite important so to be physical and strong gives you the ability to perform at the highest level.

“Quite basic, pasta and chicken two days prior to the game, eat as much of that as I can. Consume as much water as I can and stick to that. I don’t mess around with any curries or anything like that. Nothing exciting.”

A keen Arsenal fan, Finn remained coy on their premier league chances.

“Yeah we’re going alright.”

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Optimum Nutrition®, the world’s number 1 sports nutrition brand, and part of the Glanbia Performance Nutrition brand family, has today been unveiled as the Official Performance Nutrition Partner of the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) in a new three-year partnership.  

Through the new partnership, Optimum Nutrition® will provide its Elite Series product range of certified high quality performance nutrition products to adult players and counties nationwide through an online portal.  

Optimum Nutrition® will also support the education of players on the importance of eating a nutritious diet along with appropriate high quality sports nutrition products to provide performance benefits throughout the season.  The launch today was attended by Meath footballing ace, Emma Duggan, Kilkenny All-Star Michelle Teehan, Limerick hurling star, Sean Finn and Galway sharpshooter Robert Finnerty.  

Optimum Nutrition has been trusted by all types of athletes for over 35 years and has fuelled billions of workouts in that time. To mark the launch of the partnership, Optimum Nutrition® is giving Gaelic clubs across Ireland the opportunity to win a top prize of state-of-the-art gym equipment, along with a year’s supply of Optimum Nutrition® product worth €25,000.  The runner-up in the giveaway will win a year’s supply of Optimum Nutrition® product for their club worth €5,000 to further their training and performance goals. Visit optimumnutrition.com or @optimumnutrition_ie on Instagram for more information. 

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