Eddie Brennan | Joe Canning | Ollie Canning | DJ Carey | Eugene Cloonan
Martin Comerford | Lar Corbett | Brendan Cummins | Ronan Curran
Ger Farragher | James 'cha' Fitzpatrick | Damien Fitzhenry | Paul Flynn
John Gardiner | Niall Gilligan | Damian Hayes | Conal Keaney | Michael Kavanagh
Eoin Kennedy | Eoin Kelly | Eoin Kelly | Eoin Larkin | Derek Lyng
Fergus McMahon | Seanie McMahon | Johnny McIntosh | Andrew Mitchell
Stephen Molumpy | Pat Mulcahy | John Mullane | Sean Óg Ó Hailpin
Andrew O'Shaughnessy | Ben O'Connor | Seamus Prendergast
Keith Raymond | Eoin Quigley | Joe Rabbite | Keith Rossiter | Dan Shanahan
Henry Shefflin | James Skehill | Tommy Walsh | Brian Whelehan | James Young
Brian Phelan | David O'Callaghan | JJ Delaney | Pádraic Maher | Shane McGrath
James Young has been the shining light in Laois hurling over the last few years with his fantastic play and incredible high-scoring feats. In the last three years he has never been out of the top 5 high-scorers in the Hurling Championship and in 2005 he was the leading scorer in Leinster with 2-53.
The Clonaslee/St Manmans clubman was the architect of their National League Div 2 win over Wicklow at Semple Stadium back in April. But winning the Div 2 title did not mean automatic promotion to Div 1 as they had to contest a play-off with eventual All-Ireland finalists Limerick, for the honour of competing at the highest level. James kept Laois in the match, and even though he scored 12 points, it wasn’t enough and Limerick won in the end to preserve their Div 1 status. Laois showed a lot of promise in the Championship with some brave performances against Clare and Galway. With new manager, Damien Fox, now in charge and a lot of promising new talent coming through the ranks, maybe James won’t have to wait too long before they are a mainstay at the highest level of the game.
What has been your greatest moment in sport?
Winning my first U-12 medal with my club Clonaslee/St Manmans is a great memory but more recently, winning the Div 2 in 2007 was very important for me.
Which is the toughest team you have ever faced?
Kilkenny in the League have been some of our toughest games.
Who was the toughest opponent you have ever faced?
Ollie Moran from Limerick.
How do you balance your job and hurling?
It’s not so bad. I train 3 nights a week and I bring my gear to work with me
so I can go straight to training. Work have been very flexible with me about time off if I need it.
Which player do you admire the most?
Tommy Walsh from Kilkenny. He is so versatile, he can play equally as good in the forwards or backs. He has 5 All-Star Awards, all for different positions.
Who was your childhood sporting hero?
On the playing fields it was DJ Carey. On a personal level it was my Dad who played hurling and who helped me to become the player I am today.
What club do you play for and who are your biggest rivals?
I play for Clonaslee/St Manmans at Intermediate level and we combine with Tinnahinch to form a Senior team. In Laois, the strong teams are Camross, Castletown and Portlaoise, but I would say Castletown are our biggest rivals.
Do you play any other sports?
I play football for my club and a bit of soccer for Clonaslee.
What are your hopes for the future?
With my club I hope to win a county title, we havent won it since 1975. We have been beaten in 3 County finals in the last 6 years, so to win it in 2008 would be really special. With Laois we definitely hope to stay in Div1 to ensure we play good competitive games. Obviously a Leinster title would me nice, we have some good players coming through at underage level so who knows? I would love to see Laois picking up the Liam McCarthy Cup in my lifetime.
What advice would you give to young players?
Practise the skills over and over on your own against a wall if you have to. Eat well, stay healthy and above all enjoy the game.
What do you think is the most important skill?
First touch is very important but I think being equally good on either side, left or right, gives you a great advantage.
Name: James Young
Age: 27
Team: Laois
Debut:1997 v Westmeath
Position: Centre Half-Forward
Honours:
2 National Hurling League Div 2 titles,
1 All-Ireland B titles,
2 Railway Cup titles,
1 County U-21 title,
2 County Minor titles,
2 County Intermediate titles,
1 County U-21 Football title,
2 County Intermediate football title,
2 All-Star Nominations.
Club: Clonaslee/St Manmans
Fav Food: Chicken Curry
Fav Book: Liam Dunne’s “Over the Line”
Fav Music: Christy Moore
Fav Movie: Shawshank Redemption
Fav TV: Prison Break
Fav Team: Laois Footballers
Hobbies: Golf
Occupation: Bank Official AIB
CúlFACT:
James is a prolific scoretaker and in 2005 he was the top scorer in Leinster even though other teams played more games. He scored an amazing 2-53 in Leinster that year.
© December 2007 |
