John O’Dwyer of Derry in action against Gregory Kennedy of Galway during the Guinness All-Ireland Senior hurling Championship Quarter-Final match between Galway and Derry at Croke Park in Dublin, July 29, 2001. Photo: Damien Eagers / Sportsfile. For generations of young GAA players, the dream is remarkably simple: pull on the jersey of your county, walk onto the hallowed turf of Croke Park and, one day, climb the steps of the Hogan Stand. For John O’Dwyer, that dream began on the quiet backroads of Killenaule, where hurling consumed almost every aspect of…
