Tommy Walsh gave each player on his Tullaroan under-6 team a present of a hurl over Christmas

"Tommy Walsh just loves hurling."

And hurling loves Tommy Walsh. When Tommy Walsh talks about hurling, it becomes the most important thing in the world. It becomes the only thing in the world. The Tullaroan legend has won plenty of admirers over the last few months for his passionate commentary on the game. It's been compared to his wing back play during his 12 year Kilkenny career. You couldn't pay his commentary a higher compliment. Tommy Walsh may have been small in stature on the GAA field, but by God he was big in heart and the fire never left that man's belly. That fire is still burning brightly and hurling is reaping the rewards. JJ Delaney went to battle for the black and amber cause for 12 years with Tommy Walsh. He knows what this man is about. He knows how genuine this passion is. Speaking on The GAA Hour Hurling Show on Monday, Delaney told us of a story he heard about Tommy over Christmas. A story that would warm the coldest heart.

"Tommy Walsh just loves hurling. There's no other way to describe it. Whether it be an under-14 match with his club Tullaroan, he'd be down at the field. He's training the under-6s there as well. "Just before Christmas, I heard a story there as well saying he went around to the individual houses of each member of his under-6s or 8s team and he gave them a present of a hurley for Christmas."

"He'd never tell you anything like that, but you'd hear stories like that going around about him. He just loves it, he's infectious. The Tommy Walsh that you're seeing on eir Sport on Saturday night, that's the Tommy Walsh we had in the dressing room for the last ten or 12 years. That's why lads would follow him into war, because he's just so passionate about the game, whenever he talks, it just comes straight from the heart.

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"There's no agenda with Tommy. What you see is what you get and he's absolutely brilliant. If you were in the pub talking to him, he'd be the exact same as he was there the other night on eir, he'd tell you story after story after story. They're all hilarious. He's a very likeable fella."

Tommy is one of the best. You can listen to this belter from Delaney, and much more analysis and craic between Diarmuid 'The Rock' O'Sullivan and Wooly on a brilliant GAA Hour Hurling Show. https://soundcloud.com/sportsjoe-gaa-hour/david-reidy-interview-welcome-back-offaly-tommy-walsh-punditry