Childhood pictures of Cahal Carvill and his brothers with hurleys in their hands are dotted around their family home in Middletown. Hurling is part of their existence, even if Armagh isn’t a traditional hurling county.
"We love to play hurling as much as anyone in the strongholds of Kilkenny, Tipperary or Galway," Carvill tells RTÉ Sport.
"We grew-up with it, our club is a very strong hurling club and the people love the game and Armagh hurling."
Carvill has been playing senior hurling for Armagh for 12 years. It hasn’t been a glamorous existence but it’s been an enjoyable one.
Reading back over match reports paints a clear picture of the 30-year-old’s journey as an Armagh hurler. A Christy Ring game against Derry ten years ago yielded nine goals but only drew a crowd of approximately 80 people.
"As long as my mam was there I didn’t mind. She travelled all over the country going to my games. I’ve brothers and cousins playing so our community are all very involved," he says.
"I never cared if there were five people at it, pulling on the Armagh jersey gives me a great sense of pride and we have had a consistent team over the years, with a lot of the same players breaking through at the same time.
"I love playing with the boys and I think we have elevated the profile of Armagh hurling. Certainly playing in front of 80,000 people is still a dream but I know it is just that."
There has been serious progress made on the results front over the last decade. Along with winning two Nicky Rackard Cups and Division 2B of the league, Armagh have contested three Ulster finals.
Albeit they have yet to claim the title, but in 2011 they became the first Armagh side to make the provincial final since 1946 and that’s certainly worth celebrating.
"When I started we were playing the likes of Longford, now we are playing the Carlows and the Westmeaths.
"In 2011 when we got to the Ulster final it a big breakthrough, there was lots of coverage in the papers and there was a big crowd in Casement Park.
"At home you could see the increase in the young boys out playing. To get to three Ulster finals in three years when you hadn’t been in an Ulster final in six decades is a sign of progress."
Carvill, who won an Ulster minor football title with Armagh, credits the underage structures in the county for the development of the hurling but he feels there is still plenty of work to be done by the GAA.
Ideally, the Middletown man would like to see more clubs being formed. For him this is the logical next step as numbers will help the game grow across the board.
Comhghairdeas le @middletowngac who are @UlsterGAA Intermediate champions for 2017 pic.twitter.com/FJylJjNSDv
— Armagh GAA (@Armagh_GAA) October 22, 2017
"You need to get the youth playing the game, get them excited about it. That’s what it is all about. You get more players playing and the game grows, they have to want to play and represent the county.
"There is no doubt that from when I started to where things are now things are better but there is so much more that could be done. If you look at the bigger counties they have lots of development coaches, there is money being pumped in to the game.
"It has to be pushed from a coaching and resources point of view to get people involved. In places like Belfast and Derry, where there are big populations, it should be pushed there because there are people in those places who want to play. There is good being done but there could be more done."
Carvill lives in Belfast where he works as a solicitor with Arthur Cox and a couple of nights a week he drives home for training. The travel and the commitment can be testing at times but hurling provides the perfect antidote to his high-pressured job.
"My job is such a completely different world from GAA, so hurling and training gives me a great release from the stress that comes with it.
"It also brings me home to see my family and friends a few nights a week. I appreciate it now more than ever because I know I can’t do it forever."
Like inter-county hurlers and footballers all over the country, Carvill has to make sacrifices to play the game and has been committed for over a decade. His journey takes over an hour each way and juggling everything hasn’t been easy.
I think players who are not working or giving up work for hurling are mad
"It’s difficult but it’s also a matter of prioritising what is important to you and managing your time. I’ve said it to the young lads doing their exams and working that these things have to come first because ultimately that puts food on the table.
"We put the same amount of effort as the lads at the top table, we are training three nights a week, there are a couple of gym sessions there is video analysis, it’s challenging.
"The onus is on players as well. I’m not going to be able to be at everything and I tell the manager that. I know what is right for me and my body so that I can be the best on game day.
"I think players who are not working or giving up work for hurling are mad, you have to put yourself and your family number one and try and have a career because GAA careers are short.
"Once they are over you get a pat on the back and you can be proud of what you achieved but you need to think of the next fifty years of your life too."
Ádh mór ar @middletowngac hurlers in the All-Ireland semi-final today against Kanturk at 2pm in Newbridge. pic.twitter.com/S43tPfAh0r
— Armagh GAA (@Armagh_GAA) January 27, 2018
The 30-year-old is on a break from the county at the moment as his club team Middletown have been preparing to face Kanturk in today’s All-Ireland Intermediate club semi-final.
It’s a huge day for the club and the connection they have with the Cork side makes it extra special. 16 years ago Middletown travelled to Cork for the Féile na nGael and they stayed in Kanturk. Many of the team included Carville lined out and he still has the picture from the tournament.
"I know boys on the team well from staying down there. It’s quite ironic really that 16 years later we are playing them in an All-Ireland semi-final.
There are 14 of us from that team still involved in our team today. I remember we went down there on a Thursday and we played them straight off the bus. They beat us by two points. Kanturk went on to the semi-final."
All going to plan Carvill and Middletown will progress to an All-Ireland club final and then it will be back to the Allianz League Division 2B grind with Armagh under new manager Paddy Kelly.
They train in the same facilities as the county footballers and recently used the services of Cork dual star Eoin Cadogan as their strength and conditioning coach. No stone is left unturned when it comes to preparation.
This year, because of the new hurling shake-up, Armagh are set to play in the Christy Ring Cup, despite losing three successive Nicky Rackard finals. It’s not the ideal situation for Carvill as he would have preferred to have earned promotion through winning.
For now though, he’s full focused on today’s game against Kanturk; for Carvill it’s another chance to do what he loves.
