Ode to JBM

31st Aug 2015

ODE TO JBM

As our hurling bainisteor departs, it’s fitting we give some time,
To celebrate the legend with a little People’s Republic rhyme.

He took the job four years ago and every fan was so delighted.
At last a figure who could help to heal and get Cork GAA united.

He had been called on once before in a time of urgent need,
A decade had nearly passed since Cork hurlers had done the deed.

In ’99 after 9 long years he beat Kilkenny to capture Liam,
And now he’s even been added to the hall of fame in the GAA museum.

Magnanimous in defeat and always humble when he won,
When his teams didn’t do the job there were no excuses spun.

With JBM there were no worries about his demeanour or his behaviour.
He’d already proven himself in ’99 as the county’s golden saviour.

Part of being the public face of a county like us so great,
Is you must generate affection and not spite, distain or hate.

Unlike some of his rivals who patrolled the sidelines like men possessed,
The Barr’s man roamed with dignity, to have him we were truly blessed.

When he took the reins some fans said there’d be little he could do,
With the neglect of hurling underage it seemed Cork’s winning days were through.

Then in ’13 he surprised us all, every fan, every board man and member,
We were suddenly back in the sporting headlines and hurling in September.

Who will ever forget those finals, for a month your heart was in your mouth,
We really thought the stars had aligned and JBM would bring the silverware to the south.

But the referee had other plans after Hoggie struck the winner,
He played an unsanctioned half a minute with a margin that couldn’t have been thinner.

We all believed when the red flares went off and the Rebels burst into song,
That the cup was ours and after all his bluster, that Davy Fitz was gone.

After all the cocky comments and his preaching high and pious,
In the heat of our excitement we forgot about the GAA’s anti-Cork bias.

The man in black let play go on because the Clare lads had the sliotar,
The dollar signs flashed in their eyes and JBM was entitled to be bitter.

They drew the match and by the skin of their teeth the banner had survived,
Yet there wasn’t a Rebel watching who wouldn’t admit Cork hurling had been revived.

Jimmy being such a gentlemen resisted the temptation to speak out,
It looked as if the end had finally come to our long term winning drought.

The following year we got some silver, Captain Cronin lifted the cup,
Albeit it was the steps in Pairc Úi Chaoimh and not Croker that he went up.

We needed something to celebrate after all the years of drought,
That draw in Croker nearly killed us, so at last we could sing and shout.

But even Jimmy’s hounds know he worked miracles after no underage success,
The powers that be have let Cork hurling become an unadulterated mess.

If Cork GAA was a bicycle then Jimmy was undoubtedly the pedals,
Disseminating wisdom to his players gained from his six All-Ireland medals.

His players were the tyres and frame as Jimmy upped the stakes.
And we best not say what grey haired group could be compared to the brakes.

Yet he coached up Seamy Harnedy, Mark Ellis and Lehane,
No roaring from the rooftops, more like reading a Sunday Psalm.

He tailored a team to suit our needs, he fine tuned their raw and gutsy talent,
Always striving for a team that was tough and skilled but still determined, fit and gallant.

He has undoubtedly left Cork hurling in a better state than he found it,
When he discovers a square peg, he’s the best man to try to round it.

So we say goodbye once more, to the man who has given us so much pleasure,
He owes us nothing as they say, he’s a diamond and our hurling treasure.

Even though he didn’t capture Liam this time, Jimmy will always be a gem.
Cork will be always grateful for the efforts of our Rebel hero JBM.